Hydraulic Roller Lifters.

[loufontana4]

What is the best hydraulic lifter to purchase for 6.2L LS3 to run with a new camshaft.

[NOT A 45]

Originally Posted by loufontana4

What is the best hydraulic lifter to purchase for 6.2L LS3 to run with a new camshaft.

Factory LS7 lifters

[FasNuf]

Johnson
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[CamaroCracka]

So short of a link bar lifter, what Johnson hydraulic lifter would you use if you are shifting at over 7k? Preferably something that does not require new pushrods.

[acammer]

The only way to correctly answer this question is with more questions. Mainly - what's the complete combination? Knowing the cam you're going to run and what the rest of the combination is (intake manifold, cylinder head, transmission type, any power adder) will inform what the car is going to see for RPM and what amount of valve-spring pressure it will need. Those two key pieces of info are closely related, and in turn will inform what you should consider for lifters.

In general, most street driven cammed LS setups are going to thrive with a Chevy Performance - Racing lifter, also referred to as the GMPP or Caddy lifter (PN 88958689). These are a drop in replacement for an OEM LS7 lifter, and have a few improvements - mainly higher overall material quality, tighter internal tolerances, and a better ceramic check ball mechanism. They usually retail about $100 over genuine LS7 lifters, and are well worth the extra cost. The lifter is by far the most common failure point in the valve-train, if not of all the internal components on an LS engine - and so it makes sense to invest a little extra there.

Your lifter options are basically as follows:

• Cheapo Ebay/Amazon counterfeit lifers (~$200) - these are junk - garbage material, smaller than factory wheel width, sloppy tolerances, etc. They WILL fail in even mild operate conditions, and cost you money. If a deal is too good to be true, it usually is.
• Genuine GM LS7 lifters (~$400) - these get a bad rap because there are so many counterfeit options now, but these are usually pretty good for mild/moderate cammed combinations. In general, we like to see a max of 400lbs of open pressure, and an RPM max of 7,000 on these.
• Chevy Performance - Racing (GMPP, Caddy) lifters ($500) - these are well worth the upgraded price point for a higher quality material and internal mechanism than the OEM LS7 lifters. We'll run these with up to 500lbs of open pressure and to 8,000rpm without concern. This is a go-to lifter for the majority of builds.
• Johnson 2110R ($766) - these are a premium lifter with a premium price tag. They have about 25% less travel than the OEM style lifters above, which cuts down on potential squish in the lifter. They are high quality material, and very tight tolerances. Despite what Johnson might tell you or advertise (~400lbs open pressure) we have run these in a lot of things with 500+lbs of open spring pressure, and they perform reliably and well. For high rpm builds with the potential for valve-train abuse, these are a top tier "drop in" choice that still setup with standard length pushrods.
• Johnson ST2116LSR ($876) - there are several versions of Johnson link bar lifters - these are the ones we most commonly use. These are a link bar style lifter that eliminate the factory lifter tray completely. While not usually a problem, the lifter tray is not as strong as a link bar, and there have been isolated instances (usually coupled with other valve-train abuse and float) where a lifter can actually turn in the tray, and ride sideways on the cam, destroying the cam and lifter. The link bar prevents any potential turning, and the short travel dramatically reduces the potential for squish, which improves performance, especially at high rpm. Setting up a short travel lifter typically will require custom length pushrods, possibly even multiple lengths, and careful measuring to set desired preload is required. These are a high-performing lifters suitable for high rpm applications. 500+lbs of open pressure, and will offer the best outcomes in potential valve-train abuse scenarios.

There are of course other options out there, but that should give you some things to think about in choosing lifters.

[FasNuf]

Well said.

[loufontana4]

Would you consider Comp Cams Evolution hydraulic roller rockers or would you stick with GM Performance. The cam in the my 2011 Camaro LS3 manual transmission with 3.91 gears is a GPI LS3 SS4 No Fly Cut. Stock heads and block.

[CamaroCracka]

Originally Posted by acammer

The only way to correctly answer this question is with more questions. Mainly - what's the complete combination? Knowing the cam you're going to run and what the rest of the combination is (intake manifold, cylinder head, transmission type, any power adder) will inform what the car is going to see for RPM and what amount of valve-spring pressure it will need. Those two key pieces of info are closely related, and in turn will inform what you should consider for lifters.

In general, most street driven cammed LS setups are going to thrive with a Chevy Performance - Racing lifter, also referred to as the GMPP or Caddy lifter (PN 88958689). These are a drop in replacement for an OEM LS7 lifter, and have a few improvements - mainly higher overall material quality, tighter internal tolerances, and a better ceramic check ball mechanism. They usually retail about $100 over genuine LS7 lifters, and are well worth the extra cost. The lifter is by far the most common failure point in the valve-train, if not of all the internal components on an LS engine - and so it makes sense to invest a little extra there.

