Hey everybody I just discovered that I have to remove the intake on my 97 f350 with a 5.8 due to a broken intake bolt.Well I was thinking since I will have apart that far,my valve covers will be accessable.So I was thinking of getting some1.7 roller rockers.First question will they fit under the stock valve covers?Second question are they worth the money?Third question any big noticeable power gains? thanks

 

They will make a noticable power gain , so i think they are worth the money, i think they will be ok with the stock covers with the stock cam ?? .... Lew

 

Yeah sorry stock cam also.

 

Yeah for the $$ rockers are a solid investment. If there are any valvecover clearance problems it will be under the baffles for the PCV and oil filler holes, but that's an easy fix with a dremmel tool or some other small cutting device. If you have a MIG you could even pull them out, trim or reshape as necessary and tack them back in.

 

Just Rockers will make that much improvemnet ?????

 

Going from 1.6 to 1.7 ratio gives the cam more lift , thats where the improvement comes in , plus less drag on the valve train.... Lew

 

Personally I can't see THAT much improvement. How much is THAT much?? Good question. I think ANY type of roller rocker will make SOME improvement over a standard non-roller rocker. I subscribe to the "more lift" is better crowd, but the difference between a 1.6 and 1.7 ratio rocker is not going to get you 20-50 HP on a stock motor.

After watching this thread grow I was curious to find any empirical data for some evidence of what kind of gains could be found. So far I have come up empty handed. The best I could find was an article where the author tried swapping in 1.6 and 1.7 ratio roller rockers on a stroked 302 (347). Not a complete apples to apples comparison, but the difference between the 1.6 to 1.7 roller rockers was effectively 0 (zero) gain. As measured on an engine dyno. Different combinations were tried with the final result of using 1.6 ratio on the intake and 1.7 on the exhaust produced a measurable gain of 5-7 HP in the mid to upper RPM range.

So in my mind whether you go with a 1.6 or 1.7 ratio, ANY roller rocker has the potential to gain you SOME HP versus a non-roller rocker arm. If there are no other mods ($$) to be done to get the 1.7 RR's to work, go for it. Just don't expect your ride to suddenly become a rocket sled that can dust a GT500 or Viper. As most people have found over the years it is the combination of parts that will net you the best bang for the buck.

 

Have you tried 1.7 rockers your self to see what the difference is ?? Your never going to get 20-50 hp from them, but they will help a smaller cam . On a stroked 347 i would asume it has a hi lift cam allready so the 1.7 might not make much difference. But HP gain is allways good and it all adds up in the end , 10 hp here & there add up, so to say theres no gain is BS in my opinion. I have used them on stock 302 HOs with a good improvment but no dyno #s to back it up... Lew

 

I worded my response very carefully. I noted the dyno test I referenced was NOT an apples to apples comparison. I also stated you will get SOME gain from a non-roller to roller rocker swap, but what that empirical number would be is anyone's guess. I was not second guessing your experience Lew. The article indicated the tests were run with 1.6 and 1.7 ratio roller rockers. Here is the URL for the article in question: http://www.mustang50magazine.com/tec...rms/index.html

I am a "more lift" is better fan too. I also completely agree with less friction is better. But trying to put a real world number from a dyno or ET/MPH improvement was what I was looking for. So far, nada. I was merely trying to set the stage for the OPs last response "Just Rockers will make that much improvemnet ?????" It will help as we both agree. I'll take a cheap 5/10/15/20/etc. HP gain any day with bolt on parts.

 

I went through the same ordeal with my Chevy Truck I built. Now it wasnt stock, I put in the roller (1.6) and it didnt run any different, faster or smoother. Then I went with a bigger cam and there was a power gain. But I used the same rollers. Again, I there was no difference un till I put the cam. Now I am speaking from experience but only from a Chevy stand point (sorry for saying the word - twice) but there was no difference in the rollers alone. I tmay have complimented the cam, because this truck was fast, strong and man it just ran, of coarse I didnt skimp on the tranny eather (700R4 built - $1800.00) the tranny is where the heart of that truck was.

 

Yes it's hard to put numbers on what rockers would add, but my experience is they will make a real measurable difference on these motors so it's better use of the $$ you could also spend on a CAI or TB spacer for example. These truck motors are really smothered badly with cams that fall well short of providing enough valve lift to fully utilize the flow potential of even the stock heads and intake so every little bit helps. Like I have been saying relentlessly here for years now.. YES.. the stock truck cams are that bad, particularly when the heads are so much smaller than what the "other guys" put on similar motors.

 

That is exactly where I was hoping to go with this subject. Conanski, to quote "Yes it's hard to put numbers on what rockers would add, but my experience is they will make a real measurable difference on these motors so it's better use of the $$ you could also spend on a CAI or TB spacer for example." What is that measurable difference? engine dyno torque/horsepower? chassis dyno hp/torque? MPGs? Seat of the pants aka butt-o-meter? sound? I am not trying to be an *** here, I only want something that measures the results other than "it makes hp or torque or mpg" claims. I see you frequently suggest 1.7 RRs when an OP asks how to make more power, but is it money well spent instead of a better exhaust such as headers, y-pipe, mufflers, intake and such?

I know darn well from personal experience over the last 35+ years of tinkering with gas engines (as well as some hellaciously turbo'ed diesels) that getting air in and out of an engine efficiently makes torque, thus horsepower. I am also fully aware that racing a dyno will get you nowhere. A true example of a measurable gain would be a desired result such as lower ET/higher MPH or higher MPGs.

It is my viewpoint it is the COMBINATION of parts that will yield the desired results for the money spent. I am not discounting roller rockers or headers or anything else that truly makes airflow through an engine more efficient. I agree poorly designed CAIs and throttle bodies on a stock Ford truck only makes life better for the retailer, not the user.

So to again answer the OPs question in post #5: Any roller rocker will potentially net you some gain. If you are opening up the valve covers, go for the biggest roller rocker you can fit. To definitely answer with "it will net you XX amount of torque" is impossible. If your butt-o-meter feels a difference, great. If it nets you a little more MPGs, even better. If you are happy with the results, you won!

I rest my case. Sorry for hijacking the thread, but I thought with the frequent suggestion of installing 1.7 roller rockers around here someone would have empirical data of what the results really are. I apologize for interrupting your regularly scheduled programming.

 

Well... I have seen your typical stock 5.0 mustang pickup a couple mile an hour and drop a tenth off the quarter mile time.. from 1.7 rockers. They also made a noticable difference on the SOTP dyno across the whole powerband.. drove the car before and after. These are mentioned often by me because they address one of the more glaring shortcomings of these motors and are relatively easy to install compared to a cam swap.

 

Maybe some others that have used the 1.7 rockers will chime in on this . I have never seen dyno #s but i know they help, adding lift to a cam is usually a good thing . So are underdrive pullys & e fans. Its hard to put a number on it but they work good . Removeing the air pump helps to , its not the air pump but the weight , thats just common sense . Is it worth the money ?? depends on what you want . Upgrading the exhaust on these trucks is usually the best gain & again saves weight . So the choice is yours , HP costs money but somethings are free , like advancing your base timing a few deg ...Lew

 

BUMP...


Any new info?? What brad RR's do the experienced here recommend?? I'm about to try a set out on my 5.0 truck and on my buddy's 5.0 1988 stang.. For $200, it's cheap power..

Are hardened pushrods needed??

http://www.jegs.com/i/Crane/270/WG3070/10002/-1