Updated Valvetrain Components - New Life For Tired Valvetrains

You can see the top oil hole (arrow) in this view. The pushrod inserts can be changed for center, left, or right offsets for custom valvetrains. The insert also features oil control that allows you to increase the volume of oil delivered to the top end in applications that need it. The Elite Race lifters are also lightweight, reducing overall valvetrain mass. The only drawback is that these lifters cost between two and three times more than others.

Another COMP Cams lifter option is the redesigned Endure-X. While not as trick as the Elite Race lifters, these use EDM Oil Injection, which delivers pressurized oil to the needle bearings inside the roller. This single design feature greatly improves longevity compared to standard roller lifters. Another trick is to bore a Chevy block to accept larger-diameter lifters for a Ford. The stock Chevy diameter is 0.842 inch and the Ford diameter is 0.875. The COMP Cams lifter set (PN 823-16) is designed specifically for this. COMP offers a rebuild program for the Endure-X lifters, which replaces the axle and roller assembly and inspects the rest of the lifter body.

Advancements in valvesprings over the past decade have been massive. Thirteen years ago, the valvespring required to deliver seat pressure with the valve closed was a massive triple-spring setup (right). Evolution in alloys, treatments, and coatings has allowed the use of dual springs that deliver the same control over the valvetrain. These COMP Cams valvesprings are made from Pacaloy material, which is created in a process that results in steel that is more pure. They are impact treated and the surface is chemically enhanced to remove imperfections. These steps reduce surface stress, providing greater durability.

Whenever you change valvesprings, there are a number of things to check. The inside of the valvesprings need to be positively located on the head; COMP Cams offers a variety of inside diameter spring seats to fit around the valveguides on the head and properly locate the springs. If you're changing the outside diameter of the spring, you'll need to change retainers too. Even if you're not, always inspect every retainer and valve lock (also called a valve keeper) for damage or wear. A failure here means a dropped valve and severe engine damage.

With extremely aggressive cam profiles and high spring pressures, stud-mounted rocker arms require a stud girdle for strength and stability. These are a pain, so we opted for shaft-mounted T&D rockers when we built this engine. After all this street abuse, these rockers, which were engineered for race engines, still looked and felt great. We sent them to T&D for a thorough inspection and rebuild. They inspected the aluminum bodies and steel shafts for any excessive wear and cracks. T&D replaced the needle bearing assemblies, roller tips, and 13 of the pushrod cups.

COMP Cam's nylon thrust button is a little different twist on a cam button. It's easy to cut or grind to fit but has very good wear characteristics. We really like COMP's billet keyway adjustable timing set. The double-roller chain is pre-stretched and heat-treated, the gears are machined from billet steel, and the top gear has an integrated Torrington roller thrust bearing for reduced friction and wear against the block. Degreeing the cam is easy with the nine keyway sprocket. In steps of 2 degrees, you can advance or retard the camshaft a maximum of 8 degrees.

Naturally, we replaced all of the valves. Rather than put in another set of titanium valves, we opted for a set of stainless steel valves. These are made for severe street use and should deliver years of trouble-free service. Even though these valves are quite a bit heavier, we believe that the upgrades we've made to the rest of the valvetrain will still allow us to rev the engine to its 7,000-rpm redline.