Easy stuff to install
Roller rockers
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 1999
Posts: 22,025
Likes: 192
From: At the beach in little Rhody
Not needed. The roller tips slide, they don't roll. The stock heads also have powder metal guides which won't wear like a bronze guide so the wipe pattern is less critical. The stock rockers are also very light requiring less valve spring to maintain valve control. Only time I would switch to a roller tip rocker is high valve lift from an aftermarket cam or aftermarket heads with bronze guides.
Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 87,330
Likes: 1,589
From: Western NY
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 3,092
Likes: 120
From: orlando florida
St. Jude Donor '15
Trunion upgrade kit won't stop what happened to me in post #6 of my yella terra rockers install. https://www.corvetteforum.com/c5-tec...r-install.html
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Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 4,446
Likes: 408
From: Portland OR
How did that rocker jump out of the saddle in the pedestal?
Any clue? Seems like the bolt would have to be loose, or was apart at one time and not reassembled correctly.
Those factory pedestals are like $5 new.
Ron
Any clue? Seems like the bolt would have to be loose, or was apart at one time and not reassembled correctly.
Those factory pedestals are like $5 new.
Ron
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 2,536
Likes: 15
Not needed. The roller tips slide, they don't roll. The stock heads also have powder metal guides which won't wear like a bronze guide so the wipe pattern is less critical. The stock rockers are also very light requiring less valve spring to maintain valve control. Only time I would switch to a roller tip rocker is high valve lift from an aftermarket cam or aftermarket heads with bronze guides.
That pretty much sums it up....
.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 3,092
Likes: 120
From: orlando florida
St. Jude Donor '15
only idea is the previous owner did autocrossing. So the constant high rpm the motor would stay at is my guess to it twisting.
why would i want to spend 5 bucks to have it potentially happen again?
Safety Car
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 4,704
Likes: 239
From: Redondo Beach CA
In a recent issue of Hot rod magazine , they help out a C5 owner with long term problems on his boosted engine .
One of his problems was the added mass of roller rockers was limiting rev's high in his power band. They go through the guys valve train , you might find the article entertaining, I did. It restates what has been posted here, but with pictures and more story.
I think the copy is off the newstands by now, it had a cover with barn finds and a picture of of an old beat down buick or oldsmobile, if I remember correctly. If I found crap like that in a barn, I would leave it there , just like everyone else except the guy writing about barn finds. I guess the pickin's are slim .
One of his problems was the added mass of roller rockers was limiting rev's high in his power band. They go through the guys valve train , you might find the article entertaining, I did. It restates what has been posted here, but with pictures and more story.
I think the copy is off the newstands by now, it had a cover with barn finds and a picture of of an old beat down buick or oldsmobile, if I remember correctly. If I found crap like that in a barn, I would leave it there , just like everyone else except the guy writing about barn finds. I guess the pickin's are slim .
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 32,910
Likes: 2,402
From: Anthony TX
CI 6,7,8,9,11 Vet
St. Jude Donor '08
Over time, Ive learned that you should replace that rocker pedestal when you install a new cam or if you start seeing the rockers off center on the valve. They are pretty inexpensive and can cause you all sorts of valve noises and issues.
Bill
Bill
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 3,092
Likes: 120
From: orlando florida
St. Jude Donor '15
let's see
1. wrong ratio rockers (weird they would make a 1.7 for a LS7 when it is 1.8 stock)
2. 5 year old springs not able to control the valve train
3. wrong length pushrods (by .200 too long. that's huge)
4. they went with titatnium retainers that are 9 grams lighter than the old ones.
and it was the weight of the rockers that was the problem?? granted i do agree keeping things light helps, but that wasn't the real problem. rockers were only .317 grams heavier over the valve. that's nothing compared to the retainer difference.
1. wrong ratio rockers (weird they would make a 1.7 for a LS7 when it is 1.8 stock)
2. 5 year old springs not able to control the valve train
3. wrong length pushrods (by .200 too long. that's huge)
4. they went with titatnium retainers that are 9 grams lighter than the old ones.
and it was the weight of the rockers that was the problem?? granted i do agree keeping things light helps, but that wasn't the real problem. rockers were only .317 grams heavier over the valve. that's nothing compared to the retainer difference.
Last edited by mrr23; Aug 16, 2014 at 06:03 PM.
