SB rockers hitting springs and retainers

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kevinh said:
Valves are stock and correct length.
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You need to measure the installed height of the stem. Not overall length. The valve is only part of the equation. The other part is the valve seat. It's the seat cut depth and the length of the valve that locates the position of the stem tip in 3d space. A sunken seat means a valve tip that's taller and closer to the rocker centerline unless they cut down the valve a bunch, which can also lead to retainer clearance issues.

Just out of curiosity - how thick are the shims they used? Are there shims under the springs? If so - how thick are they?
 
kevinh said:
Gtsdude, I read a post on this site saying the 273 rockers quickly and constantly fall out of adjustment. Any truth to that? That is why I was thinking about the Speedmaster part. I am not a person who thinks inexpensive automatically means bad. I'd be interested in hearing stories about defects, design flaws and parts failures in Speedmaster parts. It it helpful to know why to avoid a manufacturer. Have you had any bad Speedmaster experiences or heard about any?
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The factory adjusters will have a tendency to back off if the adjuster is not very tight when you thread it through the rocker, I had a few that way and put jamb nuts on and took care of it. I don't have any first hand experience with speedmaster rockers, just what I have read, and most of those rockers were the aluminum version.
 
kevinh said:
So 70 AARCuda, are you happy with the Speedmaster rockers?

I have no problem using 273 gear if I can find it. What is a good price?
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I've kept my eye on these recently; $150 is a good price with the banana grooves in the shafts but I folks asking for more so you have to keep an eye out for a deal. There are several sources for new adjusters with lock nuts for the 273 rockers; IMO, it would be worth it to put these in so that the old adjusters wear pattern would not be wearing adversely against old rocker cups.

If you try the 273's, install and then examine the geometry carefully with whatever lift you have; at .500" lift and up, they look to me to be running out of 'wipe' and are starting to wipe over the edges of the valve tip rather than making contact on the flat of the valve tip. Any sideways offset of the contact from centered on the valve will make this even more pronounced. Because of the larger radius ground into the valve contact ends of these rockers (and the stamped ones), they are going to run across the valve tip form one edge to the to the other at less total lift than rollers will with their smaller radius on the roller. Finding your cam lift is step #1 IMO.

FWIW....Just one perspective comment on the Speedmasters (or anything for that matter!): any number of runs on the drag strip is a different deal versus 10k-50k-100k miles on the street. So keep your application and use in mind. Just google for speedmaster issues here and on other forums, mopar and non-mopar. And then do the same for other rockers to broaden out the perspective: PRW, Crane, etc.
 
I am picking up a dial indicator today to check lift. Based on the slims and previous performance I am expect to find a pretty radical cam: I ran 14.1 at the drag strip which is not that impressive until you learn the #1 intake lobe was so rounded that it was not opening the valve at all. 14.1 on 7 cylinders is impressive.
 
nm9stheham said:
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FWIW....Just one perspective comment on the Speedmasters (or anything for that matter!): any number of runs on the drag strip is a different deal versus 10k-50k-100k miles on the street. So keep your application and use in mind. Just google for speedmaster issues here and on other forums, mopar and non-mopar. And then do the same for other rockers to broaden out the perspective: PRW, Crane, etc.
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Of course only one comment of someone who actually uses them...not hundred of comments of people who never used them but call them junk..cause they sister brother uncle said so....LOL
 
nm9stheham said:
I've kept my eye on these recently; $150 is a good price with the banana grooves in the shafts but I folks asking for more so you have to keep an eye out for a deal.
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That would be a great price, you can't buy the shafts for that. I have a complete set here with banana groove shafts, and super clean rockers. No way would I take 150 for them. With stock shafts, probably, I have sold a few sets on here for less.
 
Bad Sport said:
That would be a great price, you can't buy the shafts for that. I have a complete set here with banana groove shafts, and super clean rockers. No way would I take 150 for them. With stock shafts, probably, I have sold a few sets on here for less.
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Ya just never know....so keep an eye out. I picked up a set at the Nats last month for $60.... they were being passed over due to some surface rust and 4 missing adjusters (like $3 each for stock ones!). Cleaned up good and only .001" wear on one shaft in one spot... now I just need something to put them on... LOL
 
70aarcuda said:
Of course only one comment of someone who actually uses them...not hundred of comments of people who never used them but call them junk..cause they sister brother uncle said so....LOL
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Yeah, you have to read everything and judge the validity, and see if you can find any other info on WHY problems were experienced.... high lift for example; or the poster is a clueless fool in general LOL. You're good to say what and how much you have used them; any valve lift info you can share in this applicatio?

For our 'take your chances' foray on rockers..... We recently got a set of what look to be PRW's on eBay for about $225. The have the PRW 'PQ' markings on the rockers, and when we looked up the 'ship from' address, it was for PRW in CA. The box says PRW, and the seller confirmed that they are older surplus PRW's. I'll venture to guess that these are complete sets put together from broken sets or possibly returns, as the markings on the rockers have different type styles. This seller offers both 1.5 and 1.6 ratios. (Or maybe this seller is really good at faking in markings and ship to addresses!)

