I am still having problems with needle bearing failures in Jesel 440-1 offset intake rockers. Has anyone switched to bushings? Any help on this appreciated!

I would guess Jesel would be aware of any QC issue with yours, so I'm guessing geometry or side thrust - the needles are being dragged sideways when the rocker moves, and they don't like it. Any weird marks, color etc. on the thrust surfaces?
AFAIK needle has only a single positive effect: you can restrict rocker oil to less than what bushings need.
Otherwise, they're little M80s.

bushings are the way to go!

What kind of spring pressure are you running? Don't know about the Jesel's, but I am switching to bushed T&D's due to the bearing wearing on the shaft. Started when I went over 700lbs on the springs. I don't have any problems with the intakes, it is the exhaust rocker bearings that wear on the shaft. I considered going Jesel but just relying on splash oiling to the rocker bearings doesn't instill confidence in me either.

So I guess I wait for the bushed, if T&D ever gets around to making them.....

I have 325 on the seat and 825 over the nose for spring pressure. The side loading and hammering first wear out the snap ring the needle bearing cage runs against, which also keeps the rocker arm in position. At some point the side of the needle bearing cage gets crushed or broken, then the needles seize and the carnage continues and if you don't catch it early the little F'ing needles take out the oil pump. I went to bronze washers to register the rocker arms, but something wasn't right on two intake rockers and the washers got chewed up and siezed the bearings again. The cost is starting to add up

Seems odd they have side load. Though mine are paired T&D, similar design. Never had this issue. I did have a couple of shafts wear (exhaust rockers only). Who knows how many passes. They were used when I got them. I've put 600 passes on them. .800" offset with offset lifters as well.
Doug

In the case of the Jesel rockers........ I’m not so sure a highly loaded bushing relying on poor splash oiling is going to hold up that well.

I have several customers running them on Indy heads, and for what’s probably cumulatively 4-5000 passes, there has only been one failure like you describe...... where the rocker wore the snap ring out. That happened at about 250 passes.
All of these motors are running pac-1224 springs with about 800lbs open pressure, along with relatively smooth cam profiles.
The motor with the most passes on the rockers uses a very smooth .775 lift cam, and those rockers probably have 1000+ runs on them with no issues.

None of these motors gets twisted very high either. 7000-7200 through the lights.

The one thing these builds have in common is, spray bar valve covers providing a constant supply of oil raining down on every rocker.

Pushrod oiling just shoots the oil out of the top of the adjuster screw and what’s left to oil the bearings is basically oil mist inside the valve cover.
The spray bar valve cover does a better job of getting the oil to where it’s needed with those rockers.

My suggestion would be to add some spray bars to the top end oiling and see how that impacts the bearing life.

I freshened some 572-13’s last winter that came from a highly reknowned Mopar engine builder that were experiencing the same kinds of issues you’re having.
Those had what I felt were ridiculously high spring loads, pushrod oiling, and adjusters without the thru hole.

We lowered the spring loads(still 325/900)and added oil thru holes, which has helped a bunch, but I’m not sure it’s totally cured yet. I believe he has also reversed the bearing positions for the intake rocker.

The more I think about it, I think I’d put some spray bars in that motor as well.

Trust me I know all about the cost of valve train failure with these setups. Mine is a low deck with 440-1 heads.

Is it doing it on the same intake rockers every time or is it random? What size and wall thickness are the pushrods? Better to be on the heavy side with them than on the edge of being too light from what I have learned. I have 7/16 .120 wall in mine.

Greg is yours a 400 low deck too? I like Doug race my 440-1 heads with a used set of Harlan Sharp rockers for years racing two day a week in the 8's. Then I wanted to change ratio so I bought a set of T&D rockers. Mine were on a RB block with zero issues. Heck i still have both sets and one or the other will be going on my mega block build soon.

