Hydraulic roller cam and stock rocker arms

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IQ52

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Just curious, is anybody using stock rocker arms with a hydraulic roller cam in their big block? If so, hows it working out for you?
 
There was never a roller cam from the factory in a big block. You would need an aftermarket roller conversion kit.
 
There was never a roller cam from the factory in a big block. You would need an aftermarket roller conversion kit.

I would never use stock stamped steel rockers with a roller cam. It's like polishing a turd. It may survive but it's only matter of time not to mention the lifter preload. Why put new tech cam in with dyno tech rockers? Do it all or don't waste your time.
 
Guys, I am not 100% sure, but I think Jim knows all that. He's just askin a question.

No Jim, I don't know anybody who has or is doing it. Although I am quite sure with a mild roller it could be done.
 
Not mine, but I know of one built with a small cam, 915 heads and a polished 6/71 blower for street cruising and stylin'. Old guy, wanted reliable power with modern oils, no chance of flat tappet problems. Was willing to do all that, but still a die hard Mopar guy, so he just had to be cheap somewhere :violent1: S/F...Ken M
 
Running a retro-fit hydraulic roller cam in a big block Mopar is like have a very expensive, but beautiful girl friend that just keeps cheating on you.

On a side note, I suppose one could use these rocker arms. We've had them since 1959.
 

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Now that is cool ^^. I do know that my factory roller cam LA 318 has stamped steel rockers....So It may be possible with a big block. IF you do this, please keep us informed.
 
Those rockers were on my Dad's 1959 Plymouth in 1959 at Bonneville. The old 361 ran 150.246 mph one way on the salt.
 
Now that is cool ^^. I do know that my factory roller cam LA 318 has stamped steel rockers....So It may be possible with a big block. IF you do this, please keep us informed.

We could do it effectively, but, I have no intention of ever running a hydraulic roller in anything but a mild rebuild of the magnum small block. Eventually I will explain why. It has nothing to do with the rockers, but the retro-fit hydraulic roller concept.
 
Yeah but,, now you got the cob-web-ed wheels turning in my head !!
 
I think it was 1963 the dragmaster dart rail won the winternationals.
They used a 383 with a 413 crank 63 style max wedge heads and a identical
set of rocker arms as Jim pictured. Not sure what type camshaft they used.
Since they were out of So.Cal, did your dad by chance help them? I was at
the then Palmdale International Raceway and your Dad tuning a friend of
mines 1958 Ply Golden Commander it was running pretty respectable times.
 
I think it was 1963 the dragmaster dart rail won the winternationals.
They used a 383 with a 413 crank 63 style max wedge heads and a identical
set of rocker arms as Jim pictured. Not sure what type camshaft they used.
Since they were out of So.Cal, did your dad by chance help them? I was at
the then Palmdale International Raceway and your Dad tuning a friend of
mines 1958 Ply Golden Commander it was running pretty respectable times.

I don't think Pop (Bill LaRoy) ever had anything to do with the Dragmaster car but we did spend a lot of time at PIR in the 60's. When he started working in NASCAR in the 70's the guys he was working with began to call him 'Willie Tuner'.
 
You could totally do it - here's how - Dart6 is on to it with the modern magnum setup!

Roller cam in your choice of specs (probably need to be safe and be well under .600" lift) -
roller lifters
rockers
custom length oil thru pushrods - here is where it gets tricky you will need to measure the pushrod length in mock up stage and order custom one's through the many makers

You need to drill a hole in each rocker- pushrod cup, and then weld a small metal tab over the hole on the top side of the rocker to deflect the out going oil from the pushrod (so it squirts towards the rocker shaft, instead of straight at the valve cover)

Like said lifter preload comes into play - you simply use the pushrod length to set lifter preload - that is how the modern factory roller cam, Mopar, Chevy, and Ford's do it - only they have a much weaker pedestal style mounting rocker.. (everyone usually converts them to the Chevy/Ford 3/8" stud mount and runs Chevy/Ford roller rockers in Magnums)

But that is how it's done.. - far less work to me than modding stock rockers with adjusters as you would still need to measure for custom pushrods
 
hydraulic roller lifters do not need adjustable rockers, just the correct length pushrods. if done correctly, what parts will break ?

X2, maybe he should review the thousands of production setups on the road, including but not limited to Mopar production Magnums, and for that matter the later model "roller LA" smallblocks.
 
It was a general statement I just wanted to see what it would take to break one... To the OP I think running stamped rockers would be fine with a hydraulic roller as long as it doesn't have faster ramps than a factory-style roller cam, it still mostly comes down to spring pressure, mass (pretty low for stamped) and RPM.
 
We could do it effectively, but, I have no intention of ever running a hydraulic roller in anything but a mild rebuild of the magnum small block. Eventually I will explain why. It has nothing to do with the rockers, but the retro-fit hydraulic roller concept.

why, U thinkin lifter bores not tall enough? some folks are doing amazing things lately with hydraulic rollers, big power and plenty of rpm's :???:
 
Ive been there. nice to watch stock parts fail...and we move on
 
I've built big blocks with hyd roller cams but never with stock rocker arms. The stock rocker arms are failure prone so I wouldn't use them except on just a stone stock type rebuild. I think a hyd roller works fine in a low-maintenance street rod type motor. Something I might build for a guy who isn't an engine guy. Someone who knows how to check the dipstick and that is about it. A stroker with a small hyd roller and a dual plane intake would work fine for that type of customer.
 
Exactly how I would go about it. Nice and easy set up designed to run all day and on through the night, no worries going from Maine to San Diego in one shot.

I can see the stock rmarkets coed taking on some lift but IIRC, the factory books never recommended them for much lift ether. Superior part for superior performance and life?
Yea, that's what I was thinking.
 
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