Morel

 

I agree with mtjoy that Scorpion should mention this in the installation instructions because of the inconsistencies in the rocker cover castings. They appear to be sand cast and the quality control appears to leave a lot to be desired because some covers have this problem while other don't. I'm sure Scorpoin is restrained by the fact that not having any rocker cover issues is a big selling point since many aftermarket brands have this problem and some even require expensive spacers. The strange thing is it appears some applications have this problem while others do not and when they do have the problem it's not always in the same location on the underside of the cover. On some the rockers contact the baffle plate while on others they hit the rivets holding the baffles in place. In April I installed a set of Scorpions on a Silverado and did not have the baffle plate contact problem. I've also installed Comp Pro Mags on some engines and had sufficient clearance while there was slight contact on the baffles on others motors. Some rockers(not all) would contact the baffle plate. I simply ground off the rivet heads and removed the baffles. mtjoy appears to have had this exact same problem because you can observe from the video that you only hear the tapping at certain cylinders while others are quiet. This just goes to illustrate the inconsistencies of the sand castings. That's why I agree with mtjoy that Scorpion should at least mention this as a possibility and that every application should be checked for this issue just to be sure. This is something the installer should routinely do regardless of the brand or particular application since clearance is known to be a potential problem. Did this cause stress fractures resulting in a 44hp loss? I don't know about that one.

 

I personally have have Harlan Sharp but the shop I bought most of my parts from has been using the scorpions and likes them alot.

 

Well before I ran the motor with those rocker I checked to see if they hit the baffles and a few did so I removed the baffles right off the bat. As far as what the tuner thought he said he's seen that problem before with aftermarket rockers, he told me to put the stocks back on and redyno it, so I change the rockers thats, when I found the cracks, I redynoed it on a even hotter day and picked up 44rwhp with no other changes.

 

Of course if the rockers are banging the valve covers, you can't expect to make peak power. I would think that would not only set off KR, but also would be a major drain on power and you wouldn't be getting full valve lift either.

 

Since the baffles were removed during the installation there has to be some other reason these rockers failed. I'd like to know what it was since I installed a set back in April. I'm wondering if I should call the customer to come in for an inspection, but I don't want to create undo alarm since the vehicle has been running like a scalded dog for 8 months

 

I have seen them crack a couple of times, it would help if the person posted some photo's to see if there is a common theme here or not.

 

ill def have to pull my valve covers off this weekend.... i dont hear any abnormal noises but then again its a heads and cam car so its pretty noisy! I'll check and post pics if i do have any contact or cracked rockers

 

i was wondern about these rockers havent heard to much about them lets keep this thread going

 

This is a photo someone else posted of one broke. The aluminum sure looks brittle.

 

Mine don't look that bad but that is the area that mine are cracked, the rockers only had like 1000 miles on them so theres a good chance they would of looked like that if I ran them any longer.

 

I contacted the person who originally posted that picture, Scorpion told him they think he had valve float. With the several failures I have seen posted in the last couple of months, I am not so sure any more.

 

So at sustained high RPM with valve springs that are not up to the job valve float causes the pushrods to float too? As a result you've got pushrods that are being slung back and forth between the lifter seat and the rocker seat? Apparently the rocker seat took the brunt of the beating and the rocker arm failed. I'd like to see a picture of the lifter seat on the rockers that broke. You would think there would be a witness mark on the lifter seat proving Scorpions theory. You might even expect to see some evidence of this violence on the ends of the pushrods if they are not of the hardened type. I believe an automotive forensics specialist is needed here to uncover the answer to these Scorpion failures. After looking at the pic vettenuts posted this seems like a plausable explaination.

 

They are nice looking rockers, but there have been a few posts without further follow-through to let people know what the root of the issue has been. I really wish when someone posts a problem with a product they would follow-through with the answer when they find it. Most of the time it is not an issue with the product itself but something else in the setup. However, I have personally never seen a post on either a Crane rocker failure or a Yella Terra rocker failure where the rocker arm itself breaks. It just sets your mind to wondering.

 

I would like to see the ones in question too. Like I said we have people in Houston breaking the Jesels here and there but no one blames Jesel and I don't either. I have seen many setups put together in coil bind or with retainer to guide problems. If on the other hand this is legitimate I want to know about it too but I haven't seen it so far myself.

 

I agree. I have heard of one case where a guy broke a Yella Terra rocker, but it was the older design and if I remember correctly they replaced the whole set with a set of the new design. And you would think if the failures were due to valve float alone, then it would be occuring with all of the other rocker designs as well (including the stockers). I have also read on here about several cases of guys loosing HP with the Harland Sharps in the upper rpm ranges but that was always attributed to lack of valve control up top due to their increased mass. Perhaps Scorpion tried too hard to reduce the reciprocating mass and a weaker rocker is the result.

 

would spring pressure have anything to do with broken rockers?

 

It could be the spring pressure, but when I went over to scorpion and talk to one of their guys he beat around the bush and ended up saying that their rocker aren't really made for large cams and hi rpm's. They did give me a new set of rocker but there still sitting in my garage.

 

I sent scorpion an email guys... maybe they can chime in and clear up a few things

 

?? So the closer to a stock valvetrain you are with the scorpions the less likely they are 2 fail?? Hmmmm ...... Not sure how to feel about that