340/418 Stroker questions

The beehives save a bit of weight and are pretty common now. But the Crane HR is pretty easy on the valvetrain, so I think a lot of it comes down to lobe design. Prior to the 1.65 rockers, I just ran the stock Edelbrock springs (130lb/320lb seat/open) with 1.5 rockers and the engine regularly saw 6500+rpm - which was my shift point.

Roller lifters are heavy (especially .904 Mopar lifters), so if you use a 1.6 rocker to do some of the work, you can get a bit of extra lift and faster valve action without hurting revs too much. The 1.65 T&Ds are overkill on my engine (heavy compared to other rocker designs), and I needed the extra spring to keep them under control, so if I did it again, I'd just stick to Crane or Hughes or another lighter style of rocker.

Of course, I've had to learn all this as I go along :)

I was originally going to run a solid flat tappet as Moper suggested - I agree with everything he's said about them being cost-effective and up to the job - but I obviously don't regret going with the hydraulic roller. They're quiet, low-maintenance, easy on the valve train and can handle moderate revs.

The downside is they're expensive, but they don't need to be broken in and should last longer than a flat tappet, which could save a little money down the track. You can also swap cams without resurfacing/buying new lifters (composites are the same, but cost as much as roller lifters anyway). A solid roller is a little higher maintenance (not that much, really), but will obviously make more power.

If I was going to rev much past 6500rpm, I'd go solid. But the beauty of the stroker on the street is you don't really need to. That's my 2c.