I need some advice guys. Will changing the stock rockers for a set of 1.6:1 rollers change the performance enough to make the few hundred dollars worth it?????
Mods are as follows.

Eddy performer tbi intake
k&n open element with x-flow lid
high flow cat
flowmaster cat back, with single 3" outlet.
High performance rebuilt 700r4

Average 1/8th mile times
R/T-.169
60ft-2.273
1/8th-10.192

Best 1/4 times

R/T-.088
60ft-2.210
1/8th-10.074
1/4-15.736
MPH-87.240

Tuesday I get my 3.73 and posi put in. Then I can finally put my drag radials on. I should hit 15.1-15.3 no problem.
I think it will do it. Im already running sub 2.20`s on stock tires and 2.73 open rear.

 

I would spend the money on headers or chip burning stuff before you go with new rockers. You could also do an LT1 cam swap for that price.

 

I was thinkin' the same thing Shifty. You already got the cat and catback, you need headers. You'll find a bunch of power with headers on there.

 

....or, if you dont want to go through the trouble of changing the camshaft and doing all the tuning, you could buy some 1.6 stamped steel Elgin rocker arms from sdpc2000.com for $68 + shipping.
http://www.sdpc2000.com/catalog/1956...Arms-87-UP.htm

it says that they dont come with the pivot ball and nut, but they do.

 

If I am not mistaken the 1.6 rocker with an LT1 cam will require better valve springs.

 

definately

 

i think he is just asking if he should add 1.6 rocker arms, not in addition to an LT1 cam.
Headers would be the best mod for you to do right now, i wouldnt do anything else until you get headers.

 

$68 for rockers? **** - would you need better springs just running a stocker cam? That's a pretty simple/cheap bolt on if not.

 

im using stock springs and gained alittle more than 2 tenths and a MPH in the quarter after the rockers were added

 

I'm running the 1.6 rockers with an L98 cam. No problem so far.

 

I just can't beleive the price, $68 is a dirt cheap price for a heck of a good beginner/intermediate mod!

 

If you're going to swap rockers, don't use stamped rockers again. IMO, it's not worth the trouble unless you go full roller or atleast go roller tipped. I agree though that you need to go with headers before you do anything else to the car.

 

but if you are going to keep the stock cam and L03, is it worth it to spend all that money on roller tipped or full roller rocker arms?

 

If you're gonna do it, do it right.

 

They don't call them rubber rockers for nothin, they do suck but you can't argue with the price difference. You need to get the good roller rockers if your going to get them, I've heard stories of the cheap ones (150$) going south in less then 15,000 miles. The crane gold rockers and the comp pro-magnums are good high quality rockers that should last forever, they run in the 300-350 range, and would be not worth the money on an LO3, unless you plan to keep them and use them on other motors down the road.

It's only 65$ so I say go for it, anything you can do to make the stock peanut cam act bigger than it is will help, but not near as much as headers, and a cat back.

 

For the amount I'd be saving, I could also get a 3pc underdrive set, cheap long tube headers, or a used intake manifold.

How can you say that two mods aren't better than one for the same money? Come on, we are talking about LO3 and LO5's here, not 7000rpm or big buck motors. You can only polish a turd so far, why break the bank doing it?

 

I'm not understanding your logic. Going with a set of stamped steel rubber 1.6 rockers over the factory 1.5 rockers will get you some extra lift and you might see a performance gain, but if you went with a set of full roller or even roller tipped 1.6 rockers, you might even gain twice that. For what you'll gain from rubber rockers, underdrive pulleys, and some cheap intake manifold, you'de probably gain more just from a good set of headers and exhaust alone. Save your money a little longer and do it right. You'll be much happier and have a lot more performance in the end.

