Lifter Swap, is it worth it?

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zakimodo

zakimodo

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Hi All,
I lurk, read/ research on this website a lot, and have learned a ton over the years by reading through various forums. Many of the "what is the best lifter or best cam" discussions lead me to the question below.

My current setup. (Please keep in mind this was put together long before I realized the importance of matching/ optimizing/ documenting components used in a build). This combo is certainly no power monster but does pull pretty well above 3k.
  • 318 bored .020 over/ stock stroke (78 block)
  • Ported 360 heads that have been shaved .040 ( I can't remember the calculated comp ratio anymore, high 8's low 9's is what is in my head)
  • Cam is a Comp XE268h. Using Rhoads original lifters.
  • Edelbrock performer that has been gasket matched, topped with a ThermoQuad
  • Dougs D453 headers
  • 4 speed / 3.55 gears
The question I have: Am I leaving any or enough power on the table with the Rhoads lifters to warrant switching to a "regular" lifter. My only reasoning for using them was simply that a stupider me read about them being of good quality rather than understanding mechanically how they work. My current suspicion is that with the current combination I would not notice much if any change in performance with a simple change to a regular lifter.
 
Leave them be. They are a quality product unlike a lot of crap being sold today. It MAY be possible to gain a few HP on the top end, but lose MUCH more on the bottom.
Overall you car will get there faster with Rhodes lifters. Biggest complaint is noise, which sounds like solids and means the lifters are working as designed. Also takes some of the "cruise night" lope out of the cam and smooths out idle.
 
I would call the 268 cam a 'crossover' cam [ with respect to using Rhoads lifters ].
It is pretty mild, even in a 318. So you might lose more low end with the Rs & gain nothing anywhere else.
 
Sorry, meant to add: Rs work best with cams with slow open/closing ramps & the 268 is a fast rate design.
 
Leave them in. The lifters reduce the duration below 3K. It’s not a horrible thing. It should make the slow cruise easier. It will also most probably help with mileage.

If you still feel a lack of torque down low, improving your exhaust system will yield excellent results without tearing into the engine.
 
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