simple

iTrader: (8)

Yeah, I read this entire thread and breezed that info on pages 36-37. Oh well, now there's a pic up.
I wont have any tear down pics for a long time since I'm doing an entire car build from the ground up.

Anything is better than the factory needle bearing design.

NEstyle

iTrader: (1)

No doubt.

NEstyle

iTrader: (1)

There's a group buy on what I'm assuming are Straub trunion kits if anyone's interested.

https://ls1tech.com/forums/sponsor-g...-purchase.html

LLLosingit

iTrader: (4)

Link not working for me and I can't seem to locate it.

NEstyle

iTrader: (1)

The thread was taken down. I posted a bunch of questions in the thread because the photo and description of the kit was the old style with oil passages at 11 and 1 o'clock and I wanted to know which kit it actually was- version 1, 2, or 3. I never got an answer and now the thread is gone. I can't even see it in my post history. If the group buy was legit, Colorado Speed just lost a sale.

ljauken

I had Mercier make me a set of these less than a year ago, they are still on the shelf. Now I am reading they have made revisions?? What is the consensus, are the previous designs alright to use? Mercier, do you happen to know what design I got? Thanks all


Lonnie

Mercier

iTrader: (15)

Year ago, probably first design. IMO, they were revised to make the bolts fit better. The original design was highly polished and had two flutes and a raised portion around where the bolt sits. The second design was a flat machine across the bolt area(allowing for the occasional oddball set of GM rocker bolts with slightly larger heads), continuing out with two flats for oil to flow into. Seems like a fine design as well.

Post up a pic of the rockers looking down where the rocker bolt sits and I can tell you which version you have. I apologize for not knowing; I didn't expect the revisions so I wasn't tracking that info.

PS-- I have previous customers running both #1 and #2 revisions with success. I have had no issues reported to me to date but my customer base represents perhaps 40 sets of these so there is much more out there.

ljauken

Thanks Mercier! This is what i have Lonnie

Mercier

iTrader: (15)

That is the original design. I think they are fine and the only issue you may see is that some GM rocker bolt heads are just a tiny bit large for them. They do /fit/ but they drag a bit so setting preload can be sketchy. Most of the factory bolts fit fine and the aftermarket bolts fit fine as well. This earlier design trunnion was more highly polished than those later sets. Probably overkill and unnecessary but it was a nice touch. Bottom line I think the trunnion was originally many separate machining steps(trunnion, hole, countersink around hole, 4x flutes) and the decision was made for efficiency to just cut the hole and then machine the top flat, eliminating multiple steps...In comes second design. Always innovating, third design is minor update to 2nd. I've been busy with other projects so there may be further revisions I am unaware of.

I'd be happy to dig through my box-o-junk and swap you a set of factory bolts that fit(if yours don't), or you can cheaply get yourself a set of the aftermarket bolts.

If they've been sitting, I would get a small bottle of Lucas assembly lube(I prefer it since it smells like bubble gum and it is on the shelf at AutoZone and O'Reilley) and squirt some in each flute(the 4 channels you see the edge of next to the bolt hole), let gravity pull it down for a minute, then work the trunnion all the way around at least a few times. Then before installation, give a nice coating of the same on the rocker tip and in the pushrod cup.

Chris

ljauken

Thanks you very much Chris for a very detailed explanation I already bought a set of aftermarket bolts, I will see if they will fit Also thank you for the final assembly advice. It is very much appreciated!

Lonnie

wannafbody

iTrader: (2)

Why bother with upgrading the trunion and taking the time to do the swap when you can replace the factory rocker arms with roller tip ones?

Mercier

iTrader: (15)

The factory rockers do lack the roller tip, but they are very light and strong...and when you already have the bodies stock, the kit is only about $130. Even cheap roller rockers for LS are several times that. RRs are a hard sell for a lot of folks in the LS world since the factory stuff isn't half bad.

JakeFusion

iTrader: (7)

And you need to shim whatever springs you have to 170lbs seat pressure or higher to eliminate valve float with even the lightest roller rockers.

RR have their place... where there are bronze guides, extremely high RPM (over 7500 - but then we are talking shaft roller rockers, not stud), very high lift (>.650), or solid roller setups. Everything else would work fine with the factory rockers. Perhaps even better. Going with the least amount of spring needed for an application is the easiest way to free up power. Yes, there's power to be had from eliminating the valve tip scrub or sideloading that stock rockers produce, but it's most likely offset by the added spring pressures needed for the roller rockers and the additional weight over the valve. And even then, any HP gains may only manifest itself above 6500 in the 10-12HP range beyond peak (so being able to hang on longer). It's up to you to budget appropriately and plan the combo.

NEstyle

iTrader: (1)

Who has the best price on version 3 (oil groove around the bearing surface)?

JCunningham

iTrader: (4)

im pretty sure $159 is what everyone charges

ljauken

You might also look at CHEprecision.com as they offer another although slightly more expensive option. There is a similar thread going over on pro-touring.com. A year ago when I was making this decision CHE didn't allow you to send in your old rocker arms which made it considerably more expensive, $600 ish, but now believe if you call will install their kit in your rockers for $200 according to the other forum. If I were where you are I would definitely check them out. Good luck! Lonnie

Mercier

iTrader: (15)

Those are posted a handful of pages back in this thread. There was a little discussion about them I think.
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NEstyle

iTrader: (1)

They are shown in post #702. I'm not too crazy about the design for the reasons given in posts following #702. Who cares if you don't need "special" equipment to install them? Who doesn't have a vice and a couple of sockets?

Mercier

iTrader: (15)

There is a little more to it I think. Not all rocker bodies are created equal(or remain so after some miles; I think this was why the factory stuff was designed with a good bit of slop). It is rare I find a set(press-fit) that, once pressed in, didn't result in one or two trunnions that didn't spin quite as smoothly as the others. I would pop them out and hone the bodies lightly and reassemble. Probably even those that were a little tighter would almost immediately wear into a proper clearance so perhaps I overkilled the situation. Sometimes the ear spread on the rockers was a bit small and so pressing the bushings in flush(with outside of rocker) resulted in the bushings binding on the side of the trunnion. This was easily solved by pressing the two bushings out a hair. But another point of potential frustration for a first-timer.

If they last though, I do see some advantage to the slip-in bushings. Also considering they are a wear item, it makes changing them later a really quick deal. Heck; even a side of the road deal if you get in trouble.

I have a set here of the slip-in I need to get on a vehicle to start testing. This month for sure.

JakeFusion

iTrader: (7)

Those are good points.

I have the Lunati-branded trunions... but they are the same as the Comp from what I can tell. When I swapped cams over the summer, I saw no appreciable wear in about 2000 miles. So I kept them for the time being. I'll check them again this summer since I've put on about 1000 miles or so since the swap.