anesthes

iTrader: (12)

I purchased some CAT (www.catpep.com) stainless steel roller rockers from a reseller on ebay, for $159.00

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...tem=2448011893

I got the box yesterday and examined them.Very very nice machining. Rebuildable roller bearing, etc.

I put them on the car tonight with some comp-cams pushrods (for roller lifters), and after some guide-plate adjustment they fit like a charm. The roller pretty much stays on the center of the valve throughout the entire operation. Thats nice!

Whas better is they clear the factory valve covers (1985 parimeter bolt). They make a narrow body version for centerbolt covers too.

So from purchase to this point, I'm happy. For $159.00 they are a terrific deal!

-- Joe

ede

they look like comp rockers, or a copy of comp rockers near i can tell. come back after 50,000 miles and report how they work and hold up. i think i'll stick with comp rockers, only thing from comp i use.

SOLID LIFTER

I hope they work out for you. I've been hearing some bad things about CAT products lately.

84305HO

I bought the CAT Al roller rockers, took one look at them and
threw them in some far corner of the basement. I would not
re-sell them for $50. (paid $137 for them). Hope they improved
their quality.....

anesthes

iTrader: (12)

This is the stainless steel rockers. The alum ones are kinda poor quality, I agree. But then again, who would run alum rockers anyway!?

-- Joe

B4Ctom1

I was going to run them, a whole lot of other parts places cranks and rods are secretly really CAT. They dont want other sellers, dealers to buy in and compete so the CAT name is left off alot of stuff. The CAT black aluminum rockers are way better finish than the crane stuff. closer on par with harland sharp or scorpion. Now the proforms, thats a whole other story. they look a little scary, they dont hold up to any serious spring pressures for long but there was a set on the 91 Z I picked up and they dont look ruined after about a year of use with Pioneer/Elgin "Z28" springs (the 0.500"- 0.525" lift springs found on most Dart and world street spring packaged heads)

anesthes

iTrader: (12)

Not 50k, but a year of solid racing, 6500rpm shifts, etc. Still in perfect shape.

Though, now i wanna get some 1.6's for the new setup.

84305HO

Did you go 12.40 with the T5 transmission ?

B4Ctom1

the new cat rocker setup (not stainless) and under $300

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...tem=7933006258

anesthes

iTrader: (12)

Of course, 10 bolt too..

-- Joe

LT1guy

iTrader: (1)

Not true, at least as far as their cranks and rods are concerned; I can't verify that someone isn't reselling their other parts under a private label, but if they are they are likely junk, too.
I used to work for a CAT distributor in Atlanta, and will say that they do have something in common with Eagle and some of the other less expensive parts on the market; they are forged/cast in China, maybe from the same place, but that is where the similarity ends. The quality control and machining done by CAT isn't near to the level of Eagle, Scat, or any of the other bargain-priced imported stuff. I'd run used stock parts over CAT. Seeing what I did every day, I'd run anything BUT CAT. Interestingly, a lot of the CAT cranks we received were in Eagle boxes that were all marked up. When I asked a supervisor about it, he told me that CAT bought the "second quality/rejects" from Eagle and others. From the return ratio we had on their junk, I believe it.

B4Ctom1

If this is true then what gives with all of the parts offered by CAT that are not offered by other manufacturers?

My rods are "AMS rods" I believe them to be no better than CAT.

LT1guy

iTrader: (1)

I'm not familiar with those rods, but we did get tons of complaints on their cranks, harmonic dampeners (saw several that came apart), rockers (needle bearings coming out), water pumps (cars overheated, worked fine with stock pump), etc, etc. I have no financial interest in CAT or any of their competitors, I'm just passing along info that most people would never know until it was too late. Maybe they have improved since then (about two years ago), but I wouldn't risk my engine over it.

anesthes

iTrader: (12)

CAT, SCAT, EAGLE and about 5 other companies buy rods, cranks, and other items from the same chinese foundry. Some of the items are machined there, others are machined back here. But basicly, your buying the same thing.

I researched this extensively. The I-beam rods are machined in the US by scat/eagle, but the CAT rods are machined there. the H-beams are all machined there. The cranks are machined here, or there for CAT.

If you think eagle or scats "quality control" is superior, then you'd better start researching.. Both companies have had a TON of bad publicity over broken cranks + rods. Not just recently, as far back as 2000.

-- Joe

anesthes

iTrader: (12)

Tom, those are some SEXY pistons. What are they??

-- Joe

LT1guy

iTrader: (1)

Thats pretty much what I said...the casting/forgings are the same, but the machining is the difference. I'm not saying Eagle and Scat are perfect, just that they are machined better (and usually balance better) than the CAT pieces. Its all the same Chinese junk steel. Still, we sold far more Eagle and Scat pieces with very few complaints, and I'd trust either one far more.

B4Ctom1

custom ordered JE 4.155 x 1.384" dish pistons (ordered for this project in 1995)

anesthes

iTrader: (12)

Hrm. What size rod and crank?

-- Joe

B4Ctom1

They were originally purchased for a 9.5:1 (64cc head) street/nitrous 416 cid engine with 5.700" rod / 3.832" crank / 4.155" bore.


now it will be a calculated (68cc head, 4.180" had gasket bore/.039" thickness, .016 "in the hole", 21cc dish) 8.67:1 streetrace/blown 353 cid engine with 6.000" rod / 3.25" stroke / 4.155" bore.

anesthes

iTrader: (12)

Why you going 55 thou for quench area ? Those are sweet quenc h pistons, run 'em .005-.006 down and take advantage!

-- Joe

B4Ctom1

truth is that I am merely assuming, a 9.025" deck height. the deck has been cleaned up but until I do atleast a mock up I can't say for sure how far. if its worse than that it will be going for some more decking. if it is less...well, we will cross that bridge when we get there.

anesthes

iTrader: (12)

Well your crank/rod/piston combo works out exactly at 9.000". I'd deck the block 20thou (after measuring of course, and finding out its truely a virgin 9.025" block).

-- Joe

B4Ctom1

its not, I just cant remember how far I went

anesthes

iTrader: (12)

We checked mine the other day, its 9.0022"ish. I say ish cuz the cast crank was about .005" off on almost each journal.

On my steel crank, if any of the journals are off we're gonna cut it to try and re-align it. THe Scat rods should be dead nuts on. With my new steel crank + rods + piston, should be 9.015" installed. So we'll cut 10thou off it.

-- Joe

B4Ctom1

yeah if you do the math on mine:

6.000 + 1.384 + (3.25 / 2) = 9.009

thats where I came up with the .016 from 9.025 (assumed)

unknown_host

iTrader: (1)

Am I the only one who thinks this is badass .

B4Ctom1

I do! thats why I mentioned it, but I already bought stainless comps before the cat stainless or these ones came out