Solid cam, stock oiling system = major problems

[Tom Welch]

There is nothing more aggrivating than having to run the motor several minutes to pump up hydraulic lifters while adjusting valves after a head or cam swap. These hydraulic cams are a real pain.

Unfortunately, the Viper engine was designed for LOW rpm HIGH torque applications. To try and run the engine outside of these parameters defeats the original scope of our engines. Solid lifter cams have no advantage at this point because of the low lift/short duration restrictions due to loss of vacuum and poor idle quality. These characters that want to turn 7000 rpm should buy a small block chevy.

In other words, I agree with you Joe. It is a shame though that no-one has came out with a roller lifter/cam combo for our application.
Tom

 

[Svsi]

Tom
Svsi has been using solid roller lifters with steel billet cams
for five years.We use the stock intake but have changed the oiling system.The GTSR ran the stock intake for the first two years that Canaska Southwind raced the cars,but they had a dry sump system and ran seventy five to eight thousand rpm . We have four different styles of solid roller lifters some are lightweight and are very expensive.On the forced induction cars we have run seventy two hundred rpm with no problems.We are looking to raise it to eighty five hundred and after we change
the intake go to ninty five hundred. We do use a girdel and steel billet cranks.The use of cams that give you peak torque at sixty two hundred rpm help us achieve our goals.We have one that is designed to give us peak torque at seventy five hundred we
just have to keep the engine together,so far that has not been a problem .

Ron Sr

 

[V10TT]

Now, how streetable can a set up like this with a .700" plus lift really be?
Does the block need to be changed to be capable of working with a dry-sump?
What exactly are the limitations of the stock oil system in the viper.. oil pump?, pan, engine oil galleries.. Crankcase vent system?
Thanks

 

[Svsi]

1 bad GTS
I dont have any idea how long the stock engine would last,it
probable has to do with how hard are you going to run it. If you know of someone who wants to do solid roller lifers and cam,springs,lifter guide plates and rockers that are used for a
solid roller cam,that wants to find out give me a call.We have
always used different means off getting better oiling to the engine.We have rolled the dice but we try to increase the odds before we do,We would not do a roller cam and not make changes to the oiling system.But that just has to do with what we know
about the engine. If you are going to spend the money to do it
spend it to do it the best way possible.

Ron

 

[Svsi]

1 Bad
Svsi has raced with Chris for three or four seasons.Great guy
it sounds to me that there is a problem with the engine if he keeps burning up the bearings.There are a lot of racers in Viper
Days and the Challenge Series that run there cars pretty hard and they dont burn up there bearings.To get back to the solid roller lifter idea, anyone can put solids on there car if they have a good bottom end and mods done for proper oiling.This does
not mean a dry sump system has to be put on the car to race.Does he use a Accusump, the new pan, more clearance on the bearings. That has always helped our engines live longer.Svsi never had a engine failure on there car in four years . I would think that Chris has all of these small mods even the large oil cooler definetly helps the longevity.Get a four row radiator with dual fans keep the engine cool and the oil.

Ron