BBC rocker arms
 

Anyone else have a problem with Pontiac roller rockers on Edelbrock heads? Finally mocked up a set of BBC rockers and they worked fine so I guess I am gonna order a set. My machinist said he had seen it once before and the solution was to use BBC rockers.

Skip Fix used some special BB Chevy Rockers on a set of his heads but he had special parts in the trunion assy in order to get the Rocker Arm Geometry right.

Not sure how well the geometry is using a stock BB Chevy Rocker with a basic E-Head.

Tom V.

Pontiac full roller rockers here on E-heads, no issues. Even switched brands from Harland Sharp to Crower. No problems.

Not sure of the round ports but Pontiac HS 1.5s work just fine my E dports.

What issues are you encountering with Pontiac rockers?

I have 1.5 Harland sharps on my RP bathtub e heads.

The Lunati voodoo brand and one of the Crane line of rockers body actually touch the spring when bolted down and adjusted. He sent me a pic but I can’t get it to load. The Lunati voodoo for the BBC bolt down and clear. He told me the voodoo were just reboxs of another brand I can’t remember which one. He did say they didn’t work either on Caster1s engine and he had to use BBC. Lunati is swapping them out for me and giving me 47 dollars back. The heads are brand new round ports worked over by Butler. He bolted them to a set of cast iron smog heads and they cleared fine but they will not clear the springs Butler uses. I wish for the life of me I could remember what brand he said they were reboxes of. I think it was the crane Gold Lines that hit too. Everything in my valve train is Lunati except for the springs that Butler used to build the bare head. I wanted to “keep it in the family” but if he can’t get good geometry with the BBC then I guess I will have to look elsewhere.

Its not uncommon for the rocker arm to hit the spring, you will have to clearance the rocker a little. But the geometry will not be right using a " out of the box" big chevy rocker arm. Just because it fits on the stud and misses the spring doesnt mean it fits right.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Jd7U2q86jqXvkeiXA This is the pic

Are the Crower stainless steel worth the money? Car will be driven everyday and will see spirited and rarely abusive driving but will not be revved to the moon or anything

Is third picture a 1.65 rocker? Try HS - less money and great quality

The quality of the Crower full rollers has been beat to death on this site if you want the best that is what you buy. Harland Sharp next. All others follow. This reflects what I've read on here year after year after year.

Is buying the best rockers arms available worth it. Yes. Especially if the lower end rockers start grinding up the internals and put metal in your assembly. That's what happened to my engine as I topped with with PRW full roller rockers back I 2009. By the time I figured out where all the metal was coming from some had as much as .017" clearance between the rollers and the pins that go thru them! They were replaced with Crower full rollers and fine ever since.......Cliff

I don’t want to do any grinding on aluminum rockers. I will get a set of HS and see if they fit and if so I will take them back to him. If not I guess I will go with the Crower. The VOODOO have a very big body.

Geometry isn't all that will change, in stock form the BBC rocker ratio is 1.72

THIS IS A VERY KEY STATEMENT. The geometry directly affects the valve stem wear, the cylinder head guide wear, and the valve seal life. THAT is why it is important to check these things vs just bolt on a Rocker Arm that misses the spring and the pushrod is still between the guide plate ears.

Lots of info on how to check this stuff once you have the Camshaft, Lifters, and other related parts, (even the right head gaskets torqued to spec on the block).

A well-chosen quality rocker arm is worth spending the extra money if you are actually going to drive the car at all.

Tom V.

People do stuff for reasons, they don't just throw a bunch of cheap parts on an engine and drive the vehicle.
Much better to detune your stuff and use Factory Engineered Parts vs cobbled together crap (if you can't afford GOOD aftermarket parts).

Rockers hitting spring retainers is a pretty common thing and not just a Pontiac head thing. Your engine builder should know this if he's been around engines long enough.

Some of those brands, especially aluminum bodies like the crane are pretty thick in that area for strength.

Pretty easy to clearance them. Many machinists do that all the time.

But like I mentioned if you go with Harland Sharp or even better yet go with the steel Crowers, they are stronger and thus require less material in these areas and clear spring retainers just fine. It's the only 2 brand of roller rockers I'll use here.

Your machinist should have suggested that from the start, rather than changing engine manufacture all together. That just causes other geometry issues. The only benefit going that route would be a ratio increase and that's a lot of trouble to go through for that when you can just specify a camshaft from the get go to do what you want.

No way a "regular" BBC rocker will work! Body is too long both ends from trunnion. Even with the 0.090 offset trunnion BBC 1.8 SS Crower rocker I have on the intakes of my 455 in the 78 they are a hair long(a 0.120 offset would be better but not made) and needed a shorter pushrod to get even close. And it shoves the pushrod back since it is longer than the Pontiac back half, so no need to grind for the higher ratio for pushrod clearance. Russel Wells here a fe years ago used them on some heads that had not been ground enough for Pontiac high ratio rockers.

Never had an issue with Pontiac 1.5 or 1.65 Harland Sharps on my early E heads with HFT or larger roller springs hitting anything.

Crower SS are by far the best-have the biggest trunnion bearing out there. Comp SS are good(have them on the 470/409) and a little cheaper than the Crower. The old Norris SS HO Racing used to carry and you could also buy direct are good-not sure if they still sell stuff. HS are good but not near the tightness on trunnion bearing as the Crowers.

Scorpions were way too bulky to fit under the cast valve covers I was using so I sent them back.

Now my Crower SS Shaft sytem is really nice and rocker bodies look nicer than their aluminum or the T&D ones I have. Shafts are kind of a pain to set stand height then ifgure where to have the cup when choosing pushrod length.

Most full roller rockers will fit under stock covers. Some may require some material removed from them behind the pushrod cups. That's superficial back there and woln't effect strength.

Most don't fit because the locknuts are too long, or the studs, or combinations of both. In most cases I can usually shorten up the locknuts and install a thicker valve cover gasket and good to go. Other set-ups may require more work. With all the different parts out there these days, and little if any of it being made to any particular "standard", expect to do some custom fitting when you purchase aftermarket parts, especially full roller rocker arms.......Cliff

I misunderstood what the machinist said yesterday when he called. The BBC rocker was only for reference of how it was “supposed” to look not what was supposed to be ordered. Basically the Lunati Voodoo don’t work. I don’t know if it’s a defective set or not but I am gonna send it all back and buy HS 1.65.

Okay that makes more sense.