# Q: Alfa Romeo solid lifters



## sagg (Feb 23, 2005)

If I remember correctly, there are at least few guys on this forum that are running these Alfa lifters? And to those who don't know what I'm talking about; these should be a perfect bolt-on solution for a performance head because they are very light and have the adjusting shims between the valve and the lifter. Anyway, I have few questions for you guys running these:
1. I've read that these have been used to convert hydro lifters to solid ones, but can these be applied into a solid lifter head with the longer valves etc? 
2. What Alfa Romeo engines have these? Even better if you can supply me with a part number..
3. What kind of shims do you use? Lash caps or something else?
-JP


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

*Re: Q: Alfa Romeo solid lifters (sagg)*

Do not trust my answer too much but I do not believe it is a 'bolt on' item like you think. The lifters are a larger diameter and the adjusment shims are under the bucket but really.... how many individuals lost their shim at high rpm? Not worth the effort or hassles, but you may think differently.


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## ABA Scirocco (May 30, 2001)

*Re: Q: Alfa Romeo solid lifters (sagg)*

They're definitely not plug and play. The shims are lash caps. The problems with this set-up start there, the VW valves have very little space between the tip of the valve and the keeper so shallow lash caps would be required furthermore the combined thickness of any commonly available lash cap and the Alfa lifter is considerable less than the combined thickness of a VW lifter and shim so thick lash caps would be required and they're tough (impossible???) to find. BTW, I don't have much exposure to Alfa's or Fiats, what I've said refers only to the lifters that I've seen, there many be others which would be more suitable but I'm not aware of any.
Alfa style lifters are commonly in conjunction with a complete head makeover, custom valves with longer tips are used to overcome the problems I mentioned earlier.
The main advantage of these lifters isn't merely the lighter weight rather it's that the contact surface of the lifter is the full width of the lifter, allowing for more radical, higher lift cams to be used, many racing cams would contact the edge of the stock shim with immediate and disastrous results. 
I'm not sure which models of Alfa's and Fiats had the appropriate type of lifters. An inexpessive and much easier to find alternative is to hollow out stock VW hydraulic lifters on a lathe. The resulting lifters are VERY lightweight and hold up very well in a racing engine, a friend of mine has been using them for many years .




_Modified by ABA Scirocco at 8:17 PM 4-13-2006_


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## ABA Scirocco (May 30, 2001)

*Re: Q: Alfa Romeo solid lifters (ABA Scirocco)*

I just came across some pictures of a Vauxhall head that uses the same style shim under bucket lifters as the Alfa, here's one of the pics, the valve with the arrow has a shim on it.


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## NORSK (Feb 26, 2006)

*Re: Q: Alfa Romeo solid lifters (sagg)*


_Quote, originally posted by *sagg* »_If I remember correctly, there are at least few guys on this forum that are running these Alfa lifters? And to those who don't know what I'm talking about; these should be a perfect bolt-on solution for a performance head because they are very light and have the adjusting shims between the valve and the lifter. Anyway, I have few questions for you guys running these:
1. I've read that these have been used to convert hydro lifters to solid ones, but can these be applied into a solid lifter head with the longer valves etc? 
2. What Alfa Romeo engines have these? Even better if you can supply me with a part number..
3. What kind of shims do you use? Lash caps or something else?
-JP

15 usd each.


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## ABA Scirocco (May 30, 2001)

*Re: Q: Alfa Romeo solid lifters (NORSK)*


_Quote, originally posted by *NORSK* »_15 usd each.










Very nice, who's got them for $15.00. I've got a sample one of those, it came directly from the manufacturer, Arrow Precision in the U.K. it cost me about £10.00 + shipping.


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## NORSK (Feb 26, 2006)

*Re: Q: Alfa Romeo solid lifters (ABA Scirocco)*

I sell them.


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## 8vduboy (Jan 13, 2005)

*Re: Q: Alfa Romeo solid lifters (NORSK)*

i was lookin to go solid lifter for my 16v what do i need
and how high revs can i hit safely


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## sagg (Feb 23, 2005)

*Re: Q: Alfa Romeo solid lifters (NORSK)*

So these could be swapped to a hydro head without needing to change to longer valves? What kind of shims would I need with these and where can I get them?


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## CarlitosVW (Apr 17, 2004)

*Re: Q: Alfa Romeo solid lifters (NORSK)*

Which model of Alfa are they from?


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## CarlitosVW (Apr 17, 2004)

*Re: Q: Alfa Romeo solid lifters (CarlitosVW)*

I forgot to post this, you can also use Peugeot 405 lifters, they also have the shim on top of the valve.


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## NORSK (Feb 26, 2006)

*Re: Q: Alfa Romeo solid lifters (sagg)*


_Quote, originally posted by *sagg* »_So these could be swapped to a hydro head without needing to change to longer valves? What kind of shims would I need with these and where can I get them?

These can replace the hydro lifters,you need small lash caps underneath these lifters,but you do not need longer valves because of the stud in center.
Most motorcycle shops have lash caps,just buy the lash cap a little longer than needed and grind them of for the correct clearance.
These are not from any Alfa engine,they are speccially made race lifters,which i sell.


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## NORSK (Feb 26, 2006)

*Re: Q: Alfa Romeo solid lifters (8vduboy)*


_Quote, originally posted by *8vduboy* »_i was lookin to go solid lifter for my 16v what do i need
and how high revs can i hit safely


You need mech cams,these lifters,lash caps or longer valves.
Max rpm depends of what type of cams,valve springs,weight of valves retainers and so on.


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