Shubeck Lifters

[Eddie Wilson]

What's the scoop on the Shubeck lifters that's used on a solid roller? A friend installed a set in his 421ci S/B Chevy. He swears by them. He only tells me the good things about the Shubecks. I know for every positive there is a negative.

I hear the they are much lighter in weight than any roller lifter with a crossbar. Also they have a lifetime warranty. The block has to be cut for keyways in each lifter bore. The cost is a little high , but there is lifetime warranty.

What is your thought and opinions on the Shubecks when used with a solid roller in a S/B Chevy? Does the positive out weigh the negatives. Most important is there a power gain?

Thanks
Eddie Wilson

[Jay Allen]

I would highly doubt that you run say a Comp .842 lifter then run a Shubeck and see some miraculous HP gain at the peak. What you will see is added valvetrain stability, spring life will increase, and a few extra RPM will be found. If you have extra useable RPM, then you have average power. If you have a high(er) RPM engine with an aggressive cam, it is a no brainer. If you have a 7000 RPM and below, .420" lobe lift, and stud rockers, I'd say the benefits that the lifter would supply would never be seen in such an application.

Hope this helps.

[Eddie Wilson]

I turn my S/B 8400 rpms with a comp roller lifter. I have always though about the Comp offset roller lifter durability. I may look into a set.
I am not a person who likes to be a Ginney Pig on parts. I have not looked into the Shubecks in great detail. Do you know if shubeck offer them in a offset?
Do you know of anyone who runs them?
Thanks
EWW

[mike gerlach]

yeah...they offer the offset lifters, but I wish I could find someone to say...yeah their the sh$t. I've thought about them too, but I feel the same way...I don't want to be the ginney pig either..

I would like to hear feedback on the roller x .... I'd just hate to brake one to find out everyone thinks they're junk.....or brake a crower and find out ...yeah...the shubecks' work great....

so what's the scoop.....someone must know...

Jay??? what have you heard...know....think?..

mike

[Zeke1]

I don't know anything about the rollers but I have used the flat tappet shubecks with good success BUT with that said I also know a two others that have tried the flat tappet with not only a failure but it distroyed the entire short block, they are ceramic and with any valve float they shatter and the peices will distroy just about everything if not noticed in time. I think the reason you can't get feed back is because very few if any use them and that should tell you something.

[Chris Uratchko]

Lots of folks use the Flat Tappet lifters from them... in classes that required flat tappet cams... but their Roller X lifter? I'd like to try a set but it's not easy talking customers into being a test mule...

[mike gerlach]

Exactly..

I hear this all the time.....You would think Schubeck would want to get the word out. Give a few sets away to some engine builders if they agree to give them an honest try. I just find it hard to believe the resistance to these things if they actually work. I know the racing community is a "tight" group and strongly support certain companies that have a proven track record, but really.....if it's a better part??? why not use it.

I've seen Crower, Isky, Comp, and even Jesel lifters fail.....sometimes it does tear up the entire short block so how would that be any different than what we have now........I would like to see a comparison test.

It would be nice if Schubeck or someone would build a few test mules to compare the lifters...........run them until failure, or so many hours and then inspect the parts...(could be almost anything...Get the lifer bores straight, use the same cam, springs (or optimized for the combination if shubecks need more & can tolerate the increased spring psi that would be acceptable, as long as it's a fair comparison) ie.. they both follow the cam profile without bounce etc. Could use any "cheap" head built just for this test.....Max hp wouldn't matter only durability. (spintron type test, but with all the oil supplied to the lifters, cam etc)

Heck....you'd think Schubeck would sponsor such a thing and print some type of mini brochure or tech sheet...with "real" independent information...

makes me wonder why they don't....(or have they and the results weren't in their favor??)

[Jay Allen]

I know of a few roundy round guys that use the Schubeck's. They seem to be ok. This is the solid roller stuff.

