Would adjustable rocker arms benefit me?
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From: SlowCal Bakersfield,CA
Would adjustable rocker arms benefit me? Well my trans am has been pretty broken for the last several months. When I changed the stock cam to the one in my signature it was awesome for about three days. That is until the 90k stock lifters decided to start clacking like no ones business. I have been meaning to throw in some new lifters for sometime. Alogn the way I picked up a set of ultra low miles 243 heads from a friends '02 ZO6, which he ripped off the car at just 3k miles. I figured why put perimeter bolts back on if I had to. Anyway I am figuring if I am going this far should I at least upgrade my rocker arms. Conventional wisdom says with the cam I have I should likely want some adjustability in the valve train since it is such a big cam. I figure the stock steel rocker bearings with the cam of deathm, as I call it, aren't going to last me a long time. Plus I may get the benefit of seeing a horsepower increase. My only stipulation is they need to be stock ratio, as I pushing my PTV clearance, and fit under the stock valve covers. Anyone have any particular suggestions? Or is this something I am just wanting to throw in there for little to no effect. How much adjusting do I need to be doing on them? Set and forget like stock?
Thanks in advance!
Thanks in advance!
I am not a fan of the stock rockers with large aftermarket cams and heavy springs since they will load the valve guides more. You do not really have to have adjustable pushrods, but there is benefits to them if you are trying to keep the lifter at a very specific preload. The Cranes are good adjustable rockers. For non-adjustable, the Yella Terras are good rockers.
Some people are happy with the stock rockers, I don't care for them on anything other than a stock valvetrain.
I don't really see the need for adjustable rockers. I have a set, and they are really overkill for your typical hydraulic cam and lifter, in my opinion. If you take the time to properly set pushrod length, you should be good to go with non-adjustable rockers. In my case, I bought them so I have some control over the pre-load on Rhoads lifters. I don't have them in yet, so I can't talk about how well that works, but that's my only reason.
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Not true, in a hyd roller set up they're used for setting preload. Just look at all the issues that people were having back in the day when they used comp R lifters and stock rockers.
Some people are happy with the stock rockers, I don't care for them on anything other than a stock valvetrain.
Some people are happy with the stock rockers, I don't care for them on anything other than a stock valvetrain.
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From: SlowCal Bakersfield,CA
Well I already have aftermarket pushrods obviously. can't remember what length they are anymore. So if I got, say, a set of yella terras would they require a specific length pushrod other then what I am currently running? Obviously they were made for my setup and cam and to work in conjunction with stock rocker arms.
I just posted this in the last thread I looked at. Harland will rebuild your stockers for I think $225 and eliminate the needle bearing issues we have with the stockers. It's how I am going when i do my H/C swap in the next 2 months (hopefully sooner if all works out).
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From: SlowCal Bakersfield,CA
Well after some reading I guess I am just gonna go with the yella terra rocker arms. I was thinking of doing the harland sharp due to their price point. However, after reading about rocker arm inconsistencies and failures, which I cannot have this motor comming apart on my right now, I will just spend the extra cash and get the yella terras instead. My only quuestion now is, do they fit under stock valve covers?
Well after some reading I guess I am just gonna go with the yella terra rocker arms. I was thinking of doing the harland sharp due to their price point. However, after reading about rocker arm inconsistencies and failures, which I cannot have this motor comming apart on my right now, I will just spend the extra cash and get the yella terras instead. My only quuestion now is, do they fit under stock valve covers?
Well after some reading I guess I am just gonna go with the yella terra rocker arms. I was thinking of doing the harland sharp due to their price point. However, after reading about rocker arm inconsistencies and failures, which I cannot have this motor comming apart on my right now, I will just spend the extra cash and get the yella terras instead. My only quuestion now is, do they fit under stock valve covers?
I have a set of AFR's on order myself and have bought the Yella Terra's to install. I spoke to Tony and he told me the shims are usually required to get the wipe correct on the AFR's because they maintain the stock dimensions of the rocker stand. I plan to check on the bench, but anticipate the shims will be required on the AFR's as well.
Adjustable rockers are something like the cranes, where the lifter preload can be infinitely adjusted by the adjustment nut. However, as the rocker is adjusted the preload is changes as is the wipe pattern so their setup is a little more involved than something like a Yella Terra, where the fulcrum is fixed when the bolt is tightened up.
On the Cranes the adjustment is made at the fulcrum whereas with Jessel it is done at the pushrod itself since the pushrod cup is on a threaded adjustable piece. If you look closely at the photo, you can see the adjusting nut that holds the rocker to the stud.
since i am new to the LS type engines. i was woundering if the stock studs are compatible with adjustable rockers. on the traditional Pontiacs i have built, i had to swap out the stock studs.