shaft mount rockers or not?

[notaslowdime]

i recently decided i needed more power. im thinking about a set of afr's and upgrading my rockers while keeping my comp cams flat tappet high energy .454 i/e lift camshaft. i want more lift tho so i was wondering which of my two thoughts would be better... 1.7 1.5 ratio split rockers that would bring the intake lift to .515 and .454 exhaust and possibly use a stud girdle or go with a shaft mount 1.6 i/e that would bring the lift for both to .484... which would make more power while keeping stable to 5500rpm? im worried the 1.7 ratio may flatten the lifter or bend pushrods... any thoughts/suggestions?

[rayL]

more lift isnt going to do much. If your wanting more power then your gonna need more camshaft. Shaft rockers are good but at that lift its wasted money. What are you trying to accomplish, just more power? Look at a cam swap.

[RONSTPIS10]

shaft rockers are great for hi horse hi rpm motors otherwise wasted money more lift isnt the answer alone you need the duration to go with it spend the money on a new cam do your research first what you are looking to get and what you have to work with you need to watch for clearance as well when you start getting higher lift and dur.

[grimpuppy]

Most aftermarket heads don't do a whole lot better than most stock heads at .500 lift. They really start to shine with more lift. That is where stock heads fall off and aftermarket ones are good. I wouldn't waste the money on shaft rockers under .600 lift. The geometry will be a pain to get right with 1.7 rockers. You can replace your cam and accomplish more way cheaper than the price of 1.7 shaft rockers and custom pushrods.

[Scotty_S-15]

Yeah, like everyone else, I'm thinking that the cash you'd spend on rockers / girdles would be better spent on a new a cam, etc. Further, in the 5500 range, I don't think stabilizing the rockers would achieve much, and increased lift not a huge benefit either. Depending on your setup / combination, with new AFR heads, you'd probably benefit from more duration in the cam.

I'm a big fan of roller cams.........

[notaslowdime]

alright guys, i might have to bite the bullet, i dont know if im dedicated enough to spend the $$ for a roller set up. but i been also considering lunati's voodoo line 268 cam 489I 504E lift. i still wish to get roller rockers for the obvious advantages but also the big thing is that i dont want to spin it past 6000 rpms from a durability stand point. im open to any suggestions to cam and rocker ratios without putting the power band too far past 6000 i also have a 2200 stall converter so im not starting out too empty handed

[Genuinefine409]

As far as roller rockers go, I put a set on every engine I do. from a mild 300hp engine to 550+hp race motors, they all get them. I use comp cams steel rockers, about $265 for the rockers and the two peice girdle is 200 so you'd be out 465 bucks for a solid rocker setup. You can get cheaper ones too but IMO the comp rockers are really good.

Shaft rockers aren't practical cause a cheap set of shaft rockers are $800 and go over $1,000 for top of the line rockers. also, shaft rockers are more involved than reg roller rockers.

Plus, the comp set looks good with its all bolts up, i can post a pic if ya like:cool:

[stroker1]

Again, like everyone said the shaft mounted rockers are way overkill for you. But roller rockers are always a good adition if you don't have them. I'm running 1.6 roller rockers with 7/16 studs and no stud girdles. I don't like stud girdles except when absolutely necessary.

You will see a little improvement with a 1.6 rocker over a stock rocker. But if you have stock heads your pushrod holes will probably need to be drilled or enlarged and that will cause you to have to add screw in studs and guide plates if you don't have them already. If you go thru the trouble of all this I would also go ahead and pump up the cam a few notches.

Like Grim said, depends on how radical you want to go with the cam and what kind of lift you're going to have. If you ain't going much over .500" lift you will not see as much of a gain with aftermarket heads. But if you're stuck on a head swap a set of Edelbrock Performer RPM heads or Vortecs might be a good addition if you don't plan to go really big on a cam.

Just need to decide how much change you're looking for and what you want. The rest will come.