slightly less expensive roller lifter solution?

ok, a lot of us seem to be at least weighing our options and perhaps considering roller cams in our collective near future due to the dissapearance of ZDDP additives in common motor oils. trouble seems to be, obviously just about any antique engine that we fool with either does not have currently a readily available roller lifter and/or cam on the market, or if they are available they are so prohibitively expensive that it is simply out of the question for the average schmuck. i'm certain that as HAMBers we can think ourselves out of this box. i have seen off-shore manufactured Harley EVO style lifters on e-pay for as little as $48.00 for a set of four. you do the math.

in photos, they look similar to old Chet Herbert roller lifters with a large diameter roller and a tall diameter body, smaller than the roller portion, apparently necessitating their installation from the bottom side of the bore. having never owned a Harley EVO or ever having worked on one, i know little else about them, (how the lifter stays aligned in the bore, the lifter body diameter, body length, etc.), to even surmise what they might fit or can be adapted to. if an engine design is originally equipped with a steel camshaft forging is it suitable for regrinding a roller profile onto? if any one has some input on this or any other "outside the box" solutions i'm sure it would be of interest to all with the same worries.

 

They probably could build up the cam lobes with some welding, then regrinding, and maybe having to hard chrome the lobes, or you could make a new roller cam the way the OEM's do now by using a piece of thick wall tubing then pressing the lobes and bearing journals on the tube. Call your favorite cam manufacturer and see what they can with your cam, if they can't redo your cam they may refer you to someone who can.

 

if these are the mad dog lifters from canada i've been running hem in my 95 hp
80 inch fxr for a year so far. s&s hydro solid kit at 7500 rpm with 480 lift cam.
i'm also running 190 lbs of spring presure.

my 2 cents