I think this may have been covered at some point in the past but I can't find it. Basically, I want to know if I can change the lifters (hydraulic roller) in an LN2 without having to pull and regrind or replace the original cam. I've heard you can and I've also heard you can't. What's the story on this one?

It is a general rule of thumb, that when u replace one or the other, they both need to be replaced, or the cam reground, because they develope a groove that they both share, but how many of us here do it? Not me.

And you've done this without any issues? I'm stuck with this car for at least a little while so I'm going to go ahead and finish what I started with hths build I think. I've got everythign to do a full top-end rebuild but I don't have a cam, nor do I want to pull the motor to replace it or have it reground. And the lifters need replaced, so I figured what the hey. So there shouldn't be any problems?

You can change the lifters on a flat tappet cam, but it is not recomended. You can change the lifters on a roller lifter cam without any problems. A flat tappet cam "mates" to the lobes of the camshaft, while a roller only rolls over the lobe.

MadJack wrote:You can change the lifters on a flat tappet cam, but it is not recomended. You can change the lifters on a roller lifter cam without any problems. A flat tappet cam "mates" to the lobes of the camshaft, while a roller only rolls over the lobe.

The great one has spoken, and it is so. Thanks, Jack!

never had problems on either type of cam.

Quote:

You can change the lifters on a flat tappet cam, but it is not recomended.

You can put new lifters on an old cam, but they don't always mate as well as a new cam and lifters. You can put the old lifters back on the same cam, in the same motor on the same lobes, but if the cam is going into another motor, put new lifters in that motor. Never put used lifters on a new cam. In any of these situations, except for same cam and lifters in same motor, you need to perform the break-in proceedure. This all has to do with the lifters mating to the cam. The lifter mates to the cam, if you put them on another cam or lobe, it will wipe out the convex on the bottom of the lifter.

^^^^^ well said.