Udo Becker’s-worthwhile investment?

[67 Sunroof]

I know it’s overkill on a 1776 build, 1 3/8” hideaway exhaust, Skat counterweighted crank, Mahle forged pistons, Scat H beam rods-or is it??
With the low levels of zddp today and I’ve read sooooo many threads on cams/lifters compatibilities...
Considering the webcam 218 for my frd34’s and kept reading about the lifter horror stories but the Udo’s had very good reviews across the board.
They are $$$$ but if I have the extra $$ myself should I pull the trigger?
I also read great stuff on the cb ultralight lifters as well.
Thoughts??

[Alstrup]

Just use an oil that has the properties that suits your engine and a set of lifters that match the cam blank.
Tool steel lifters are nice, but not really nessessary.

[Whatsaquickie]

I personally pulled the plug on my wallet and used a set of Udo Beckers tool steel lifters
and have not been disappointed they are light they are strong the valve train mass has been reduced and are worth the investment in my opinion
my valve adjustments have so far never changed
you can hear them in action at https://youtu.be/-xX2tcw9uRg

[vwracerdave]

Build what you want.

You start adding up all those $50, $100, and $250 extras for "overkill" parts and it won't be long before you have $1000 of unnecessary do-dad's. More chrome, polish, and spit 'N shine bling can turn a $3500 1776 into a $5000 turd. In the end you still get to keep all the broken pieces.
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2017 Street Comp Champion - Thunder Valley Raceway Park - Noble, OK
2010 Sportsman ET Champion - Mid-America Dragway - Arkansas City, KS
1997 Sportsman ET Champion - Thunder Valley Raceway Park - Noble ,OK

[Ohio Tom]

They are nice.

I have no comments on the hardness compatibility with Webcam blanks hardness. I know running a Scat lifter on a Webcam will kill the cam. (your experience may vary).
Not sure about tool steel lifters thou.

every application of TS lifters I have seen used hard-welded cams to go with them.

Word of warning (that nobody likes to talk about): While very hard, they are brittle and thin walled. If you have a pushrod fall out of socket at high rpm, it will break the face of the lifter and ruin the lifter bore in the case.
Make sure you have a good valve trane if you plan on taking the revs up there...

[UK Luke 72]

The Webs I have used cam on a SC1 blank.
Web even recommended I use Scat lifters.
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[Steve Arndt]

I've got around 6 years and close to 10,000 miles on mine. Valves have not needed adjustment at all. I check them every thousand or so. I recommend them. I run 320 pounds of spring pressure in a daily driver.

Losing a cam sucks. I like the insurance.
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Steve
Steve's 87 Syncro project

[74 Thing]

[Dauz]

[raygreenwood]

[txoval]

I used Udo lifters on my current engine. They were nice and light, plenty of clearance between them and the cam lobes.

I do not have enough miles on the engine yet, but the valve lash has not changed in the first 500 miles.

Money is dependent on the buyer.

[Chickensoup]

i love how we aircooled guys complain about spending 400 bucks on lifters when all the HEMI guys are spending over 200 bucks for stock lifters and the antique truck and car guys are willing to pay 90 dollars a lifter for the uncommon engines. us vw guys have it made.

if i had to question one thing about these lifters using my not so experianced brain,

it would be,

tool steel is harder than the mild steel they use in all the other lifters right.

so, would a harder lifter reduce lifter bore life?
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'65 Tourist Delivery Build
'66 RIP
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Hosea 4:6 "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge"

[modok]

Lifter bore wear would be the same, or at least not worse.
A more accurately ground OD on the lifter might help, a lot of these cheap VW lifters could be better in that respect.

You can get a chevy 817 hydraulic lifter with a steel insert on the face for 3$

Unfortunately it is not practical to put a hardened face insert on a mushroom lifter.
Mushroom shaped lifters are a neat design but it really only makes sense if they are cast or forged to shape.


Carving a mushroom shaped lifter out of tool steel bar stock is very inefficient, thus, very expensive.

[Wreck]

Another source of TS lifters is Thorsten Pieper . 56grams . very nice . an advantage is that if you want to change cams and do development work you can reuse the lifters . Since I've upgraded cam and still have the same lifters ,the cost is starting to be in my favour .

[Steve Arndt]

[slalombuggy]

[jfats808]

Overkill. Save $300 and run SLR scats. I use these on all client builds unless build, budget, and rpm usage warrants it. Use TS28s or udo Becker Tool steel lifters on the future 7k engine that can turn 6800+ rpms.
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