roller tip rockers

turtlevette

turtlevette

The Turdle
Joined
Mar 24, 2008
Messages
1,492
Location
Marshfield, MA
i just installed a set of cheapo roller tip rockers. The roller looks to be centered on the valve stem when the valve is closed. When the valve is compressed the roller sits on the outboard portion of the stem.

i don't like that. i would think that the roller should be centered on the valve stem through the full range of motion.

what say you?
 
i took them off today and went back to a standard stamped rocker. Seems like its running better at idle. I think the rollers were side loading the valve stems.
 
Here's how I did it: I used some black Sharpie on the valve stem and installed the rocker with a pushrod length checking tool. I set the tool to whatever the standard pushrod length is (I think 7.300") and shimmed the hydr. lifter solid... I actually bought one extra lifter for $5 from Summit to do this.... .... rotated the crank a few times and removed the rocker... I adjusted the pushrod checking tool until the shiny mark on the valve stem was centered, needed pushrods .100" longer than stock....

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It only rotates the rocker slightly and the rocker stud is probably still the highest point.... nevertheless, you already went back to stock - did you use stock ratio or the 1.6 rockers ??
If you have 1.6 ratio roller tip rockers I'm interessted... cheap of course.... :yahoo:
 
MYBAD79 said:
If you have 1.6 ratio roller tip rockers I'm interessted... cheap of course.... :yahoo:
Click to expand...

you don't want these. I bought these used for $40 from someone on CF years ago. They have a cheeta or something on them. They were made to be self aligning so there is a portion that significantly shrouds the roller. That portion nearly touches/touches the top of the valve retainer. I noticed he had ground on them to prevent this. I ground them down some more to make sure they didn't hit the retainer and drop a valve.

They say use guideplates or self aligning but not both. So i was violating that rule as well.
 
Why Roller Tip? Seems that most of the benefit of the roller rocker is in the roller fulcrum.

I think the valve stem wear thing is sophistry.

The LS series of motors uses a roller fulcrum and a flat tip.

Just a thought.
 
guru said:
Why Roller Tip? Seems that most of the benefit of the roller rocker is in the roller fulcrum.

I think the valve stem wear thing is sophistry.

The LS series of motors uses a roller fulcrum and a flat tip.

Just a thought.
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Totally correct, IMO....I just have a cheeepie set of cast full roller rockers on there for pushing 11 years now....through many a head change, same thing....
 
mrvette said:
Totally correct, IMO....I just have a cheeepie set of cast full roller rockers on there for pushing 11 years now....through many a head change, same thing....
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Yea, full rollers are MUCH better. I use the roller tip Comps because;
1) I have them already
2) they are a TRUE 1.52- unlike stock rockers
3) I can use a short Rocker Cover. The roller tip is just a plus- if infact they really do anything to help guide wear ( lots of talk the rollers don't really roll across the stem ).:bump:
 
glenn64vette said:
Yea, full rollers are MUCH better. I use the roller tip Comps because;
1) I have them already
2) they are a TRUE 1.52- unlike stock rockers
3) I can use a short Rocker Cover. The roller tip is just a plus- if infact they really do anything to help guide wear ( lots of talk the rollers don't really roll across the stem ).:bump:
Click to expand...

Heard that too, Glen, but at this point I don't care, they are there, and working fine so far.....

:smash::thumbs:
 
Oh good grief Turtle....didn't you ever read the humongous, controversial threads I posted about roller rockers at the CF? :p

First off, the roller tip DOESN'T "roll" at all.
Secondly, many of them are actually WEAKER than the stamped steel ones.
Third, the amount of actual horsepower gain is so tiny it's not worth the expense to buy them.
These are like fishing lures...they are better at catching the fisherman than the fish.
People buy them for all kinds of looney reasons....
Their favorite racer uses them so they MUST be good.
Their favorite parts company builds them.
They "match" the maker of the cam they use.
They are GOLD!!!!
laughing-pounding-floor.gif


Well at least you can get a clear plastic valve cover so people can actually SEE the gold-colored rockers. The fact is that racers change these rockers like we change our socks. They never get a chance to fail in racing use because they're never on the car long enough TO fail. They don't go through the hot-cold-hot-cold cycling that daily driver cars do.
You put the standard rockers back on. Good!!! Leave them on and TELL everyone you have the gold ones. It'll save you a lot of money and nobody will know the difference (unless you put on clear valve covers...LOL) ;)

Dep
 
The most important aspect of roller pivot rockers is not only more power through reduced friction, it's also about reduced lubrication. In other words, you don't have to flood your rocker boxes with oil to keep the pivot ball from galling. This cuts down on windage and will net in increased power potential.
 
Twin_Turbo said:
The most important aspect of roller pivot rockers is not only more power through reduced friction, it's also about reduced lubrication. In other words, you don't have to flood your rocker boxes with oil to keep the pivot ball from galling. This cuts down on windage and will net in increased power potential.
Click to expand...

Ahhhh....but HOW MUCH power are we taking about? Typically, hot rod rags will claim 16 horsepower increase by installing the most expensive (of course!) roller rocker setup. But one has to look at the ENGINE the roller rockers are being installed on FIRST to see WHY they get the horsepower gains. If you are driving a REALLY hot, high-revving engine, then certainly roller rockers would be a good investment. Something like DZRick's old Z-28 would be a good example of that. A solid lifter engine that is already capable of revving to 8000+ RPM. But if you are driving a Caprice-engined smogger Vette from the mid-to-late 70s, you would just be wasting your money. :)
Maximum HP increase would probably be less than 10. Better off installing a couple of Cherry Bomb glasspacks
laughing-pounding-floor.gif
 
DJ Dep said:
Ahhhh....but HOW MUCH power are we taking about? Typically, hot rod rags will claim 16 horsepower increase by installing the most expensive (of course!) roller rocker setup. But one has to look at the ENGINE the roller rockers are being installed on FIRST to see WHY they get the horsepower gains. If you are driving a REALLY hot, high-revving engine, then certainly roller rockers would be a good investment. Something like DZRick's old Z-28 would be a good example of that. A solid lifter engine that is already capable of revving to 8000+ RPM. But if you are driving a Caprice-engined smogger Vette from the mid-to-late 70s, you would just be wasting your money. :)
Maximum HP increase would probably be less than 10. Better off installing a couple of Cherry Bomb glasspacks
laughing-pounding-floor.gif
Click to expand...

Of course, it's always about the total package.
 
So I'd be better of sticking my money in a set of 1.6 stamped rockers than in a set of 1.6 roller tip or full roller rockers? At what point is it worth the extra cash to go roller tip? Currently have 1.52 roller tip rockers by the way.
 
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