Rocker Advice

Apologies for asking a question that has been asked time and time again... I’m building a full roller 440, 10.5:1, Edelbrock Performer Heads, Edelbrock Performer intake, Demon 850 carb, Howard’s Roller cam (278 283 duration .531 .547, .230 .236 @ 50 with 1.5 rockers). I’m looking for 1.6 roller rockers and curious which is better as far as Jesel , Harland Sharp, T&D etc... This is just a little street/strip car. Looking for quality, durability and longevity. I appreciate any and all thoughts. Thanks!

Can't answer your question as I don't have any experience with the rocker arms you've mentioned but, I hear Rocker Arms Unlimited (previously RAS) is making their rocker arms again. Many people have praised them. Something to maybe look in to.

The Harlan Sharps and T&D are both excellent rockers. If I had to choose between them I'd use the T&Ds. I wasn't aware that Jesel was making a shaft rocker kit for that combo?

If it was me for that combo I would go with Harland Sharp rockers and I would be on the look out for a 10% off coupon for Summit.

T&D makes the best shaft rocker for that application but they are expensive. Jesel rockers are even better but would require machine shop work. I don't think I'd spend the money for Jesel rocker arms until 0.800 lift. You are under 0.600 lift which means that most any rocker arm will work. The Mancini rocker arms would work okay with that cam and save you a bunch of money.

I'd go HS.

I like Harland Sharps a bunch for something like this.
I have used them on a three different motors and never had an issue.
I have T&D's on my current deal , but only because Sharps aren't made for the W-9's.
I looked at Jesel , but they were more $$ for what I wanted and T&D's quality is top notch.

All I run on my engines is TD rockers.. thats on my B1MC to my SB
stuff.. never had a failure

I've used all kinds of different brand and material type rocker arms on BB Mopar motors for drag racing and street use.
I have found a bunch of variance on lift at the retainers on all of them including the T&D single shaft, on your deal I would go with the full roller Harland Sharps, not the newer cheaper extruded aluminum street sets
Call them and talk to Steve and tell him exactly what ratio you want so they can build them that way, there standard off the shelf set of 1.6 ratio will usually measure at the retainers with checking springs to be 1.65 or so
I had them make me a new set for a set of Indy 440-1 heads and told him I wanted between 1.57 to no more than 1.60 ratio three months ago and they ended up checking out to be 1.59 ratio at the retainers
I will be building a new semi all out BB Mopar 555 C.I. drag race motor in the next year or so for myself that will have a set of B1-MC heads with a set of custom made steel T&D pair shaft rocker arm set up for those heads, not cheap or quick but quality never is

After having issues with other rockers, both my friends 470" stroker with RPM heads, and my 505" stroker with stealth heads are running Harlan Sharpe rockers with Smith brothers pushrods, and have not had any problems.
Not sure why the price of good rocker arms has jumped so much in the last few years? The S70016K 1.6:1 ratio set is now $830. About 5-6 years ago they were only $550-$600 a set.
Not sure how much the T&D rockers cost now. I have their max wedge victor rockers and they are good parts too.

Ran those on my NHRA stocker engines, Great product,

Go with the HS, work fine good quality...

Just my $0.02....

I've had too many problems with the HS rockers.. the length tended
to vary to much so thats when I changed to the TD ones

I called Harlan Sharp and asked if they could make me 8 small block Mopar rockers with a .350 intake offset for a set of Edelbrock heads I’m playing with. He quoted me a very fair price and I had them less than 10 days later.

HS made us a custom offset set of shaft mount rockers for the SB Chevy in the Camaro. Nice stuff and great service...everyone thinks they're T&D rockers when we have the covers off b/c they aren't the typical gold/amber HS color.

Look at the difference in price between T&D an Harland Sharp. I bet they are within $100.00 dollars of each other. T&D is a superior product in my opinion. Do yourself a favor and get cup adjusters and go ball-ball pushods (No more burned pushrod cups). Believe me I have tried them all and T&D is a much better set-up.

