Look it up for yourself.
It was a bandaid for Chevrolet junk.
The trend is AWAY from needle bearing rocker arms.
You can do what YOU want it doesn't make it right.


So, I'll say it again. I avoid needle bearings on reciprocating shafts because it's not a good option.

Just because Tens(hundreds?) of thousands of people do something doesn't make it right.
I know guys who never measure a crank and damper. They just heat it up and bash it on. I've never seen one fail but that doesn't make that right either.


I posted some test results from my testing. My dyno sheets went with that engine when I sold it. If the customer who did the other testing wants to joint MoParts and post his dyno results, he can.


Have you ever tested rockers?

Damn let it go already. You aren't going to change the minds of guys that have been running them SUCCESSFULLY for years with zero issues. You do it YOUR way and we will do it OUR way. Stick with good name brand products like Jessel, T&D, and Harland Sharp and not the cheapie import junk.

Not trying to convince YOU of anything.

Some of you get your panties tight when your convention is tested.

Looks like the "WE's" have it.

Heck I already sold off all my purple shaft cams, replaced my Super Stock spring with junk-yard springs, turned my pinion snubber into a boat anchor, and now you want me to trash 12 sets of Jessel, T&D rockers, and Harland Sharps that I have accumulated. LOL. Man this racing is getting expensive.

Bushed vs roller for power differences? Nope.

But I wasn't one of the people posting about that.

My comments were more directed about the impending doom of every motor in operation that's running aluminum rockers with roller bearing fulcrums.

Wow you guys make [censored] up as you go. Never said doom or anything like that.

What I said was, and still say and will always say don't put needle bearings on a reciprocating shaft. It's bad engineering. I'm not the engineer who developed that but it's an engineering fact. Have trouble with facts?

I don't care what any other builder does. Have tested it and know, for a fact, it was zero power. If all the friction was what all the hero's say it is, there would have been some power there. But no.


So, you can use what you want. But the less rockers sold by companies I really don't personally care for the better.

I know all the super tuners on here also want me to believe that stud mounted rockers are still the [censored] today. Unreal.

Junk is junk at any price.

I didn't tell you to do anything.

But it's evident that when you can't post facts you post [censored] I didn't say.

Later dood.

You mention at least 3 times how you should never run a roller bearing in a reciprocating application.

If you're not worried it's going to fail, then why all the warnings?

So, your position is that your typical rocker arm that has a needle bearing in it, that there is no rotation for the bearing?

And that's the reason why they are "wrong" for the application?

How about if the rocker arm is being run with clearance at the valve?(lash)

I seriously think somebody needs a Snickers Bar

Unreal.

Show me where it is acceptable to use a needle bearing on a reciprocating shaft other than a rocker arm? It's not the way to do it. GM had no choice but to do SOMETHING because they had a [censored] system. It was cheap and that's all that was good about it.


Keep doing it because you like it. I think it's a piss poor way to make a rocker arm. Yes, I have used aluminum rockers. And I will again but never with a needle bearing. I only had two chances to dyno them, but the bearing didn't do [censored]. All marketing hype.

Believe the hype.

Seriously think you need your diaper changed.

If anyone is interested in the real engineering design guidelines for needle bearings you can find it here:

http://www.ntnamericas.com/en/website/do...13-e_lowres.pdf

What you'll find is that needle bearings work just fine for oscillating shafts as long as the angle of oscillation is greater than the distance between the bearings. If you look at a Jesel rocker arm you'll see that they are properly engineered. Some of the super cheap Chinese crap rocker arms use large diameter needle bearings and if you use them with low lift cams you might have a lubrication problem. There shouldn't be a problem with any of the high quality vendors such as T&D or Jesel.

I want to thank all of you again for your advice that comes from years of hands on real world knowledge.

Having a place like Moparts where we can share this knowledge and sometimes disagree is a great asset for the few of us that still love our Mopars.

There may be better or cheaper options for a fast car but no one can argue Mopar has and still makes the most interesting cars with attitude and power.

It is good to have networking with others that share the same passion.

That is also a fact.............

Thanks Guys

Thanks Andy

Most high end equipment uses needle bearings in oscillating configurations. I used to work plant maintenance at a Monsanto plant on very complex and precision fiber tow and drawtwist machinery. Bushed parts can't be machined to close enough tolerances to maintain alignment. While that may not truly matter on something like a rocker arm, it damn sure can't hurt. Bottom line..........it's BETTER

So basically you disagree with the engineering principle of using a needle bearing on a reciprocating shaft but have never seen any ill effects from doing so? What are your engineering credentials?
The anti body roll bar on my truck has needle bearings and is most certainly a reciprocating shaft, did I fudge up?? Do I need to knock them out and install bushings in their place? Bottom line, there are variables to be considered when using needle bearings on a reciprocating shaft which you are obviously not accounting for in your view, as long as the rotational distance on the reciprocating shaft is great enough to properly work the bearing there is no problem.
As far as a bushing costing more than a bearing, not sure how that is possible, any half azzed semi-skilled person with a lathe can make a bushing in minutes (only seconds if the process is fully automated) where a needle bearing requires high precision grinding and then assembly.

There have been billions of them in service, run for trillions of miles for trillions of hours, for over a century....... It's called a universal joint.

T&D and be done.

Was thinking the same thing...