Solid lifters on M42

[Nicolai-Denmark]

So...
I have a M42 that im going to rebuild with some extra horses and moved rev limit to 8500rpm so i guees i gotta go for solid lifters cause of the weight and i dont think the hydro's can keep up at 8500 rpm?

But... can i just use the M44 head or is there a way to convert the M42 head to solid lifters?

[wazzu70]

You can run solid lifters in the M42 head. Various companies make them and ones made for an 8v VW engine work too.

There are upgraded E36 lifters that are lighter than the M42 units and are drop in replacement. Personally I think lighterweight hydraulic lifters are fine for most applications. Having upgraded springs and a cam profile capable of supporting the revs is far more important.

[Nicolai-Denmark]

I head something about M52 i think, there were lightere and could handle a lot more rpm than M42?
But dosent solid lifters require cams for solid lifters to? dont think the cams from hydro lifters work very well on solid lifters?

[wazzu70]

The M52 and later M50 lifters are lighter, but smaller diameter so not a direct replacement. The ones I am talking about are an updated design to the OE lifters so they are direct replacement and correct diameter. Not sure which model they came out of though.

Yes cam grinds should match the lifters. A solid lifter profile will have a sharper ramp angle. You can use a hydro cam with solid lifters with a different clearance though.

[benz-tech]

The lighter M50 lifters are the same diameter as all M42's and came stock on the later m42 head that I am using. S50 (or S52) are the smaller diameter ones, IIRC.

[MrPhatBob]

Relevent post: http://www.m42club.com/forum/index.php?topic=18106.45 FCP lifters drop straight in.
Look around to see if there are any custom cam grinders in your area, a lot of them can do amazing things if you talk with them.

[Nicolai-Denmark]

I also head that i could take the cam tray for det hydro lifters from S50, and cut to of them out so ad did som machning to it an i would fit M42 head perfect so i could use S50 hydro lifters?

Anyone ever done that?

[benz-tech]

I also head that i could take the cam tray for det hydro lifters from S50, and cut to of them out so ad did som machning to it an i would fit M42 head perfect so i could use S50 hydro lifters?

Anyone ever done that?

Somebody did it and posted it on youtube. He did his "machining" with a belt sander or something like it, though. But yes you would need 2/3rds of the S50 cam trays to run the smaller diameter lifters.

[MLM]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynVBlDMow3k