T&D also makes a paired shaft set-up that is hands down the best rocker system you can buy. You can even go to a steel rocker with those. more money (YES) but piece of mind that you will not have valve train issues is well worth it in the end.

There's my vote.

Seems like some people are really quick to steer people towards $1000 rocker setups when the stuff in that price range is way overkill for what the OP described.

I have a set of RAS 1.6 rockers I would sell, pm me if you are interested.

The difference is more than just money.
Maybe you want to upgrade down the road ?
Maybe you just like the certainty that you have done everything to insure against part failure.
Bust a cheap rocker and send hundreds of little pieces of " Awwwww , crap " into your motor and then you will hate hind sight.
There are areas where you should look to save money , and some where it just doesn't make sense to me.

No matter what you buy, do the geometry yourself. No, "use lash caps" is not technical advice, it's just what people say.
Get the pushrods afterward.
In terms of improved breathing: if you cam is too small (and it looks mild to me) 1.6 intake rockers will help, but 1.6 exhausts will do less.
If the cam is too big (certainly not yours) increased rocker ratio won't help you.
Needle rocker bearings allow you to restrict rocker oil delivery somewhat. If that's not important to you, you don't need them. I prefer bronze bushings.
1.6 rockers (vs. 1.5) also increase the spring load on the pushrod, adjuster, and tappet by 6.7%: with 500 lb. rated springs at full lift, the 1.5 rocker is 750 lb. on the tappet, a 1.6 rocker will be 800 lb. This is why rockers with 1:1 ratio were popular before WWII: the cams wouldn't take the pressure, all the lift had to be built into the lobe.

Andy, please correct me if I'm wrong here:
1. Mancini's house-brand rockers are made by Harland Sharp
2. Part of why they are less expensive is because they're bushed, instead of using needle bearings (less small pieces to be worried about getting into the engine)

IMO, a quality manufacturer + simpler design + more affordable price = a viable option.

If I thought they were junk, I wouldn't have agreed with Andy's suggestion.

Nobody but the OP can know what changes he's likely to make beyond what he's described above. Sometimes you have to take people at face value, even if you would take a different approach.

I used the Mancini rocker arms on a 700 hp big block with 0.700 lift. So my testing was with a camshaft that is much more aggressive than what the OP is planning to use. The Mancini rocker arms worked just fine in that application so I'd think they would work fine for the OP.

https://www.hotrod.com/articles/trying-find-extra-power-rocker-arm-testing/

Another choice is Hughes rockers.

Brian

The mancini rocker made by HS is not bushed and is not the same body as the standard HS roller rocker - I bought a set for the street car to replace some 440 source roller rockeres I had - The mancini set is good quality but definaetly not as beefy as the regualr HS rocker and I did have to order new pushrods as mine were just about .040 short going from the source rocker.

One quick comment that someone else may have touched on already... some of the rockers being talked about, e.g., the "original" Harland Sharps, have a very long fulcrum that biases the valve tip sweep pattern noticeably to the exhaust side of the tip. Hughes are on the long side, but not to the extreme as the standard Harland Sharps. For some folks this isn't anything they're concerned about. For others (like myself), I don't like to run things that way.

The rockers that I recall that are better suited (not saying "perfect") to being able to bolt down and not have this tendency are Crane Golds, Harland Sharp's "E" rockers (made shorter for Edelbrocks), and -- I think -- COMP's Pro Magnum steel rockers. Oh, and the old RAS stuff I believe falls into this category.

AndyF has done a lot of rocker / head mock-ups and may be willing to comment on this further. And I'd expect that Mike at B3RE can make a shaft relocation kit to help the worst offenders.

Carry on...

I also wander why if its a mild street/strip eng you are going to the best and highest priced ones ? Not being smart just curious as my self I use these Hughes 1.6 roller tip rockers. Been on my mild 493 since 2011 and never a problem. Mine is a street car that I race once or twice a year. Ron