Thread: roller rockers

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Do I need guide plates with a 80-86 carburated heads ?the slot where the push rods come thru are exactly the width of the pushrod............head#14014416.

I want to keep this thread going until some experts answer. I have the same question using a set of 882 heads from a '76 Corvette 350. I remember a previous thread where Drbowtie said the pushrods will scrape the slots in the heads with 1.6 ratio and high lift. I am about to get working now with warmer weather and one of the first things I want to do is turn over the motor and watch the pushrods in the slots to see if they scrape. Because of the price of gas I am going to use 1.5 roller-tipped rockers on the intakes and 1.6 roller-tipped rockers on the exhausts for a little more torque. I am hoping that since my cam is very mild with only 0.398 lift intake and 0.420 lift exhaust, there will not be any problem. I can answer the question as to side-to-side clearance. The Tech guy at Speedway said there was no need for guide plates with the 882 heads as far as side-to-side play. I hope that the use of only 1.5 roller-tips will still lead to lower oil temps and a cooler-running engine and that the stock 1.5 rockers may not really be 1.5 anyway so a true 1.5 ratio may be a slight improvement? The main thing I will look for is whether the exhaust pushrods (chrome moly) scrape the edge of the guide hole; I 'm hoping they don't.

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

I talked to comp cams and crane cams,comp said roller tip only ok with no plates on heads that the pushrod slot fits left to right and has a d shape at the opposite ends ,but no go on full rollers with the needle bearing fulcrum and roller tip,crane said no go on full roller rockers(fulcrum and roller tip) in any applicatoin without guide plates.I am ok with installing the plates and screw in studs ,but my motor is together I do not want to remove the heads and have the pedistals milled,is there a way around this?Longer pushrods maybe?

Update ...Its a go ahead on the full rollers ,stock ratio!!!!Went out and test fitted no 1 cyl,and it works fine ,even clears the stock valve covers. head # 14014416