I have read that some guys make the comment about the PRW being a get what you pay for situation. I don't have first hand knowledge just reading so take that for what it's worth. I do know in doing some research on 385 series engines that comparing look alike procomp rockers to FRPP blue rockers (which are actually crane golds) that you lost total valve lift in the .020" range. And it was a range cause they were not consistant one to another. Granted that was on a big roller cam but the idea is the same. I put the PRW's in the same catagory as prochump stuff.

 

If you have the means of fabricating your own stuff then I go that route and toss the extra .$$ @ good parts. Doug may still have these, Classifieds: Garage Sale -- Billet Rocker Parts

or he always makes them new at 350.00 set

 

this is just me but if i had the know how and the equipment to do it or even if i had a good freind who would let me work on it with them i would not even hesitate on it cause if i take the time to build what i want you can bet mine is going to be right the frist time and better simply cause i can say i made it myself or with the help of my freinds.

 

i mean really isn't that what it's all about, build what you can and work like a mule to buy the rest. LOL besides you get to play with tools and drink beer and have freinds around who like the same thing just make sure they bring their own beer

 

Takes a mighty bright soul to get into rocker geometry/tooling IMO, with one to tool from it would seem like an easy task. However if that were the case I'd think almost any/everyone would be doing it. I'd stick to the cntr/end stands & spacers and leave the rockers to the ones that know. JMO

 

well i was just talking about the stands or end stands or even making a solid 1 peice stand like in the pictures of maxtor's rockers,

 

Wow this is getting interesting. I actually made and inquiry to precision oil pumps through their web site a while back about their end stands after I read about them in the FE buildups Car Craft did and they never returned anything. It looks like they significantly upgraded their web site since I was there last. Will have to check it out better.

I am a machinist by trade not actually working as a machinist now but we do have a mill at work available that I can stay late and do my own stuff on. In fact I was already set on making my own end stands I already made a CAD drawing of them.

 

Hi all,

One more question about FE rocker arms. I keep seeing info about right and left offset rocker arms. On the precision oil pumps site they talk about a .075 offset for pushrod to manifold clearance. Is that all there is to it or is there something I'm missing?

Thanks!!

 

I would run some kind of end stand on almost anything beyond stock. I busted a couple stock shafts back in the eighties when I run running .590 lift hydraulic cams in my 428. The memory of the scattered parts and tows back from the track are a lot more vivid than are the hundred bucks I saved...

As for block strength, I've never split the mains on a 2 bolt bottom, but I've seen other guys do it at around 600HP. I know I sprayed my old 428 waaaay past that. It would split cylinder walls if I got greedy, but the 427 that replaced it would do that too.

 

When I said that I ran our 428scj at 660 hp with nitrous, and did not have a problem, what I meant was that I did not have a problem with the block. However, I did break one set of stock rocker arm shafts, and fixed that by buying aftermarket stronger rocker shafts. I also blew a head gasket at a 175 shot of nitrous, so I O ringed the block and after that I did not have another engine related problem at 660 hp. I do not foresee a problem with a 100 hp shot of nitrous which will put us around 687 hp. I might wait until the end of next year to try the 200 hp shot of nitrous, so if the engine does grenade, I will have all winter to replace it.
So we can use my engine as the guinea pig, and see what happens.

 

Barry, on the 2 bolt main block at the 600hp level @ what rpm ? and how much cap walk did you have on tear downs ? Just curiuos.. because I know guys in the 550 to 575 hp range @6500 to 6700rpms W/O power adders that were getting cap walk until they went either went cross bolts or machined for Pro-Grams caps..

 

Russ;

At 660 hp and shifting at 6500-6800 my scj after tear down had no bottom end problems. The only issue I saw was that the piston pins were not "floating" (tight) due to some small bending probably because of all the nitrous.
I take a lot of time blueprinting each engine, making sure the tolerances are correct, and that might or might not help in the longevity.

 

Well Lloyd I guess some can get by with it and some cant... I believe Freightrain "Larry" had mentioned that he too had cap walk at those HP levels W/O any power adders.. As a matter of fact I think he showed sent me Pics of it ? If I remember right..

I'am getting to old..cant remember what I had for breakfast this morning ..LOL..Oh now I do..a double cheese burger !

 

Russ Tune has a LOT to do with cap walk also. Plus proper fuel. I ran over 900hp on 2bolt 385 series block. First year I had quite a bit of cap walk running 110 octane fuel and possibly a slightly to small carb. Switched to a 1190 carb and 112 octane and my cap walk all but disappeared. I will grant one other change I switched to a cam that actually upped my hp levels so I guess there was more then just the octane but take it for what it is worth.

 

Well Rob, I'am not saying a poor tune cant play into it... But there's a reason why they came out with 4 bolt mains and crossbolted mains from the factory... I dont think they just put them in the molds for tooling points..LOL...

Like I had mentioned above..some just get lucky on builds...Hell I have a brother in law..the can run a bunch of mix and match parts and never have one break down..LOL.. But thats NOT my luck....