Hemi rockers

I notice the Hemi stuff is really getting more pricey.

Now, I'm sitting on 50 years of blocks, heads, etc., and am sort of thinking of putting a motor together for my son and grandson to do some mild bracket racing, low maintenence, hydraulic cam, just some stuff to putsy arond with and do some bracket racing. He has a 477 inch bracket pump gas motor that does real well, but his car is a real clean 71 Plymouth Satelite, and let's face it, Hemis are cool.


One of things I will need, though, is rocker gear. It seems my stash has been picked over. I see on Ebay some guy from Canada is producing, selling, a new rocker gear setup at a reasonable price, $1500. Has anyone any used his stuff? Comments?

Yeah...Rockers from ebarf...what could go wrong there.

Best rockers for the money are the Indy rockers. Go thru a reputable dealer and buy them....Stands, I would probably go with Stage V..

The rockers off eBay are original copies made in China. I used one set at the insistence of a customer but would not recommend them. The quality of the ones I've seen is not good. As stated Indy's rockers are good quality at an affordable price. Plus the bonus of a roller tip.

This ^^^ I wouldn't touch those ebarf rockers with a 10 ft pole.

I'd love to get an affordable set of roller tipped rockers for my hemi to replace the MP crate motor offerings circa 2005 .

The words Hemi and affordable in the same sentence....Not possible.

Go visit Ray Bartons web site & price his rockers if you want sticker shock.

https://www.raybarton.com/products/rbre-gen-ii-hemi-rocker-system

Mine were way less than that back when I purchased them.

Just have to keep looking through for sale ads and not be in a hurry. Good deals pop up occasionally.
I hope you have a Facebook account b/c that's where everything is for sale nowadays. Ebay is overpriced junk and nobody uses craigslist anymore.

Well the Indys just became a little less affordable if you get my meaning. I like the Stage Vs BUT pricey and hard to get.
Todd

This ^

With Ebay requiring a direct link to a bank account and full tax reporting, the volume of reasonable stuff/reasonable prices has been noticeably reduced.

Because of all that mess, seems like there's been a resurgence of old fashioned, in person swap meets.
It's harder work and more time consuming, but the memories usually make it worthwhile.

Exactly. There are tons of Facebook groups that are great to join and look for parts. It's amazing what you can find on Marketplace as well.

Back in 1975 I was running a 1970 Barracuda with a 426 Street Hemi in NHRA stock class, I was looking for more power and ended up checking two and a half set of stock rockers, both narrow and wide pads.
I saw.120 lift differences on the exhaust and right at .100 lift differences on the intake's rockers using my block, cam and stock solid lifter and one cylinder head with soft checking springs with zero lash
I found out later that all those stock OEM rocker SUCK as far as being near the same lift

I slightly disagree....Its the damn 9%-11% commission they get from your sale! I used to use them back when it was 3%, but when it jumped, I cancelled my account and when they had me fill out the reason why, I said because ebarf is run by greedy crooks....

^ Agreed, between ebay and paypal fees, not even worth it. Oh and don't forget the final value fee.

I have to agree, the fees/greed were the first nail in the coffin.....it all plays into ebay being worse every day to sell than it was the day before.
when they piled on with the rest of the stupid decisions they've made, it made ebay an awful place to sell.

I'd decided to go for it and was ready to buy all the sheetmetal for my resto, and dumped like 8 aluminum hemi heads and a LA race block to fund the project.
Could have definitely grossed more on ebay or here, but didn't want to screw around with shipping and the exorbitant fees, and likely when done would have netted less, especially when time was considered.
Called a local engine builder, got rid of it all in two trips, then turned around and spent every penny. Priced it all low enough that he could put some work into the pieces and re-sell at a higher price easily.

Currently will buy on ebay but won't sell there.

I don't think they are sticker shock. Try the Jesel rockers. Now that's sticker shock.

They are really cool engines once a person gets past the crazy parts pricing.

This I agree 100%......Nothing like a Hemi!

The scary part, is racing one you own & built after investing all that in it...Not just show poodling it around at cruise nights and car shows, but weekend bracket racing......I tease the truck pulling guys around here because I am pretty sure over all the years I have been doing this, I have blown up more Hemis than most of them in pulling trucks...even with the multi motor deals...The more HP you make, the easier that happens.

