Sounds like we work much in the same manner,, I do value your opinion!. This forum is a fair basis to start getting familar with all the different better selection of parts and practices. I must admit that in the not so long ago. I did have the,, {where with all} to just pop off and spend, spend,, spend. Those days have just recently passed me by. So I am in a readjustment phase. Can't go round tripping over dollars to get to nickels I have more time on my hands these days, so becoming a bit more prudent I need to inspect first and not just go on a "Retail Therapy" spending spree. I need to get back to the days of when I worked. The boss wasn't the Boss,, the budget was. The old "Creed-o",,, " I have done so much for so long with so little. Now I can do anything with nothing ",, So keeping with that old moto. Wrench first,, Buy later.

 

Hatitude.... no apology necessary, I always value your opinion, everyone has their build methods and preferences and on that note....my apologies if I offended.

Hey as long as we are riding, wrenching and alive to enjoy it...!

 

LXT and Hattitude No offense taken. I'm just full of questions about what and why. I'm fair with a wrench. My line of work was as a Maintenance Supervisor for large Apt. communities mostly in and around the Tampa Bay area. I had my ways about me too when it came to parts and practices. I finally realized, the more I could teach my techs the less I had to do. I have been described as "full of questions along with being full of ,,,well other stuff as well". Bare with me Guys I am not in completely unfamillar waters here but still on the low end of the learning curve.
Happy Holidays
Dennis

 

Good morning Kind Sir
I have been taking in all the lifter info. you have been so kind as to share. Espically the getting more oil to the top side parts. Does the "S" slow leak down version limit that factor in my stock motor application There are several choices at Larry's for various equipment applications. For my needs? maybe. The stock repl. should work well or SE variation if they allow the necessary amt. of oil up to the rocker boxes If I find my OE lifters are worn or damaged in anyway. The question is, with the stock HLJ replacements would it be a plus? to have the "E" variant, direct oil injection to the rollers as well, They didn't list that as an option with the stock, just with the slow leak down model. So either way it may not be possible to get the stocks with that option. Is the direct injection to the roller design dependant on just certian internal design or might that they be capable of providing the stocks with that as an option?
Having no prior knowledge of HLJ I had looked at a wide range of lifters, everything from Jim's at 130.00 +, each. down to Lunati standards 70.00 a set. So in my little pea brain, the BB was spinning at about 4500 rpm trying to sort all that out. The input from you and others here has put an end to who's to get. Now just which , Do I get ice cream plain or with sprinkles? if needed.. Again, the stock or "SE" version HLJ would be fine as necessary, just curious as to that direct injection to the roller thingy on the stock version?,, Any thoughts or input welcomed.

 

Good morning Kind Sir
I have been taking in all the lifter info. you have been so kind as to share. Espically the getting more oil to the top side parts. Does the "S" slow leak down version limit that factor in my stock motor application There are several choices at Larry's for various equipment applications. For my needs? maybe. The stock repl. should work well or SE variation if they allow the necessary amt. of oil up to the rocker boxes If I find my OE lifters are worn or damaged in anyway. The question is, with the stock HLJ replacements would it be a plus? to have the "E" variant, direct oil injection to the rollers as well, They didn't list that as an option with the stock, just with the slow leak down model. So either way it may not be possible to get the stocks with that option. Is the direct injection to the roller design dependant on just certian internal design or might that they be capable of providing the stocks with that as an option?
Having no prior knowledge of HLJ I had looked at a wide range of lifters, everything from Jim's at 130.00 +, each. down to Lunati standards 70.00 a set. So in my little pea brain, the BB was spinning at about 4500 rpm trying to sort all that out. The input from you and others here has put an end to who's to get. Now just which , Do I get ice cream plain or with sprinkles? if needed.. Again, the stock or "SE" version HLJ would be fine as necessary, just curious as to that direct injection to the roller thingy on the stock version?,, Any thoughts or input welcomed.

 

I am not a lifter expert.... I just did some research and formed my opinions on that research...

The S&S video I watched, showed the time it took for oil to get to the rockers after start up. It compared the S&S premium lifter vs a similar auto lifter that would fit in the twin cam. The time difference was considerable in my opinion. I have no knowledge about "controls" used in that "experiment", so what I took away from that video, is that are some distinct differences between similar lifters... exactly what they mean, and how they could affect your engine, are outside my experience/technical knowledge. It just meant, to me, that I will stick with lifters designed for V-twin applications.

