I just bought a set of the old style rocker arm drip rails off e-bay, they have the long fingers to let oil run back under the intake, instead of down the drain holes. Like many other members here, I am getting a lot of oil in the top end. I started the engine with one valve cover off, "walked" around to look, saw about 1/2 qt. on the floor, then "ran" around to turn it off. LOL. Any way, I was re-reading my Steve Christ book on rocker shafts, and it said the oil holes go down, which I did, and the notches on the end of the shaft go to the front on the right, and the rear on the left. I have the DSC assembly's and I don't remember seeing any notches. When I tear it down to install the drips I will check it out. My question....what are the notches for and could this have something to do with the oiling problem that plague the DSC rocker assembly owners?

 

After hearing about this many times, I suspect the "plague" is that they are using rocker arms that are worn out and sloppy on the shaft.

Bear, anyone, what's the rocker-to-shaft clearance originally?

Once the clearance gets too big, the oil just runs out all over the place.

Personally, I think restricting the rocker arm oil feed is a stop-gap measure that just covers the fact that the rockers are worn out.

But what the heck, I've been wrong before

 

I did the modification to restrict oil on my engine....I feel the same way though....the oil restriction does not address the real problem. I spoke with Dennis at DSC over this issue...DSC makes their own rocker shafts....I don't know what is wrong with them but I'm almost completely positive that there is something wrong there...There have been way too many people having problems with too much oil up top and in almost all cases they've gotten their rockers from DSC....Kurt didn't have problems but he only got the rockers from DSC...his shafts came from NAPA. I don't think my shafts have the notch and I'm still a little confused as to how to tell which side to put them on....I know my oil holes are down and I know my rockers were tight on the shaft...yet I had way too much oil up top...my shafts have grooves cut in them where the oil holes are ...they feed more oil up around the shaft....Dennis told me that sometimes they put the grooves in and sometimes they don't....and they usually make their own shafts but sometimes they purchase elsewhere. I know one thing for certain....I wish I had never bought those adjustable rocker assemblies from DSC....I paid $320 for them...I would've been better off paying twice that for something that worked.

Tracy

 

I think the best way to convert to the adjustable setup is as follows:

1. Go to Napa.
2. Get the adjustable rockers and rocker shafts at Napa.
3. Get Comp #7533-16 pushrods from Summit or where you can find them cheapest.
4. Use the washers, spacer springs (or get solid spacers if you're paranoid), and stands from your non-adjustable setup, assemble, and go!

 

"or get solid spacers if your paranoid"

No paranoid here just common sense leaving nothing to chance like rockers walking over against a spring and destroying a motor vs having solid spacers.
For such a small added dollar amount to install aluminum spacers and have a 100% reliable valve train seems like a no brainer.
.....=o&o>.....

 

Anyway....does that mean nobody knows what the notches are for?

 

The notches on the end of the shaft are for the orientation of the oil holes. Left side- notch down and facing rear oil holes will be facing down. Right side notch to the front. If your shafts have 16 oil holes the other 8 should be facing the intake when installed. The notches were on the oem shafts and I've not seen them on aftermarket shafts.

G.

 

The notches are just an identifier for the original assembly guy as far as I know - and have no function beyond giving a visual reference for oil hole orientation.

I'm still working on a rocker arm and shaft program. I finally have domestic supplier lifters - - coming in any day now in bulk. Dennis is a nice guy - - but I'll betcha a doughnut that he ain't making those shafts himself ...

 

______________________________
Thanks, I'll check all that when I install the drips. I was thinking about ordering a new set of shafts from Napa to compare to the DSC' when I disassemble it. My question...are the shafts for the adj. the same as for the non-adj? Would I just ask for shafts to fit a '76 truck motor, which is what I have? Sorry all this med-low-hi-rise stuff has me confused. The S. Christ book shows 4 different shafts which confused me more. Thanks...

 

The shafts shown in the Christ book are oem shafts. I bought a set of HD shafts from Doug at Precision Pumps and they have 8 oil holes and are slotted on the bottom. He sid they can be used with both adj and non adj. Sort of generic I guess. I've always used adj rockers so I'm not sure if any aftermarket shafts have 16 holes vs the 8 on the ones I get. Barry might be able to shed some better light on this subject.

G.

 

I used Dove rockers on Pioneer shafts and they failed in about 4 days. Jim Dove claimed the shafts weren't polished smooth enough.

 

What failed? Dove's use the aluminum rocker as bearing material, when the rocker bore is worn beyond spec they're junk.
As in previous posts I run FPP rockers that I have rebushed with 1" wide oillite bushing material once, now still with tight clearances at 800K on OEM 427 LR shafts.
.....=o&o>.....

 

The rockers wore down inside the hole so that the oil groove disappeared. Less than a thousand miles. Total junk, I'm still down waiting on parts, almost 4 months.