I plan to go with Harland Sharp roller rockers on my BBC build unless there is any reason to avoid them. For the price, about $205, they seem to be about the best available. Anything less expensive seems to be cheaply built and anything more expensive seems to be money spent on cosmetics without bringing any better mechanicals to the table.

**EDIT** Just to be clear, I'm talking about roller rocker arms, not roller lifters. TIA.

I've got the Comp Cams Pro Magnum rollers. I got them because they are rebuildable. I don't remember what I paid for them though.

Scorpian

Originally posted by 1968 hot rod:
Scorpian I can get those for about the same price but they look no better or worse than the H-S versions, but Scorpion is simply a brand name I've never heard of before I saw them in the catalog.

GM offers a really nice looking set (look just like the Harland Sharps, maybe they aremade by them) that have little bowties etched into the tips but they cost slightly more than $100 more. Those bowties just aren't worth another $100! Especially since they will be hidden when it's all said and done!

The Scorpions or Harland Sharps IMHO are better than most out there in that price range..just stay away from CAT or Proform..not worth the $25 to $50 savings.
I'd used Crane Energizers at the very least or, long slot stamped rockers if you where pressed.
Crower stainless is the best from what I here on the other end of the price spectrum.

I have used maybe 6 sets of Scorpians always nice quality,better extrusion than H.S. imho and I have used several set of those also.
Crowers are nice but the steel rocker has no cushioning quality like a good Alum rocker.

cushioning qualityI don't believe "quality" belongs in that concept.

Aluminum will fatigue in street use. People tend to have to replace at least one every few thousand miles. I would avoid running any of those on the street. They're fine for drag racing, where they see a few thousand "reps" per race, if that's all you do; but on the street, where they can easily get 10 million over a lifetime, it's a whole different story. Think about it.... 7000 RPM for 30 seconds, is still only 3500 instances of opening each valve. Not a whole lot of use.

I have 3 sets right now, on various motors; a set of Comp Pro Magnums, a set of Comp "Hi-Tech", and a set of Crowers. The PMs are definitely the lowest level of the 3, but still will give probably 5 times or more the lifetime that aluminum ones will on the street.

The GM ones are Crane Gold, with no Crane logo and a GM one instead.

I have used Harlan Sharps for years in street and race motors ......any alum roller rocker should be checked for wear, regardless of price

I have Harlans on my 427, roller motor ...your right, best value out there ....assume price from Comp Products .......FWIW Bill

The Comp Hi-tech stainless are nice pieces, IMO. I'm running those in my late model sbc and the Pro-Mags in my bbc.

what is the first indication of wear in a roller rocker ?

Crower "Enduro" Stainless Steel roller rockers. graemlins/thumbsup.gif

A bit pricey, but probably the best "conventional" style rocker you can buy.

Comp Pro Magnum here as well in my 496.

---Chris

People tend to have to replace at least one every few thousand miles I ran a set of Crane Energizer(low end) roller rockers for over 4.5 years with 2 full years of racing and several street miles and they are still in pretty good shape, some roller tips showing flat spots,but the main body and fulcrum of the rocker arm all look fine. I've broken more stock rocker arms than aluminum roller rockers. If I can get 4.5+ yrs out of Energizers, I'm sure the Golds will last much longer.

I have a set of golds since 1985,street drivin,strip drivin low spring pressure will kill the roller tips.
I finally wore them out.
You guys will see how well the cushion quality works during the Daytona 500 cause their isn't a steel rocker in those motors.

Aluminum rockers have improved. GM used them in some of the Corvette engines, and maybe others. That said, I wouldn't use aluminum if steel was available. I've got three sets of Pro Magnums in various vehicles. Works for me.

Originally posted by Schurkey:
Aluminum rockers have improved. GM used them in some of the Corvette engines, and maybe others. That said, I wouldn't use aluminum if steel was available. I've got three sets of Pro Magnums in various vehicles. Works for me. The ones GM used on the LT4 Vette, (and with the LT4 HOTCAM kit) are the Crane gold FWIW.

The reason GM used the Cranes in the HOT cam kit, isn't because they're "better" some way or other; it's because they're the only ones that allow stock late model center-bolt valve covers to fit without modification. The better rockers, such as Pro Mags, have a wider trunnion; and the thing that the VC bolt goes through, won't fit between them.

People who run them on the street, have classic fatigue failure. Same as any other aluminum rocker. Just, ever now and then, one will break in half; those particular ones break at the tip, right behind the tip roller.

