Crane hydraulic roller lifters are offered in two basic designs: For use with standard factory alignment bars (on engines originally equipped with hydraulic roller lifters); and vertical locking bar drop-in lifters (designed to retrofit engines not factory equipped with hydraulic roller lifters).
The Chevrolet standard alignment bar lifters are available in a standard dimensioned version, intended for use with standard lobe lift and standard base circle diameter cams. When lobe lifts increase, and base circle diameters decrease, our exclusive long travel design lifters must be used to prevent the lifters from dropping out of the factory alignment bars when on the base circle of the camshaft. This would allow the lifters to rotate, causing severe engine damage. As these lifters are for engines originally equipped with hydraulic roller lifters, special length pushrods are not usually required.
Our vertical locking bar lifters are available to retrofit non-hydraulic roller equipped engines.. They can also be used in many applications to replace factory hydraulic roller lifters and alignment mechanisms. No machining is normally required for the drop-in installation of these lifters, however with differences in block castings and camshaft base circle diameters, care must be taken to insure that neither the locking bar, or its attaching rivets, contact the block casting throughout their normal cycles. If there is any interference, the block can be ground to provide the necessary clearance. This should be checked prior to final engine assembly. For use in retrofit applications, special length pushrods are required.