Would getting roller rockers in any way have a negative affect on my performance due to the computer?

 

No. You will be fine. The rockers merely add a bit (read "a BIT") of duratoion to the .050" specs. And they, if course, multiply the lift via a set ratio. They dont add enough duration to screw anything up.

 

Is it even worth it to buy them with a pretty much stock setup? What type of gains would I see?

 

I'd say the gains would justify it. Ive heard that the gains on an LG4 are pretty decent...

 

They are decent on an LO3 as well. The gains have been seen to reduce ET's by .2 and increase trap speed 1mph. The stock cam can take all the help it can.

 

I have an L03, what type of HP numbers are we talking?

And if only there wasn't a whole mess of garbage over the passenger side head.

 

The mess is the heater valve and AIR diverter valve. You cannot accurately determine power gains since every car is different based on age, miles, and maintenance.

 

What heads are you using and what springs? Just be sure to make sure you have adequate clearance between the retainer and guide boss. I have seen it where 1.5 rockers would work and 1.6 would not.

 

He will be fine with an L03. You could go with a 1.9 RR and still have clearance the cam is so small. However, with a different cam that is the first thing to check.

 

They would be good to have, even 1.5 (stock ratio), because they are alot stiffer than GMs stamped "rubber rockers" are, so the lift and duration of the cam specs, sad as it is, will all get to the valves, instead of the rockers flexing and bending.

 

Yup you bring up a good point. Even the 1.5's show a serious improvment over the floppy cast rockers.

 

Which is exactly why I called it a mess, it's in my freakin way and doesn't make any power.


So I should go with 1.6's?

 

I'm going with 1.6's and I put in a hotter cam but if you're going to do that beware, it looks like you need to get some tall valve covers to go with it. Oh, by the way don't do the old "while I'm doing this I might as well" thing here, I spent nearly 2 grand and am not done doing this, in the winter. This was rockers, valves, springs, port matching, cam, lifters, intake, carb.

 

Although it may be in your way it does serve a purpose. I would go with 1.6's. However sometimes 300 bucks can be spent better elsewhere.

 

I agree with Shifty. The gain you'd see on a stock engine would be next to nothing. Spend the money on stuff that will make a bigger difference first, like headers or a bigger cam.

Its kinda pointless to modify the valvetrain on an LO3, and leave the stock cam in there. You'd be gaining nothing except an ultra-lightweight wallet

 

It's either GM high tech or Chevy hiperfromance magazine (purple chevy-2 on cover) that has a letter written by me to the tech editor concerning rocker ratios. He does a good job of explaining why and how the rocker changes "effective" duration. If you install 1.6 rockers do yourself a favor and rotate the engine over twice to check for pushrod clearance. Even on some stock (not planed) heads, they can and have hit the guide slots. If your heads or block has been cut then definately check them for clearance. You'll thank me later.

 

I found a bunch for $150ish. I know I could go with installing headers and cam, but I'm just not motivated enough to do that by myself on a daily driver and have no help whatsoever.

 

good job, yeah roller rockers aren't that expensive.

 

Be careful of aluminum rocker arms.

 

I don't think I need to worry about it, it's not like my tach goes in the red all the time.

 

its not that you are not redlining a lot, it matters because aluminum will fatigue. Doesnt matter how good of quality, they do fatigue, its just part of aluminum.

 

Most aluminum rockers have a lifespan of 25,000 miles. Some have seen higher and some have degraded much faster. Tiny shavings in your oil usualy gives way that they have gone bad.

 

For $150ish, Comp offers their Magnum rockers. While they are not a full roller trunion, they aren't aluminum, either. They are also stronger than the rubber rockers the factory was kind enough to give.

 

Yup, get steel ones. Aluminum ones tend to cause problems, and when they do, you gotta replace them most of the time.

... Just a thought... If you do get roller rockers, especially 1.6 ones, you'll likely have to get taller valve covers too.

 

I don't know about the comp cams steel, it seems that they're on the right track. I'm still a great fan of the stock rockers although they're a littl weak. I have had so many aluminum racker faisl, even hi $$$ ones, that I've taken to epoxying screens in the head oil return holes. They sem to be fine for the race engines, where they are maintained, but street guys do the "fly and forget" routine and they're the ones having problems. If anyone (aftermarket) came up with rockers that would go 100 thou in miles, I would use start using them tomorrow.