 

So your logic is to spend 4 grand on a ****-poor motor to begin with, as oppossed to spend a couple pennies here and there to keep yourself happy while saving for a real motor? I suppose you'd be the one guy to slap a set of AFR 220's on an lo3 (but keep the stock intake because you don't have the money to buy the best $500 intake yet), because they cost more and they were the best head out there, and you like to "Do things right" if you are going to do them at all.

Okay - I'll see you at the finish line with your mod'ed to hell lo3 vs a well built motor from the ground up. After all, they will cost about the same, and in the mean time I will get much more enjoyment beating on my lo3 that has a couple bolt on's.

(To cut off the natural arguement of "They won't cost the same" by the time you get done mod'ing your LO3, you will find you need a new shortblock because of age, mileage, or just **** poor factory components.... so they will cost about the same, but I got to have fun with mine without going crazy and breaking it)

Sorry, just as you can't understand my logic of enjoying what you have (maybe a little more without breaking the bank) while you save for what you really want - I can't understand your logic to throw money at an inherently unimpressive motor to begin with. I understand trying to make the LO3 all is can be, as a challange, but that's simply not my line of thought, because a pile of ****, no matter how you shape it, is still ****.

I guess we will have to agree to not agree. If I can spend less than $70 or $80 a paycheck (and a hundred more towards a real motor) and get some enjoyment out of it - the $70 or $80 is worth it too me. I can't justify spending $200-$300 on rockers for an LO3 or LO5. Maybe they won't be as great as the more expensive rockers, but take you mega buck rocker'ed lo3 vs even a moderately built gound up project and there won't be much competition.

 

You neglected to mention that you were going with a different motor. If so, why spend any money on the L03 in the first place? If you really want to have a pissing match, I'de be more than glad to race you with your new engine vs my bolt on only L03. I think the outcome would suprise you. I didn't come here to insult you, I was just giving advice. IMO the money spent on rubber rockers, being 1.6 or not, is a waste. I can understand being on a budget, but it makes even worse sense to spend money on el cheapo parts now, when you could be saving that money for your supposed new motor. I'm sorry for trying to help, won't happen again.

 

Nervermind, you probably don't have thre required common sense to understand it...

 

Just some food for thought here but you can take any part you buy for your 305 and use it on another motor. So, buying exhaust, cam, etc etc is not a waste other than the price of some gaskets and some good 'ol wrenching time. I don't see what the big deal is. If I was looking for the maximun ET drop with the least amount of money, I would start with headers and a full exhaust. Adding 1.6 rockers helps but there are many other bottle necks that need to go first. Not to mention that you could buy an LT1 cam for $30 which will make mroe power than a stock LO3 with 1.6's. Either way you spend your money you can re-use the parts on your new motor.

EDIT: By the way 25th has plenty of common sense. He has a great plan for his LO3 and it is only a matter of time before he shocks us. He is hardly a dreamer. He may just show us the fastest way to make an LO3 for the least amount of money. If he wants real speed he already has an 11 second car in the garage.

 

1.6 non roller stamped steel rocker arms will work fine on your L03. I have a set on my 355 right now in conjunction with a LT1 cam. All I had to do was drill the pushrod hole in the head to a larger diameter. The ones I have are even self aligning. You might wonder why I bothered? My stock rockers (ones that came with the 193s) were very worn and I needed new ones. The 1.5s and 1.6s were the same price so there you go. My 193s have Z-28 springs and 350 miles so far and no problems.

 

I've got one question about transferring these from one set of heads to another. Our rockers are self aligning if i remember right. What exactly does this mean, and will SA rockers work on older non SA heads?

-chillen

 

No, they won't swap over because the older heads use the pushrod slot to guide the pushrod. If you look closely on the older heads you'll see that the slot is actually machined to keep the pushrod from moving back and forth. If you use newer guided rockers with the older heads you can cause the pushrod to bind in the slots causing all kinds of problems. The way around this is to just drill out the old style slots and make them big round holes and use the guided rockers to hold everything strait. Thats pretty much what GM did. Saved a step in manufacturing the heads.