Now I am running on stock stamped steel rocker arms and would like to upgrade. I am thinking I would like to get comp cans pro mag 1.6 rockers. I not sure what my protoplines ironlightening 180 have in it for studs. My guess is 3/8 but I am not sure if there screw in or pressed in and if there screw in what threads size is in the head. So my question is if I have 7/16 threads would it be worth upgrading to 7/16 stud rockers or just buy 3/8.

 

For 99% of people on this forum it's not worth it to upgrade to the bigger studs. If your heads already have the bigger studs, then just go with it.
Chances are you have 3/8" studs now.
You can look under your valve covers to see if they are screwed in or pressed in.

 

But going and looking would require me to go outside in the cold. As of now I don't see the studs holding me back. My heads would stop flowing long before i would need a cam that big, but with my next set of heads and cam I don't know. What kind of seat pressure would 7/16 be needed? I have no plans on ever installing a role cage so no faster than 11.50 in the 1/4 so would I ever need a cam that needs that strong of a spring?

 

Your studs are almost certainly 3/8".

But, cold or not, you need to LOOK; because IT SUX to buy parts that don't fit. If you can't even get up enough initiative to LOOK, you don't even need to know, because you certainly won't have enough initiative to actually WORK ON IT ... like swapping them out.

 

Dose anyone know when it would be a good idea to have 7/16 studs. I wouldn't want to spend the money now on 3/8 only to wish a few years down the line that I had 7/16

Also what would be the best way to tell if my current springs can handle the extra lift of a 1.6 roller rocker

 

If you pull back to your pit after about 20 laps with the top of a stud broken off, then you know you should have went with the 7/16" studs.

Unless you're running taller than stock valves to fit in your valvesprings, then it is unlikely you really need the larger studs.

The best way is to measure your installed height on the head, then measure your spring in a valvespring tester. Your spring needs to have at least around 0.050" clearance between the installed height and the bind height of the spring. Your valve lift should not exceed this.
Also don't forget to measure the distance between your retainer and the top of your guide with the seal installed.

 

How about self aligning vs non self aligning. If I have guide plates would there be any advantage of removing them and installing self aligning rockers. My cam is hydrolic flat tapit if that matters.

 

Not really... the 2 methods of alignment are pretty much equally effective. And it may cause problems with the height of the studs since the heads were prepped for them.

 

I bought these http://www.summitracing.com/parts/CCA-1602-16/

In the manual it suggest new push rods but I doubt my motor has 5,000 miles on it would it be ok to reuse them if look good under close inspection

also how do i check if the length is correct

 

You do a mock-up with a solid lifter and checking springs, and you use a pushrod length checker tool.
I use the rocker type checker tool to get the length in the ballpark, then the adjustable pushrod tool, along with contact pattern checks to get the exact length I want.

Higher ratio rockers changes the angle of the pushrods, so make sure you have clearance where they go through the heads and guideplates. I always uses hardened pushrods with guideplates, and I always use some good assembly lube when installing new rockers. Sometimes guideplates have to be adjusted a bit for a perfect fit to reduce plate/rod interference.
Also check for rocker/retainer contact.

Those look like some good quality rockers you are getting. Please report back on how they work out for you.

 

You don't need the 7/16" stud unless you're getting into very heavy spring pressures. The larger stud won't deflect as much. If your cam is getting into the .600"+ lift range and you require seat pressure in the 200+ pound range then 7/16" studs would be a good option.

If you're at that point, a better option would be to switch to shaft rockers.

 

Is there a way to check that doesn't involve taking off my intake
The less disassembley the better

 

Yeah you can get away with not using the solid lifters if you use the light checking springs during your pattern check, and be careful not to collapse your hydraulics during the procedure.

 

How do these look for push rod length checkers. I have a flat tapit lifters.

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/CCA-7901-1/

 

That should be the right one.

 

Is 1.4 to 1.8 a good range for a spring height micrometer or should I have got a 1.6 to 2.1

 

Stockish install heights on SBC1 are usually between 1.7 and 1.8 so you are good.
If you are planning on running bigger springs - cutting the pockets deeper or installing taller valves then you'll need the bigger one.

In a pinch you can use shims of known height under the mic to make up a little space if necessary and increase the range a bit.
There's no way to make the larger mic measure smaller heights though.

 

Ok now I have one more question I bought one of comp cams adjustable push rods and to get it centered on the valve with a magic marker method with the test springs it read 7.608 with a dial calipers I found these http://www.summitracing.com/parts/CCA-7492-16/ but they say there for a ford 302 so now I don't know.

Also would it be worth it do me to swap out my guide plates and get 3/8 push rods

 

Pushrod application is irrelevant for the most part.
Your length needs to be correct after your desired lifter preload (or lash for solid) is taken into account, and the pushrod material needs to match the material of whatever is guiding the pushrods.

Unless you are using extreme RPM or spring pressures, and are having pushrod failures, then you do not need to upgrade the diameter of your pushrods.
A stock-sized hardened pushrod can take a beating, even in a high performance application.

It is also valuable to note that most pushrod failures are not because the pushrods are not strong enough, but because something else is wrong in the valvetrain that is causing clearance, or alignment issues.

 

How much pre load do I need to add for my hyd flat tapit lifters

 

There's a few ways to go about determining that.
You could call the lifter manufacturer and ask for a recommendation.
You could try different amounts of preload and test the results.
I prefer to run as little preload as possible for performance applications, which means around 0.005" to 0.010" for me in most cases. Some lifter designs will not perform well without more preload than that.

What is a common practice for mild or non-performance applications is to tighten rocker nut until all clearance is gone, and then add another 1/4 to 1/2 turn to the nut, and lock down with poly-lock (set-screw).

Once you get your desired pushrod length using your adjustable pushrod tool, it's generally safe to just add another 0.020" to that length.
The actual length you order will probably be slightly off from what your ideal length should be, and then you can make up the difference by adjusting your preload. The idea is to figure out ahead of time so that you can get your geometry right on, and still end up with an acceptable amount of preload, close to what you desire.
I always order pushrods last for a build because of this.

 

As far as the preload goes, you should contact whoever made the lifters and ask what the correct lash setting is. Using the 1/4 or 1/2 turn can destroy some styles of lifters since they may not pump up with the plunger most of the way out. Its best to get the spec and use that. For 3/8-24 studs, each full turn is .042"