I'm current looking into some roller rockers for my 83' 5.0 and i'm not sure which ones i should get. Either the 1.6 or the 1.72 rockers and if i should get the 3/8 or 7/16 studs. please help!!!
I'm not totally sure about the studs but if you want to keep the stock springs, go with the 1.6's because they dont produce as much lift as 1.72's. But if your gunna upgrade your springs and want some more lift with your cam, go with the 1.72. You can also go with 1.7's. If you need a set of them, I got a brand new, never used set of FRPP 1.7 roller rockers.
Before you put on a set of aftermarket rockers, (especially 1.7:1's), you better check p/v clearance, make sure your springs aren't going to bind, as well as plan on modifying or replacing your valve covers. The stud size mentioned refers to the size of the stud you will be mounting the rockers on. ie...most unmodified 302 heads have 3/8" studs whereas 351 heads used 7/16", (or do I have that backwards?), or you may have had 7/16" screw-in's put in your 302 head...anyway that will determine what rockers you will require for your app.
One thing you may want to consider: Crane Cams makes a kit, P/N 270-36806-16, that converts stock pedestal mount rockers to a roller bearing for about $180.00.
Roller rockers are a great mod, they relieve valvetrain stress, lessen oil heating by friction, and free up horsepower. Ford used 1.6 ratio stamped rockers on our motors, so using a 1.6 roller will maintain your factory valvetrain specs. 1.72 rockers create a little more lift and duration by magnifying the lift of the cam a little more than the 1.6s This is calculated by taking the length of the highest part of a cam lobe from the center of the cam, and multiplying it by the ratio of the rocker. Basically it's either "xyz" lift x 1.6 or "xyz" lift x 1.72, where the 1.72 ratio will result in more lift. The higher ratio can be good good because it essentially "beefs up" your cam a bit, and allows your heads to breathe better. It does have a down side though. Ford engineered it's heads to run with 1.6 ratio rockers, so everything is made to those specs. running 1.7s puts a little extra stress on the valve train, and can lead to alot of valve guide wear. That might be acceptable if you want to rebuild your heads every two years, but most guys opt for 1.6s because the tradeoff isn't worth it. I myself run 1.7s on a set of prepped GT40P heads, and I love 'em. They give my cam a little more balls, and they free horsepower. I don't plan on running my heads forever anyway, so the 1.7s work for me. They were also available at the cheapest price through a friend, which helped. I have no valve clearance issues, and my combustion chambers are smaller than stock heads, I have a bigger cam, and the bigger rockers. Think about the tradeoffs- more lift vs. longevity, and decide which ratio you want. I believe stock and Ford Racing heads are pedistal mount, but I'm not sure of the thread size. Once you've figured out the numbers you want/need, pick a quality brand and go to town!
these arent stock heads. they are ported and polished. withhigh performance springs. the cam is a .512 intake .510 exaust custom grind. the manifold is equivalent to a edelbrok air gap and is also ported and polished. i do have stock valve covers. i hope i don't need new ones. ive heard both though
If you need new ones, which you usually do, I have a set of Ford Racing tall valve covers for sale for 50. They have a small crack that any machine shop can weld for cheap, and I can show you how to get them to work on an EFI car (they're for carb'd cars). Let me know.
there's a pic of them at the link in my sig. They're sprayed black, but the paint is dinged up, so you could either repaint them or sandblast and polish. I paid 125.00 for them last year used.
No, the flame ones are my new ones. The black ones with the Ford Racing logo on them are the ones for sale. For some reason I can't get the thing to work that lets me post pics, and I'm way under limit.
This is the only good pic I have that's online, it's from before they were installed. The cap and breather are on the new covers, but you probably already have some breathers on your car now. Like I said, the paint is dinged up but it's just crappy Rustoleum anyway, nothing that couldn't be patched or stripped and polished. Biggest thing is the crack, but a machine shop can make quick work of it. It's a hairline crack near one of the bolt holes. It didn't leak, but for safety's sake I bought the new covers (plus they look cool). http://www.cardomain.com/member_pag...images/2/web/470000-470999/470034_11_full.jpg
im using 1.6 ford rollers with a 512 533 lift cam and there on pedastels and i dont have any problems . it has seen 6000 rpm ,if they do slip and break stuff then i will just have a excuse to go bigger and better
thats on the stock e7 heads but i also had the heads shaved .020 and a 3 angle valve job with the recommended double springs that match the comp cam.got the head work done for less than 300 bucks.would had them port and polished but ive heard its not worth the money
to get the right pressure for the spring we had to cut out a bowl in the head and put bigger springs in along with cups.....that cost a lot more than i had expected
but they will pay off i guess
not to bash you guys, but putting money into stock heads is a waste of time. You threw 300 into millwork on E7s, and I payed 400 for prepped and valve-jobbed GT40Ps with larger valves which kick the crap out of stock heads, even worked E7s. Don't waste your money on E7s.