The shaft rollers seem a bit stiff out of the box, so I'll be cleaning/working on them before installation to make sure they roll well. The rest of the parts look like standard PRW stuff, but the hold-downs may be the older style. The castings look smooth on the edges with just 1 or 2 nicks or imperfections that we will smooth off to try to avoid a stress riser.

Can't give you any usage reports yet; we'll be trying them but will be checking the shafts and everything carefully at frequent intervals for a while to see if those are wearing adversely on the street. I can't say if they are good, bad, or indifferent at this time.... we just read a lot on the potential failure points, asked the seller a few simple questions, and took a chance to get something for less. Like so many things, 'you pay your money and take your chances'! Our lift will be at .500" +/-, we aren't using a fast ramp cam that should limit stress on the valvetrain even with the slightly higher ratio, and spring pressures will be typical for that level of lift (< 300# open), so we should not be stressing things too much anywhere. But, we are on our own on trying this one.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/PRW-Mopar-D...90b9dbe&pid=100011&rk=1&rkt=7&sd=161750322893
 
There is a "poor man's" way of locking the adjuster bolts on the old 273 adjustable rockers. I was told about it in the early 70's, there is a hole on the intake side of the rockers. I used this on many small blocks with adjustable rockers with great success & never had to thrash adjusting rockers because the backed off after a high RPM pass. All you have to do is tap it for an 1/8" allen screw & tighten it up after you do your final adjustment. Just be sure to loosen it before trying to readjust, otherwise you will mess up the threads on the adjusting bolt.
 
70aarcuda said:
Of course only one comment of someone who actually uses them...not hundred of comments of people who never used them but call them junk..cause they sister brother uncle said so....LOL
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Are theey still holding up well ?
 
yes...they are still working....finally got the FiTech running pretty good on it....just a cold start problem....gotta call them again...but the rockers are doing great...
 
70aarcuda said:
yes...they are still working....finally got the FiTech running pretty good on it....just a cold start problem....gotta call them again...but the rockers are doing great...
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I'm wondering x2 - with my stock 596 heads 273 rockers will the push rods still be the correct length and will they rub the head because of the changes? I'm sure since you don't have these actual heads you can't give me any real life experience, but maybe you notice the change in geometry and change or not so in length of push rods? I noticed you share the same point of view that you want to hear of someone's actual experience instead of their brothers uncles friends neighbors hearsay. Thank you
 
you know...of all the engines put together in the last 10 yrs or so...I have only bought one set of custom length pushrods for a standard or eddy head 360...

my Demon has 3/8 diameter 7.50 length pushrods with 1.6 rockers...seems to be running ok....71 Duster had 5/16 diameter...standard 7.50 long for solid cam..71 Dart is only one with custom length...even with milling of block and heads I needed longer pushrods...all using 1.6 rockers....I can only tell you what works for me on this end of the world...

the 1/6 procomp aka speedmaster stainless steel rockers use the stock 340 length pushrod...ball and ball ends ...rocker has the cup ....
 
why look for problems...LOL...

no...they dont...lol
 
Just trying to get my head wrapped around what's going to happen? you know how it is with these cars- you change one thing that cost $5 and you got to change 10 other things at cost hundred dollars to make it work! I love my hobby LOL
 
70aarcuda said:
Of course only one comment of someone who actually uses them...not hundred of comments of people who never used them but call them junk..cause they sister brother uncle said so....LOL
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Usually how it goes.

Feel free to correct me, BUT my understanding of Speedmaster is this. They used to be ProComp. Then when whatever happened and they became Speedmaster, their products improved by a good bit. 'Least that's what I read "somewhere".
 
There is actually some information about it right on the Speedmaster site.
 
70aarcuda said:
why look for problems...LOL...

no...they dont...lol
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I called Speedmaster and they only have the 1.5 right now. I was wondering if you may have a part number? as they say that 1.6 are a lot of times all bought out by the bigger suppliers yet I don't have a number to give to Jegs or Speedway.
 
70aarcuda said:
you know...of all the engines put together in the last 10 yrs or so...I have only bought one set of custom length pushrods for a standard or eddy head 360...

my Demon has 3/8 diameter 7.50 length pushrods with 1.6 rockers...seems to be running ok....71 Duster had 5/16 diameter...standard 7.50 long for solid cam..71 Dart is only one with custom length...even with milling of block and heads I needed longer pushrods...all using 1.6 rockers....I can only tell you what works for me on this end of the world...

the 1/6 procomp aka speedmaster stainless steel rockers use the stock 340 length pushrod...ball and ball ends ...rocker has the cup ....
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Still can't find a part # for the speedmaster 1.6's ? ??
 
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