Im looking for a way to squeeze a little more power out of my 5 0. I have stock heads and cam with a cobra intake manifold, long tube headers and exhaust. Would 1.7 rocker help me or would it be a waste of time.
.444\ 1.6x1.7=.472 You will gain lift. but the bigger gain is the lack of deflection in the rocker and less friction. It will help but you will not notice it. If you have high mileage on the valve springs you may gain as much by getting new springs. Swapping just the rockers is kind of like switching to synthetic oil. Yeah it helps but you will not "feel" it.
I've read dyno tests before that indicate they are only worth 5-10 HP at the most on stock heads. However, if you ever install aftermarket heads, you are going to want RR for them, and they are usually transplantable, plus, you will see more of a gain with them on a set of heads that can actually take advantage of the extra lift (where the stock heads really don't).
So really, its up to you, just do your homework and make sure you are getting a set of RR that you won’t have to get rid of when you put new heads/cam on your engine.
The gains come more from upgrading to the roller rockers, not so much upgrading from 1.6 to 1.7 In your case, you don't need any more cam, so maybe you only need 1.6's. 1.7's won't hurt, but it's possible to run into problems with them. Maybe wait until you have aftermarket heads and get some then because most aftermarket heads are stud mount and stock are pedestal so they won't interchange if you get aftermarket heads with stud mount rockers.
I've read dyno tests before that indicate they are only worth 5-10 HP at the most on stock heads. However, if you ever install aftermarket heads, you are going to want RR for them, and they are usually transplantable, plus, you will see more of a gain with them on a set of heads that can actually take advantage of the extra lift (where the stock heads really don't).
So really, its up to you, just do your homework and make sure you are getting a set of RR that you won’t have to get rid of when you put new heads/cam on your engine.
when i was building my motor at the shop i was working out of a guy came up to me talking about his mustang...he said it was basically stock. at the time he came up to me i was torqueing my rockers down...he said he did put 1.7 RR on it and he did notice a difference and liked them...dought you will notice anything from going to a 1.6 RR from the 1.6 stamped steal rockers you have now...the gains are gonna come from the increased lift of the 1.7's....