But when I look back at the failures in the Hemis I have owned, two items are at the top of the list....Valve train failures, and lack of oil or oiling somewhere.

So investing in really good valvetrain on one of these money pits is always good insurance. I also would like to buy a set of the Barton rockers and a Drag Week friendly cam, lifters without needle bearings, and good street/strip spring combo one of these years. Maybe this will be the year. Things have definitely gotten better over the years as far as parts quality.

The oiling is usually fixed by a nice big oil pan....and a restrictor or two....

Not sure how to identify or if worth trying to find but I thought my "crate" iron rockers were decent. (I would guess it was an early 2000's 426 from mopar)

All very close. Intakes were 1.57 exhaust 1.49 which worked out perfect for me. (and so far working good up to 7,600rpm)

And then, there’s these. Nobody here ever brings them up

Do they come in blue?

TBH, personally at this point having one in a car that runs at all and moves under it's own power will be plenty enough of an accomplishment,
let alone attending any kind of event.

I don't intend to join the straw hat and lawnchair crowd anytime soon. It could happen later, but pretty unlikely.

If there were only some way to determine who someone would contact to get a set of these.......

Anything Manton makes is a good quality part.

I ask them several years ago to make some for BB, not yet

I wondered if Manton made some after seeing what Steve Morris had made for by them.

This set does not look like it fits the 426 street hemi motors
I wonder which brand Hemi heads they fit on?

Those are for blown hemi motors with aftermarket heads. Several variations of those. No use for a Street Hemi guy.

But wouldn't they make them for a street hemi, if someone threw enough money in their general direction?

If you check their website, they already do...but with all the crying about Barton/T&D's, I'd advise you guys not to look...

As Gomer Pyle used to say: Shazam.

Or these......

https://reidmachine.com/shop/ols/products/high-ratio-exhaust-roller-rocker-arm

I need some Exh rockers...will likely go with Stage V.

Manton has a Faceboogie page and they say they use tool steel for almost everything. They don't say which tool steel or what the heat treatment/hardness they have. I suspect it's A2, but I haven't been able to squeeze anymore info out of them. I've heard the Jesel SS rocker arm kit is about $6k and there is three or more versions of them.

Any part for Hemiroid motor is never cheap, good parts costs a lot more money than the cheaper ones, but you may save money in the long run by buying the good ones to start with: up: work:

Barton has sold over 1000 sets of his rocker system without many issues. When I built my last hemi, there was no question i was buying his. The adjustability, stand height, solid billet mount that uses the head studs to hold it down... To me it was the system you want, when you wanna buzz one to or past 8000 rpm.

No HEMI experience but love reading about the engines. Many times on this forum I've read people post that they wished the had just ponied up and got the Barton rockers the 1st time.

yes im glad i did by the ray barton stuff in 2003, almost 20 yrs of beating the crap out of them on the street and track no wear at all, and the valve springs last because of all the oil being sprayed in the valve cover ,730 lift roller, cam and at least 12000 miles on the rockers and pushrods best investment for my hemi and they never come out of adjustment set um and forget um lol

I have a much cheaper setup. Older DLI roller rockers w/ MP shafts and aluminum stands. Been using mine since 2006 (street/strip) and never had any issues other than typical valve guide and stem wear. In the 850 hp ballpark NA and 1150+ hp or so on nitrous. I don't go much above 7k RPM and I have a pretty mild solid roller cam in it.

Is the Barton setup much easier on valve guides? I always felt like unless you're turning 8k+ RPM, then the Barton setup is nice, but not of any real benefit...unless the geometry is improved enough to where there's a real difference in valve guide wear.

Billet stands that tie into center head bolts, Individual stands for each rocker, Each stand adjustable height for each rocker..... was enough to sell me. Before the barton rockers, i had an old school Norris steel rocker on a Indy 1-RA head and they worked good as well. Shifted it at between 7700-8000

Agreed, mine are from 2007ish with thousands of street miles and over .800 lift roller shifting at 7600.