Roller Rockers

[390racer]

Hi,
In process of rebuilding my 340 with Edelbrock heads, intake, comp cam etc and would like to fit roller rockers.
What brand, steel/aluminum etc should buy? I am a bit unsure of using the rockers with caged bearings as I have heard they wear out the shafts and eventually fail damaging the whole engine.
Any advice appreciated.
Thanks.

 

[Chryco Psycho]

PRW seems to have a great product & price . I prefer Stainless steel over Alum & like you I will not use needle roller type rockers mainly because when they fail the needle brgs can go all through the engine , bushings provide a lot more surface area , do wear the shafts & do not scatter if they fail

 

[MoparArmyVet]

390, I selected Harlan Sharpe for my 408 small block build. There are a ton of less expensive roller rockers on the market, many made in China. But like most things in life, you get what you pay for. Harlan Sharpe has been manufacturing quality products for a long time. I ran them in my Dart Sport Super Gas car for years and never had any problems. I assume this will be a daily driver, so PRW as suggested by Chryco may be a great fit for your application. The bottom line is look at your budget, do some research, and people on this site will definitely be a great source of information. Good luck and have a very Merry Christmas!

 

[Chryco Psycho]

While Harlan Sharpe make a good rocker they use the needle brgs which make no sense to me at all , I have removed rockers needle brgs from shafts & had deep grooves in the shafts from the rockers just loading small areas . Actually the whole needle brg thing has me baffled , the resistance is the oil not the the bushing against the shafts so nothing is gained , the surface area is probably 100th of the area of a bushing , the bushing should never touch the shaft , if it did it would not last more then a few minutes , the oil film has to be maintained , I really see no advantage to the expense of having roller brgs over just using the bushing .

 

[Rob C]

It makes sense to have the roller /needle bearings when very high spring pressures are used. The oil pressure is limited and over come buy spring pressure. This is a normal item at low RPM. Not so much for a stock or upgraded HP ride.

I have some basic Comp Cams roller rockers. There about 10 years old now without any issue and no roller bearings inside.

Back when I gott'em, they were about $300, Lord knows what they are today.

Hughes engines also has a nice set for about $425-ish I think.

 

[mr340]

I ran the Crane Golds on my 340 for over 10 years with no problems but some have had issues with the adjusting screws failing.
When I built my 416 I went with the Indy roller rockers and they have been holding up well.