I also learned through that research that teh Harley "B" lifters ('00-'10) are considered to be excellent lifters, but the Harley "C" lifters ('11- '16 and maybe M8 engines, I just don't know) are widely considered "weak" to "absolute junk"... So NOT all lifters designed for the Twin Cam are the same quality...

Around 2012ish, a new lifter hit the scene, the Gaterman lifter.. Many jumped on the bandwagon, claiming they were the best lifter available for the Twin Cam. Several years later, numerous issues surfaced, and now they are hardly discussed on the tech forums anymore....

Based on all that info, I decided to stick with lifters designed for V-Twins, with a history of use, and a good reputation.... That doesn't mean there won't be others just as good, or even better.. But I avoid all the mind spinning comparisons that you are going through..

I honestly believe you won't find a substantially better lifter than an S&S or the Hylift Johnsons... I don't mind paying their price for my personal peace of mind...

As far as which Hylift Johnson to choose, if I have the money, or am using them in a moderately modded engine, I'll use the SE versions... In a stock or even up to bolt-in cam upgrades, I wouldn't hesitate to use the standards....

A couple of the makes you mentioned I've never heard of... since the difference in money is not an issue with me, I wouldn't consider them. They could very well be excellent lifters, but I have no motivation to re-do all my lifter research. I'll stick with the ones I know, and have used successfully.. unless of course, I come across some verifiable info that they have dropped in quality or cause long range use issues...

The good thing about this forum, is you can hear from others who have done the same as I have, but come to different conclusions... their information is also valuable, and well worth considering...

Sooner or later, just like with any equipment opinions you read about on a forum, you'll need to pay your money, and make your choice. Then you will begin your own personal experience history....

Good luck with your decisions.....

 

Scored lifter bores can also be bored and sleeved. Several qualified shops do this.

 

Lots and lots of people putting there name on things in the lifter world when all they really do is resell them. SnS has their video which has some real marketing hype tossed in there. The lifters used in that video are no longer sold by them and if one was to believe the video, then No one but No one should ever use their SnS Quickie adjustable pushrods, as they would destroy your rockers and cylinder heads by there own claims made in that video!. The claim is the lifter they used to sell, had improved oil flow to the heads but the SnS Quickie adjustable pushrods reduced the Oil flow to the heads from what the stock pushrods do, and these are just the cold hard facts of it. HD took a GM lifter design and used it, then over time they got cheaper and cheaper and that's when the trouble began. I personally have been using the GM lifters in the Twin Cams and M8's for years and years with no more failures than the high dollar ones that SnS used to sell as there premium series. When disassembling the Brand new SnS premium lifter and the GM one side by side, there was just one difference in them and that was the oil hole size that feeds the pushrod. The SnS rebranded lifter used a larger hole size than the GM unit. The rest of the lifter measured the same down to 0.0001". Now as far as the axle oil feed on some models it's not going to hurt anything but it's also not going to help anything in the HD street application. On a high RPM racing application that's another story, and the axle lube has proven itself to help when your running high pressure valve springs and high RPM's in a racing environment.
So while some would like to believe all the hype, it really boils down to using a quality part and the correct one for what it's going to be used for. Anything more than that and you just buying into the hype and lighting your wallet more.

 

Thanks, I was unaware of that fix.....

 

Well well, I am starting to feel as if I am on the verge of enlightenment,,, ha ha,, SO,, ice cream with no sprinkles. If luck favors the brave or the foolish I may get lucky and the 31k B lifters might last a bit longer. If they come out looking like Pretzels then the HLJ stock standards will work for my needs. I know this thread is about lifters but since the lifters are so closely attached to the rods,,,, Does anyone out there want to buy a nice shinny new set of S&S Quickies still in the blister package?...Payment can be made by throwing out a few good choices of adjustables. I'm really not lazy, just didn't want to disturbe the rocker boxes if not necessary and just re use the stock OE rods. Or I could just plug in the hammer drill and ream out the Quickies for better oil flow,, What say YE all? Also gotts me an oil pressure guage as back up to the idiot light. Now that's a hoot an idiot light telling the other idiot , it's time to check the guage. Awww heck,, think I'll just get me a GMC 671 blower and hang it off the right side,,, Oh but then that will have me ridin sidesaddle. REALLY ,, none of this is a joke but a bit of humor seems to slow down the BB's spinnin around at 6k rpms in my head. I'll get there,, with a little help from my friends. Thanks to all out there for your help.