However.......I recently recieved a set of Schubeck hyd roller lifters. Man was I upset. The customer paid dearly for these jewels. They were stock hyd roller Ford oem style lifters that had been disassembled and shimmed. This was stuff we did 10 years ago and it cost 1.00 to do. Oh well, buy the link-bar Cranes.

On the flat tappet stuff. The reason guys have failues with the Schubeck stuff is the lifter bounce. This occurs when not enough spring pressure is used. Yes I know it sounds crazy to run 200# to 225# on the seat and a rate of 500 lb/in on a cast flat tappet cam, but that is what you MUST do. If you skimp on the spring & use the Schubeck's, you WILL have a failure. Oh ya, ZERO, zip , nadda break in on the cam too.

I say buy the Isky Red Zones and be done with it. I really like those.

[koryliss]

I tried two sets of Shubeck radius ceramics - they dynoed well but this was a street motor (422" Mopar small block). Ruined both steel billet cams - the lifters were just too hard for low rpm use.

BTW - He is not the easiest gentleman to work with.

Kory

[NoAir]

I turn my S/B 8400 rpms with a comp roller lifter. I have always though about the Comp offset roller lifter durability. I may look into a set.
I am not a person who likes to be a Ginney Pig on parts. I have not looked into the Shubecks in great detail. Do you know if shubeck offer them in a offset?
Do you know of anyone who runs them?
Thanks
EWW

I have them in my 438" SBC, so far so good, I engine dynoed 18 pulls, and 13 chassis dyno pulls, I have the radius bottom lifters for rolloer cams not the roller X design with the floating wheel, but I like them. They are VERY light so you run less spring pressure and I pull my motor to 8300 rpm. They are very easy on springs and retainers and locks. It does take a special cam ground for a 1" radius wheel instead of the standard 3/4" wheel radius, and it requires a better quality control on the hardness of the cam lobe surface. The complete kit was around $1400 and it came with the tool for installing the studs for the dog bone retainer plates.......40+ passes at the track and I check the valves everytime I get back to the shop and have only had to adjust 2 valves and only by .001 cause I'm kind of anal about that kind of thing......:cool:
Oh, and the motor made 901hp at 7800......on Gas.........with a Buulet Cams grind for NOS......

[Jim Craig]

I have them in my 438" SBC, so far so good, I engine dynoed 18 pulls, and 13 chassis dyno pulls, I have the radius bottom lifters for rolloer cams not the roller X design with the floating wheel, but I like them. They are VERY light so you run less spring pressure and I pull my motor to 8300 rpm. They are very easy on springs and retainers and locks. It does take a special cam ground for a 1" radius wheel instead of the standard 3/4" wheel radius, and it requires a better quality control on the hardness of the cam lobe surface. The complete kit was around $1400 and it came with the tool for installing the studs for the dog bone retainer plates.......40+ passes at the track and I check the valves everytime I get back to the shop and have only had to adjust 2 valves and only by .001 cause I'm kind of anal about that kind of thing......:cool:
Oh, and the motor made 901hp at 7800......on Gas.........with a Buulet Cams grind for NOS......

Theo, I've got a set of .904 dia. flat tappet specials I had made a number of years ago for when I ran in NMCA Easy Street. Sold the motor without if you know anybody looking. I realize its flat tappet stuff, but I just don't need $800 worth of ceramic laying around anymore.

[sixpak]

Are they push rod oilers? If so, what do you want for them?

[Toma]

Hey, Jay....

as a side note... how much do you shim the Ford Hydraulic lifters? Mine seem to be doing something funky up at the big end, not sure if I am getting float, or collapse, but I am about 6400 rpm, and the car feel flat. Worth a shot I guess...

Thanks

[wizbang]

I use the flat tappet Shubeck lifters in the SuperStock, cast Crane cam, 325 on the seat and 780 open,,, thing runs 7800 for 5 minutes in this circle boat !