Roller Rockers are they needed

Roller rockers are good for 15-35hp depending on the type of roller you select, pivot ball rockers with the roller tip are better than stock and full rollers such as the comp pro-mags i use are the best. Stock rockers are tough on the studs and tend to push the valve stem sideways against the guide causing premature failure of the guide and seal. IMHO it does not matter what type of engine or how much rpm you are turning, Roller rockers are a sound investment and worth their weight in gold. Harland Sharp makes some good rollers but i spent a little more and got the Comp Pro-Magnum rollers, guide plates are mandatory when using full rollers and depending on how much spring pressure you have screw-in studs may be in order.

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I second that... but Comp Pro Mags also come with self guiding tips now, so you can skip the guide plates. But screw in studs (7/16) are WAY WAY better then the pressed in type.. When I redid my motor (89 5.7 ltr), I went ahead and changed everything over to rollers (roller cam, lifters, rockers, double row chain).

Just wish I could have used a gear drive, but that dumb knock sen. wont allow it.

HDS

i can justify 7/16 studs with spring pressures over 140 pounds and/or lifts over .500 and/or rpm over 6500.... otherwise i am comfortable with 3/8 studs and girdles. even though i am swapping in a nasty solid roller and heavier springs soon i will still feel comfy with the 3/8 studs and girdles.

BTW, the gear drive is trouble free and whines quite nicely but the exhaust note buries it above 2500 rpm.

Don`t do the gear drive. It`s just a waste of money.

1/4 Mile Junkies

One good thing about opinions, everybody has one.

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Late Models with Knock Sensors can't use gear drives anyway... freaks the KS out.

HDS

Re: " Just had a TBI---350 CI built with all the Edelbrock good stuff, heads, intake,cam,headers and so on. The mechanic that installed the new heads said that he thought roller rockers don't have that much benifit if you are not running high RPM." ((((((())))) Your mechanic was absolutely correct. "Roller Rockers" are a complete waste of money and are about as helpful as a magnet on the fuel line. There is NO power loss in the valve rockers in a stock,street driven vehicle.If there was ,there would be major overheating that a little trickle of oil would not be able to cool.Also there would be tons of wear at the contact points. I recently inspected my wifes 350 engine that has well over 200,000 miles over a period of 28 years of hard service and the wear at the rockers was MINIMAL.They can go another 200,000 miles easily.If this was a source of power loss from friction this would not be possible. Perhaps at very high RPMs or when lift accuracy is necessary due to the high performance nature of some race engine,it makes a measurable difference,but you would be throwing your $ away. Best....Brian

There are three kinds of lies: lies,damned lies,and statistics.

-Disraeli

Word up Brian, dynamometers don't lie. Rollers are good for 15hp on a stock engine and will reduce oil temp. almost 200 degrees in the valvetrain area, your mechanic thought wrong. When you have to overhaul your high dollar heads because the the stock rockers wore the guides out please remember our futile conversation. Talk to any noteworthy engine builder which your mechanic apparently is not and they will tell you the same as me. I could care less how you build your motor but you should know the facts.

Thanks for your input, so lets narrow this down. With mods to my current engine and power range for me from 1000 to 3500 RPM is there any perfomance benifits. I understand your comments about wear issue, but does any one have any dyno spec's on this issue. I also understand that most claims for HP increase are BS. Intersted on the feed back from this group on this subject, before I go spend the $300.00 on roller rockers, really not looking at the cost, but looking at the benifits

Thanks

Re: " Word up Brian, dynamometers don't lie. Rollers are good for 15hp on a stock engine and will reduce oil temp. almost 200 degrees in the valvetrain area, your mechanic thought wrong. When you have to overhaul your high dollar heads because the the stock rockers wore the guides out please remember our futile conversation. Talk to any noteworthy engine builder which your mechanic apparently is not and they will tell you the same as me. I could care less how you build your motor but you should know the facts.

Re: " Just had a TBI---350 CI built with all the Edelbrock good stuff, heads, intake,cam,headers and so on. The mechanic that installed the new heads said that he thought roller rockers don't have that much benifit if you are not running high RPM. What is this groups thoughts and benifits of 1.5 over 1.6, Pressed steel or Aluminum rockers with my application " (((((())))) Pedro,just re-read your origional post. If you had that cam spec'd out with the assumption that you were using

1.5 rockers then you can't use 1.6 unless you check for interferrance ie.piston hitting valves.Ifyou had the cam specs determined correctly then there would be no need to go to 1.6 anyway. Also I was wondering what the valve lift will be.If it's way past stock then I can see where a set of roller rockers might have some use The stock units were designed for certain angles and certain loads,so if your new engine has much stronger valve spring tension or higher valve lift then get the roller tip rockers. Best .... Brian

Why did you spend big money on a engine with a powerband that ends at 3500rpm.......? Never mind !

An EXTRA 200 degrees F? B.S. Think for youself / There's a Sucker born every minute.

-- Best Regards Gordie

Will try to round up the spec's from Edelbrock on the Aluminum heads #

5767. Also e-mailed Edelbrock but they don't seem to be very quick at responding. When I had talked about 1000 RPM to 3500 RPM is just the renge that the motor sits at most of the time. Maybe 4500, not looking for high end, midrange. I seem to be getting mixed answers to the Roller Rocker question. I am looking more for low to mid range boost

200 degrees? Kinda seems like a lot! How about 20 degrees?

What kind of RPM`s will your motor be pulling?

Anything over 5500 rpm`s,roller rockers are the way to go.

You have already spent money on the cam,and misc b.s. So what`s another $200?