Originally posted by 1968 hot rod:
I have a set of golds since 1985,street drivin,strip drivin low spring pressure will kill the roller tips.
I finally wore them out.
You guys will see how well the cushion quality works during the Daytona 500 cause their isn't a steel rocker in those motors. Aluminum rockers do not cushion.
Also, I don't really think you can compare Jesel & T&D shaft rockers to stud mount rockers.
Cushion implies that the rocker "gives".
This is absolutely the last thing you want in a performance valvetrain.
It sets up harmonics, causes surging, acts like a spring,,, the list goes on.
If you want to see the lengths these engines go to reduce any deflection or "cushion" take a look at what they are using for pushrods,,, they look more like treestumps than pushrods & weight be damned, it has to be stiff to run 9000+
try 7/16" double taper & up to .125 wall.
This is not exactly what I would consider "cushion" :D

There are a number of good rockers out there & my preference is the Comp Hi Techs, Pro Magnums & Crowers.
For aluminum, Scorpion's & a few "house brands" made by Scorpion are also excellent as are Cranes.
Harland Sharp has been in the rocker business for a very long time & at one time I believe they made most of the rockers sold by almost all cam manufacturers. They are still a very good rocker as far as I know

For aluminum I use a private label rocker that is made by Scorpion which is very "beefy"

As was noted above, stay far away from the "good deal" rockers, they are junk.
In my opinion, one of the above brands is at the top of the junk foodchain list in just about every category of part they import but I won't mention names as that would be "bashing" :D

Wolf,
My rocker info good and comes from Lakewood directly and cushion or complyabilty is the word is that was used.
Just don't sick the wolves on me. ;)

Lakewood?

What rockers do they have in their product line?

Mike knows whats in Lakewood NJ

Harland Sharps here.... Nice rockers, & really nice people to deal with... They are a local company (about 10 miles from my store)...

Scott

You won't find a steel rocker @ Daytona because they're all custom offset shafts w/ very high ratios.

I've run the HS and Comp PM and Crower SS. All were very good with no issues in machining. I've seen lesser brand stuff machined poorly and the ratios were off. Any of the above would work fine. Although I've never used them, I know many people have also had good succes w/ Crane's Gold Race stuff.

I think it kind of depends on the valve springs you chose. The Crower stainless rockers are probably the nicest around. If you have a lot of spring stay away from the Crane gold ones as a friend of mine broke one at the trunion and all the needle bearings went into the pan and siezed the oil pump. More grief followed that. The new Harlan Sharp rockers are tapered on the pushrod end so they clear the valve covers better. That being said, i have repeatedly tried to tell my son " don't drive your racecar and don't race your driving car". He's finally listening to me, (driving Honda Civic), and it has only taken 18 years.

Originally posted by 1968 hot rod:
Wolf,
My rocker info good and comes from Lakewood directly and cushion or complyabilty is the word is that was used.
Just don't sick the wolves on me. ;) LOL, our "babies" don't like people, too tough I guess,, they prefer chicken :D

And "cushion" is not what aluminum rockers do.
They may "dampen" or change the frequency of this part of the valvetrain but this is not the same thing.
I think the folks who are saying that aluminum cushions are either using the wrong term or are using advertising propaganda to convince people that there is something inherently wrong with the steel design mainly because they don't build them.
Nothing wrong with either design as long as they are done correctly.
Again, in my opinion, the last place you want any "cushion" or give is in your valvetrain.
If it "gives" it is going to bounce back & this is just not a good thing in this application.
You don't want harmonics, acceleration or velocity forces you can't control be it from bad lobe design or crappy parts.
You are going to have them anyway but you want to minimize them or at least move them away from where you are running the engine.
You don't want a pushrod (or rocker) that acts like a spring which they all do to some extent so the idea is to minimize it. Same goes with the rest of the valve train.
In my opinion you cannot get the valvetrain too stable or stiff,,, the idea is to follow the lobe the cam designer designed, not to have the valve doing whatever it feels like at the end of the valvetrain :D

But, I digress, steel or aluminum,,, I personally don't have a problem with either if it is a good part but my preference is the Pro Magnums, Hi Techs or Crower steel ones in a stud mounted rocker.

Interesting Post. I have Crane Gold on my motor. they are 2 years old now with 250 passes and about 4000 street miles. 200 lb seat pressure 550 open pressure. max rpms 6200. Interested in opinions on changing them out. I have a real nice used set of Crower Stainless I was going to put up on EBay..but maybe I will think about that a little more.

Always used Crane Gold and never had a problem.

Well, I'm not sure what is considered "a lot" of spring pressure, but the springs I'll have after I install the inners after cam break in, will provide about 130# closed and 360# open at .600 lift. While this will be a street car which will occassionally see the track for fun, no competition, and it will receive more than normal tuning attention, I don't really relish changing parts very often.

Originally posted by Rich-L79:
Well, I'm not sure what is considered "a lot" of spring pressure, but the springs I'll have after I install the inners after cam break in, will provide about 130# closed and 360# open at .600 lift. While this will be a street car which will occassionally see the track for fun, no competition, and it will receive more than normal tuning attention, I don't really relish changing parts very often. =

Rich,
Everyone has their preference but I don't think you will go wrong with any of the brand name stuff.
For aluminum, Scorpion, Crane or HS should be fine.
I have run the "private label" Scorpion's with well over 500lbs with no issues.
I have a set on a BB turbo marine engine that has been about 4 years or so now with no issues & he runs it a LOT at about 3500 for hours on end.
I personally feel the ones we use built by Scorpion are a lot "beefier" than either the Crane or HS & they look very stout but I can't really say they are better as I don't use the Crane's or HS rockers.
Plus they are black & look really cool :D

I run the Comp ProMagnum. One reason that helped me make up my mind. The size of the Comp arm, the top of the arm is small. I can run stock Valve covers with a thick gasket. I have run Harland Sharp rockers under short covers before. I had to longate(?) the holes to push cover up away from the rockers.
John