Aluminium vs SS rockers... BECOMING ON ROCKERS ASSEMBLY DIAGNOSSIS, with pics!

[Nacho-RT74]

Damn! Aluminium pieces are ball kind adjusters! My pushrods are ball kind, smithbross brand, not cup.

I think will get new shafts and rebuild locally the rockers with new bushings at some machine shop!

And of course search for the oiling problem.

[Nacho-RT74]

Searching for a good rocker shaft set ( thinking on rebuild the rockers ) got into the hughes engines website and found this set with slotted grooves, which seems to be a great oiling improvement to the rockers...right? What do you think?

http://www.hughesengines.com/Index/products.php?browse=browse&level0=RC0gQmlnIEJsb2NrIChMb3cgRGVjayk=&level1=Um9ja2VyIEFybXMgJiBBY2Nlc3Nvcmllcw==&level2=U2hhZnRz&partid=10393


Should all rocker shafts be the same diameter, right?

Then websurfing on website found this Interesting article

http://www.hughesengines.com/TechArticles/6stainlesssteelironrockerarmsthiscanbeagauldingexp.php

PLASTIC BUSHING? Sounds really interesting... What do you know and think about? I could modify my rockers with plastic bushings! Or teflon, or some similar material able to hold pressure and temperature, and keep safer the shafts for a future... Sugestions?

[fy469rtse]

Nacho, yes that's them , banana groove there referred to , thick wall shafts, look at getting there billet hold downs as well ,
Have a look at there rockers as well, have had a lot of success with Hughes products,
Good investment and improvement on the originals
Let us know what you find on inspection ?

[moparsr2fast]

  Nacho, you will want to stay away from the PRW fully rollerized rockers. Hughes makes very good parts.

  The oil pressure that you read from the back of the engine is going to be the same as the pressure feeding the heads. Both of those are branched from the same source.

[Nacho-RT74]

Yes, I discarded the Aluminium pieces, not for the brand or due they are rolllerized or whatever, just because they are ball adjusters.

After read the Hughes article about the rockers and shaft relationship, I can't stop thinking on rebuilt the ones I have with "plastic" bushings... But what kind of "plastic"? Teflon maybe?

Ok, so, even as mentioned a change like that on oil pressure reading is not good, still half of scale on gauge should be still enough!!!

[justcruisin]

I have been running the same PRW rockers for 2 1/2 years with zero problems, slightly more aggressive cam to what you are using. There must be some issue causing your problem, I don't think the fault lies with the rockers. Just saying - wouldn't want to see you buy new gear and have the same issue.

[Nacho-RT74]

Engine will be dissasembled and checked. I have more rockers pics to post, but will do from home better.

Forgott to say, valve springs are Hughes too. Can't recall the number. I got them barelly used and checking for pressure of one of them gave me around 120 lbs at seat height I think.

My car is/was a driver and travelled around the country with it.

[Nacho-RT74]

at the end of 2012 I noticed how some bushings began to get lot of play, so I got 8 spares ( 4 lefts and 4 rights ). I got them in $25 or so. Contacted PRW for a same items quote... $49 each ( althought they made me a better offer later but still way more than the price I paid last time )

so, more decided to rebuild bushings.

Still thinking on Plastic per what hughes website says ( maybe teflon? ) but wondering when we talk about bronze bushing for this, I need to take care about somekind of bronce alloy, or simply basic and plain bronze ?

[deepockets]

Just for the sake of curiosity, why does it matter what side the hole on the rocker shaft is as long as it's going down? My simple mind sees that it's inside a grooved area of the rocker arm and should be ok either side of the bottom?

[moparsr2fast]

 Nacho, there is a bronze material called oilite. It is,  to an extent, self lubricating. I would make  the bushings from that material.

[Nacho-RT74]

ok, wondering if that could be available down here ( which I think, it won't )

[Nacho-RT74]

well, for a while I'm working on get rebuilt these rockers, decided to get a back up plan, and found a good price for a new full set:

http://prwindustriesinc.carshopinc.com/product_info.php/products_id/134368/3244011

aprox same price than get just the rockers straight from PRW ppl

so, what will I do?

If I get rebuilt my own set, theorically with a better bronze alloy as a friend of mine machinist promised, will keep my set and sell locally this new set. Since they are unavailable around here, I don't think will be REAAALLY hard to sell, althought will take time.

If I don't get my set rebuilt for WHATEVER REASON, I already got a guy locally interested on buy my bushing damaged set ( he has his own machine tooling ), and I think can get at least half of the retail price for the set ( quoted in around $500 on PRW website ) or maybe half of the ebay stores price. Doesn't seem a bad deal.


And still have to deal with the oiling problem

[fy469rtse]

What did you find with the ol pressure drop, ?
Was it the number 4 camshaft bearing ,
I would keep looking at the Hughes stuff , available , proven unless someone can give you feed back on this set , actually used these and results, the week point on your old set regardless of what rockers you go with was the shafts,
Do use those thick wall bannana shafts and billet hold downs , good insurance

[Nacho-RT74]

it take a while before dissasembly the engine. my car is hundred miles from home and getting a DEEP body job.

hughes shafts are on the way.

[fy469rtse]

Good stuff , I've seen rockers wear out prematurely because of the stock hold downs deformed shafts , ? Could be what did yours in ,

[Nacho-RT74]

I don't think that's the case, even I had them tight with PRW hold downs clamps, actually the replacement rockers I had go throught the shaft from end to end without any problem.

Bud, I found REALLY HARD TO DEFORM these shafts... I can't imagine how much torque is required to make it!!!