I noticed the Comp Cams retro-fit hydraulic rollers do not require the
use of a bronze (or steel) distributor gear. I called the Comp tech line
but the guy did not really have an answer when I asked how they can get
away with with running an iron gear. Does anyone know what Comp does?
Do they press an iron gear on a steel cam core or do they use a different
material or heat treat process? Does it really work?

A friend runs a custom Comp hydraulic roller (248 degrees @ 0.050", 0.600"
lift with 110LSA, 190 lbs seat pressure) in a 418W stroker in a Cobra
replica. On the dyno, that engine made 565 HP at 5700 RPM. He didn't
know about the cam gear but is checking with his engine builder. The cam
size is similar to what I'm considering for the Pantera, though the lobe
centers may be tighter if I go IR EFI.

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Alex Denysenko
Co-Administrator and Moderator

NHRA/IHRA/SRA member and licensed Superstock driver
MCA member# 53321
NHRA and IHRA SS/LA National Record Holder '00, '01, & '02
Fleet of FoMoCo products including 88 ASC McLaren Mustang #28
Professional Manwhore
The Barry of BarrysGrrl

This would be a -8. For a Cleveland, the custom cam core p/n be 32-000-8.
The biggest catalog grind for a Cleveland is the 304HR (244 @ 0.050", 0.612",
110 LSA, p/n 32-651-8). How do you think that would work in a 408C stroker
with A3 heads? Eric's running 35-000-8 in his 418W with cam specs fairly
similar to the 304HR but the Cobra is much lighter than the Pantera and the
AFR-205's have smaller ports than the A3's. Are the -8 cam cores ground on
8620 steel?

The Comp flunkie said to use an iron gear but since he couldn't back it
up with a reason, I was suspicious. I also spoke with a guy running a 284HR
and he said Comp told him the stock iron gear is okay to run. Sounds like
he got the same flunkie as I did. Seems a lot of them don't know the
difference between steel and iron.

On page 219, the Comp Cams catalog states "Street Roller Cam Cores (Hydraulic
or Solid Roller) - special material does not require use of bronze distributor
gear". I searched the rest of the catalog but I couldn't find it anywhere if
that meant cast iron or steel. As far as I know, Crane is the only company
that makes a steel distributor gear for a 351C (same gear as a 429/460).
Does anyone else make a steel gear for Clevelands?

quote:

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Originally posted by Daniel Jones:
[BThe Comp flunkie ...[/B]

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Aint that the truth. I called them several times yrs ago trying to find the difference in their solid roller lifters for a 351c and the roller lifters for the rest of the small Fords (they list them seperately in the block). He told me (after I was put on hold for over 10 minutes while he went and asked someone else since he didnt know) that the cleveland had a taller deck height and therefore the oiling hole needed to be in a different place. Taller deck height? I asked him how that could be since the cleveland was a 9.2 deck, and a windsor was a 9.5 deck. His answer, "I dont know."

The oil metering hole is in a different place due to the oil galley is in a different location on the cleveland. If you were to try and use thier other sbf lifters in a cleveland, it would pump all the oil to the top of the heads right away.

The 351C lifters use the same lifter body as the 429-460, but they use the link bars for the 289-351W. That's why they list a different part #. The lifters are all the same .874 diameter, the oiling holes are different and the link bars are a different length.

The 289-351W uses 838-1 lifter bodies and 838-L link bars.

The 429-460 uses 836-1 bodies and 836-L link bars.

The 351C-351M and 400 use 836-1 bodies with the 838-L link bars.

I like their lifters. Mainly because they are rebuildable after a season or two. Many lifters are the roller axle pressed or peened in place and that can't be rebuilt. Comp will rebuild theirs with new wheels, bearings and axles for less than 1/2 the cost of new lifters.

I like my Lunati's. Every 2 years I send them back in and get them rebuilt. When I bought my Lunatis, they were over $330 new, I can get them rebuilt (new bearings, wheels, axles, and the bodies get mic'ed for size) for $125 or so.