Dwayne, i have run both spray bars and pushrod oiling at the same time. I am at a loss to understand why my motor has this issue. I run the 1224 springs on the intakes, the cam is a custom grind from mike Jones, the pushrods are Manton 7 /16 and 1/2 inch ( clearance issues!). Shift and trap rpm are 7450 rpm.
A little more history is in order here. My failures before these last two failures were when i used 3/8 pushrods and a fairly harsh cam with older superstock type lobes. The current two failures came after the upgrades of bigger pushrods and the Mike Jones cam, and all new 1.7 ratio rockers. When i upgraded these parts, i also went to
Bronze washers running against the rocker bodies to register the rockers. I have found chewed up washers that i am pretty certain caused the latest failures. My thinking is, if the bushings would hold up to both the spring loads and side loads, i would have a reliable system for a change. My idea is to use a bushing cut to fit , allowing only .005 side clearance, and have the bushing register the rocker in the bar.
The exhaust rockers seem to do ok, it is just the intakes that give me grief. For oiling, i could drill a hole through the top of the rocker where it is lightened in the center, and through the bushing to recieve oil from the spraybars.

Do you still run the spray bar valve covers?

If not....... maybe you solved one problem by replacing the aggressive cam, but canceled out the good you did there by removing the valve covers.

If you still have them, I’d put em back on.

I can’t remember for sure since I built those motors several years ago...... but I think all but one got 3/8” x .120 wall pushrods, and one got 7/16” x .080.
They also just run the plain Jane Comp lifters, and get replaced when the motors are freshened.

They’re all just basic bracket builds, and have been quite reliable.

I like the bronze washer idea.

“If it were me”........
And the valve covers didn’t improve the bearing life, my next step would be to try a cam along the lines of the .775 lift one that’s got 1000+ runs with no failures to rule out the possibility of harmonics killing the bearings.

I can run the spraybars again, and try that.
Doug, a couple of years ago i talked to jesel and one of the guys admitted to some issues with side loading. IMHO it might have been the combination of the 3/8 pushrods and harsh cam causing harmonic issues, then this failure could have been only the chewed up washers, but that would still point to some side loading. This is a megablock tall deck combo, by the way, with offset lifters. Pushrods are Manton , mostly 1/2 inch,had to use four that are 7/16 for clearance. The pushrods are tool steel, as thick as they make. The failures were random in the past, these last two after a lot of changes.

I believe the T&D rockers feed their bearing from the pushrod? That could be the difference? Mine is a tall deck Mega Block, -1 head, 7/16"×.165" pushrods, also Pac 1224 springs.
Doug

T&D’s provide oil to the bearings from the pushrods via a little hole within the body.

Jesel’s...... at least the normal stuff for 440-1 heads...... don’t.
It’s splash oiling.

I know this is contrary to the direction things have been going for the last several years with regards to how the springs are set up....... but......
If you look at how the spring loads can really spike up as you get near that “.050 from coil bind” height, you might find the pressures are higher than you expect as the coils start to stack up.
Not to mention, it’s often the case where a few of the springs within the set of 16 coil bind at a slightly taller height than what the spec is.
If you’re running the springs that close, you have to test each one for coil bind height, and adjust the installed height for each spring accordingly.

Because I have seen some springs start to show a noticeable spike in pressure when set up close to coil bind...... if it’s an application where I don’t feel we need “every last bit” out of the spring, I’ll set them up a little farther from coil bind...... like .080-.100, if that much height is available.
Basically, a point prior to the coils stacking up and spiking the load.

What size are the needles: OD & length?

Here’s a thought......

Any chance those bronze washers are impeding the oil getting to the bearings?

The bearings are .625 id x .750 od x .5 inch wide, two bearings in the intake rockers. A single .750 wide bearing on the exhaust.

The bearings had plenty of oil in them when i disassembled the rockers.
The info on spring rate increase with very close installed heights is greatly appreciated! I am very close to .050 to coil bind (.060 to .070?) and the rpm i hit once in a while may really put stress on stuff. I have the rev limiter set at 7700 if i recall. Probably better lower it a bit.

I set my 1224's at .050". However this is before lash so running closer to .070" Dwayne are you talking running coil bind after lash?
Doug