Thread: roller rockers?

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Hey gents im building a chevy 388 stroker and right now i just have stock heads so i wanna put some roller rockers in em, but i dont know what to get and what i need for putting them in. can i just use stock push rods? and im not rich so the best deal would be nice any ideas gents?

You have to pull the stock studs, mill the bosses, then drill and tap for the stud size you're using, 3/8" or 7/16".. with stock heads, not sure it's even worth the expense of putting roller rockers on.... Long slot rockers and new nuts are probably compatible with the potential of the stock heads and a lot less money.....

so you think long slot rockers would give me as much power as rollers?

Originally Posted by BO-C-FUS

so you think long slot rockers would give me as much power as rollers?

Roller rockers won't add enough power that you would even notice the change on a dyno............

well since most of the powers made in the head what would you suggest i do with them?

What heads do you have? What cam do you have? What's in the short block for parts, and what level of performance are you trying to get?

stock 350 heads and in the bottom is 400 stroker crank flat top pistons, the cams duration is advertised 288 and 290

Many, many different 350 heads... what CC chamber, what is the casting number??? If they're just the standard run of the mill smogger junk head, the best thing to do with them is replace them!!!!

I agree with Dave.Follow this logic.You build up a stroker engine,cam it up,and then on their best ported day OEM heads choke it because you can't open the heads up enough to feed the engine.There are very good reasons for the aftermarket heads and if you could come even close to them with a stock head,there wouldn't be a market for the aftermarket ones.A rule of thumb is .5 X the c.i= the intake cc size.There is no way in the "stock" OEM heads your going to open them up to 195CC's.I also agree the use of roller rockers for the street is a waste of time and money in most cases.So you did your build for a stroker and now you need to finish it with a decent cam and head combo.

The advantage of aftermarket rockers is accuracy. The stock stamped rockers can vary anywhere from 1.41 to 1.50. CompCams roller rockers are 1.52 (or 1.6) for SBC engines. The fact that they have a roller bearing simply means less friction. I agree with other about your heads. Your money is better spent on a better set of heads.

well i already got the long block all im workin on is the heads and their 64cc but guys im 17 i work as a dishwasher and my parents believe in hard work so when i want something i buy it, which im proud of ,but back to the issue is i cant afford new heads i just need to work with the ones ive got haha

I think my first question is what is the motor going in, and what are your goals for the motor? is this a backyard find? a take out motor from a donor rig that your converting? is it a fresh rebuild? has the block been machined before?
i gotta side with some of the other posters, that cast numbers are a good thing to post for more specified answers. cast numbers of the block and the heads would be good to post.

As for roller rockers on stock type G.M Iron Heads . Dave is right in saying the studs may be to short . Some roller rocker will work if the Poly-Locks have thread all the way down . But better to have Longer studs . And yes only two name brands Make true Ratio Stamped Rocker arms . I bought a set of Summit 1.50 Long Slot stamped Rockers that Looked good for a Budget 350 Build runs good ? Ha-Ha anyones guess how close the ratio is with out checking but same can be said about the G.M ones . Budget street engine what ya gona do . Iron G.M Heads on a 388 short block . If you have more time then Money start porting them out . You can get the cc's up alright but yes some 195cc Heads 72cc Chambers would be a nice bolt on . That 383 Combo above also has a Lot of room for improvements .

If you use CompCams roller tip rockers below, they are a drop in replacement for stock rockers. I have used them before on a build with no issues. You could also reuse them on another set of heads should you switch out your heads later. They are not fully rollerized, but they are a cut above stock stamped rockers.

COMP Cams 1412-16 - COMP Cams Magnum Steel Roller Tip Rocker Arms - Overview - SummitRacing.com

roller tip rockers are a wast of your money they give you zip for any thing. every thing gets worked off the pivot ball of the rocker . the ball still will see friction there nothing for friction at the tip ... save your money up ...