Your lifter options are basically as follows:

• Cheapo Ebay/Amazon counterfeit lifers (~$200) - these are junk - garbage material, smaller than factory wheel width, sloppy tolerances, etc. They WILL fail in even mild operate conditions, and cost you money. If a deal is too good to be true, it usually is.
• Genuine GM LS7 lifters (~$400) - these get a bad rap because there are so many counterfeit options now, but these are usually pretty good for mild/moderate cammed combinations. In general, we like to see a max of 400lbs of open pressure, and an RPM max of 7,000 on these.
• Chevy Performance - Racing (GMPP, Caddy) lifters ($500) - these are well worth the upgraded price point for a higher quality material and internal mechanism than the OEM LS7 lifters. We'll run these with up to 500lbs of open pressure and to 8,000rpm without concern. This is a go-to lifter for the majority of builds.
• Johnson 2110R ($766) - these are a premium lifter with a premium price tag. They have about 25% less travel than the OEM style lifters above, which cuts down on potential squish in the lifter. They are high quality material, and very tight tolerances. Despite what Johnson might tell you or advertise (~400lbs open pressure) we have run these in a lot of things with 500+lbs of open spring pressure, and they perform reliably and well. For high rpm builds with the potential for valve-train abuse, these are a top tier "drop in" choice that still setup with standard length pushrods.
• Johnson ST2116LSR ($876) - there are several versions of Johnson link bar lifters - these are the ones we most commonly use. These are a link bar style lifter that eliminate the factory lifter tray completely. While not usually a problem, the lifter tray is not as strong as a link bar, and there have been isolated instances (usually coupled with other valve-train abuse and float) where a lifter can actually turn in the tray, and ride sideways on the cam, destroying the cam and lifter. The link bar prevents any potential turning, and the short travel dramatically reduces the potential for squish, which improves performance, especially at high rpm. Setting up a short travel lifter typically will require custom length pushrods, possibly even multiple lengths, and careful measuring to set desired preload is required. These are a high-performing lifters suitable for high rpm applications. 500+lbs of open pressure, and will offer the best outcomes in potential valve-train abuse scenarios.

There are of course other options out there, but that should give you some things to think about in choosing lifters.

Thanks Andrew for confirming I want to drop in a set of Caddy lifters next time I have the heads off.

One other thing that I've never seen a straight answer on is if the Delphi LS7 lifter is in fact identical to the GM LS7 lifter, or is it ebay junk or somewhere in between.

[acammer]

Originally Posted by loufontana4

Would you consider Comp Cams Evolution hydraulic roller rockers or would you stick with GM Performance. The cam in the my 2011 Camaro LS3 manual transmission with 3.91 gears is a GPI LS3 SS4 No Fly Cut. Stock heads and block.

We leave the rockers alone on 95% of hydraulic roller builds. We'll go to a bushed trunnion once we have over 400lbs of open pressure, mostly as a cheap insurance measure, but if we are going to go with a non-OEM rocker, we've been doing the Comp BSR Max Lift shaft mount setup. I've actually got those in my LS7 heads. Put a couple thousand miles on it this year, no issues. I will probably snatch a valve cover off this spring to have a look, but I don't have any concerns.

I had not heard of a Comp Cams Evolution Roller Rocker, so I went looking and quickly realized you meant lifter - which makes a lot more sense with the ongoing conversation. I can't say that we've used these, and I don't know nor have heard much about them. At $600/set, they are going to have to be a good lifter to make sense to most budgets.

I'm all for tried and true unless it doesn't do something you want, and I think the Chevy Performance Racing (88958689) would be the go-to for your application.

[acammer]

Originally Posted by CamaroCracka

Thanks Andrew for confirming I want to drop in a set of Caddy lifters next time I have the heads off.

One other thing that I've never seen a straight answer on is if the Delphi LS7 lifter is in fact identical to the GM LS7 lifter, or is it ebay junk or somewhere in between.

I can only contribute to the confusion. Delphi was/is a supplier for GM, but from what I understand they have outsourced many of their parts, and sometimes the quality goes with that. I don't think they are in the same league as the LS7 knock offs you see on Amazon/Ebay, but I'm also a little suspicious of their quality. I think considering them an "in between" option is fair, and for that reason, they are off the table for me as a recommendation.

[acutron42]

Originally Posted by FasNuf

Well said.

Andrew is the reason that GPI is building me a complete 415 stroker. These guys have done the research & development & know what works & what doesn't. If you want to watch a cool video, search Ryan Stevens 829 hp on youtube.

[loufontana4]

Sorry, I did mean lifter. Ok I will go with GM Performance lifter. Thank You for your time.

[Aqua Blue RS/SS]

Originally Posted by acutron42

Andrew is the reason that GPI is building me a complete 415 stroker. These guys have done the research & development & know what works & what doesn't. If you want to watch a cool video, search Ryan Stevens 829 hp on youtube.

Agreed, and Andrew is also the person that pushed me over the edge to go with GPI over the others. These guys know there shit. I was impressed with his honesty on which parts I need for the cam swap on my ultra low mile SS. He is in the business of selling parts, but he was honest in what he would change and wouldn’t in my car given my circumstances rather than telling me I need two of everything regardless of miles and circumstances. These guys are THE BEST.

[acutron42]

Originally Posted by Aqua Blue RS/SS

Agreed, and Andrew is also the person that pushed me over the edge to go with GPI over the others. These guys know there shit. I was impressed with his honesty on which parts I need for the cam swap on my ultra low mile SS. He is in the business of selling parts, but he was honest in what he would change and wouldn’t in my car given my circumstances rather than telling me I need two of everything regardless of miles and circumstances. These guys are THE BEST.

Same here. Andrew steered me away from spending a ton of money that I didn't need to. Truly a class act along with the entire GPI staff.