When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I’ve read before that the plates which look like guide plates aren’t really guide plates & we’re just for initial assembly. So when I bought new rockers I got self aligning roller rockers. Now I’m debating if I should pulling the plates off before I install the new ARP rocker studs.
I’ve looked over each pushrod & I can only find one with any possible signs of wear. The OEM stamped rocker arms are definitely self aligning and so are the new roller rocker arms. Does this look like wear & is it a concern?
The plates;
Only possible wear I find;
Last edited by Cornhusker; May 13, 2022 at 01:12 PM.
Rule of thumb is run guide plates, OR self aligning rockers, but not both.
If you take your studs out, see if the threaded hole is a blind hole, or if the hole goes through into the intake or exhaust port (on gm fast burn heads the hole is blind on exhaust, but through hole on intake). If it goes through make sure to use thread sealer on them to prevent migration of oil into intake runner.
Neither the factory plates or pushrods are hardened..... they were not intended for alignment but for ease assembly at the factory. You'll notice the factory plates have wider than normal guide slots so that the pushrods will not or only minimally contact them during engine operation as the rockers are designed to handle the alignment. FYI, GM changed the design of the headgaskets for the later LT1 engine to hold the pushrods in place for engine assembly and did away with the non hardened plate on the heads the L98 used.
I can tell you first hand that if you use non self aligning rockers with the factory plates and pushrods, it'll eat itself in short order. I had a couple come in the shop back in the day where owners installed roller rockers thinking they had real guide plates and it ate itself.
The little mark on your pushrod is nothing to worry about.
If you have new self aligning rockers, you are fine with keeping the factory guide plates in place.
Will
My 86 with 128 heads had factory guide plates because they did Not get self-aligning rockers, C4's with SA rockers have pushrod assembly holders. Even so, I replaced them because parts do wear with mileage. I have aftermarket guideplates that show light wear, isky and comp-cams.
Also as already mentioned guideplates usually are close fit but not too close as I've seen some brand plates. And most are prob only surface hardened, had a friend who grinded the slot in his china plates larger to fit the 5/16 pushrods, told him to toss them out n gave him some slightly used comp cam ones I had.
Designer Imagines A Corvette That Looks More Like a Corvette Than the Corvette
Slideshow: A Jaguar designer's personal project imagines what a modern front-engined Corvette might look like if Chevrolet revisited the golden age of the Stingray.
Aluminum Head - are these guide plates?
