Comp cams sells a roller tip rocker in the magnum line that is a rail rocker like the stock rockers, no guide plates will be required if you use them.

 

No. Those heads have the long stem valves intended for rail-type rockers. No recommendation for roller tips from me.

 

Those heads appear to have press-in, non-adjustable rocker studs for rail rockers. No pushrod guides required.

If low cost is your objective, simply install a mild performance cam designed to work with the factory valve train; something like the Edelbrock Performer Plus. I wouldn't suggest you even bother with roller tip rockers. They won't do anything for you. Factory rockers will be fine.

If you wish to run a more aggressive cam, you will have to install screw-in, adjustable rocker studs with pushrod guides. You would also require new rockers, so you might as well go with roller rockers. But it's certainly not necessary. Obviously, this would involve more money. Of course, a more aggressive cam will likely require a bigger rear gear and a torque converter with a higher stall which gets into even more money. That's how it works.

 

Those heads appear to have press-in, non-adjustable rocker studs for rail rockers. No pushrod guides required.

Actually those pressed in studs are intended to be fully adjustable. The non-adjustable 'positive stop' studs didnt appear until later (1970?). However if he wants a more aggressive cam he will probably need stiffer springs and I would not use press-in studs (adjustable or positive stop) with those.

Paul

 

So if I don't want to use rail rockers, I'll have to change the valves to short stem? My original heads had a little longer stems on their valves too.

 

No. You shouldn't have any problem finding rockers to use with guideplates and hardened pushrods for those heads.

 

You will need to add harden seats, for unleaded gas. Roller rockers reduce friction less friction means less heat. We all know that less heat = more power. So the gain may not be much but any gain is a gain. Unless your going for original I would go with a set of aluminum they are lighter and will make more power. The last time I redid a set of 289 heads SS valves new bronze guides, harden seats and screw in studs and guides the cost was $700! I had the screw in studs left over from another motor I had built. This was about 14 years ago the price for the aluminum was only about $400 more at the time.

 

Bottom line:
1. Not much bang/buck using roller rockers on a fairly stock street engine.

2. If you want roller tips you can get roller tipped 'rail' rockers and use your heads/pushrods 'as is'.

3. If you dont want rail rockers (roller or not) you need to machine those heads for screw-in rocker arms so you can use pushrod guideplates. You will also need hardened pushrods.

Good luck
Paul

 

I'm using a stock cam. I just thought the rockers with a roller tip may be a nice little upgrade but if it really won't make much of a difference I could just use stock rockers. The ones I have are just the cast ones with the 1/2 ball inside that bolt on to the studs that are pictured.

 

Oh, and the heads already have the hardened seats.

 

I like the roller tipped rockers for a nice upgrade to replace worn out stock rail rockers..The stock units can tear up the valvestem tips,especially if you are running a performance cam with increased rpm and spring pressures..Look at comp cams 1431-16

 

these are the rocker arms you want with the stock cam;

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/cca-rp1431-16/overview/make/ford

 

I'll have to look into those. Nice that they come with the pushrods as well.

 

Or find an old fart who has coffee cans full of OEM rockers and pushrods and stick some on it for next to nothing and it'll run just fine with the stock cam and the parts which are apparent in the pictures. When we'd build racing engines with the old iron heads we'd throw the core stuff in coffee cans and on the shelf it'd go. I've tossed most of mine but any old fart who's built SBF's will have some laying around 'just in case' and I'll bet if you asked nice they'd give them to you.

Seriously, I don't think I started running 'fancy' rockers until building the little engines to run in the 11's at the track. The OEM stuff worked fine. If this was to be a racing engine, that's another kettle of fish. 200 bucks will buy a lot of groceries. Your call. In any event, I would find a solution which keeps the heads together, since they're apparently fine. No sense in putting more money into them.

 

I have all my old rockers from the other heads. I could just reuse them. I kept all the "balls" and rockers together as they came off.

 

If they're rail rockers, as those are the ones you'll need, pick out a couple and post a shot of the valve stem interface. IMO, if they're serviceable, use them. If not, then spend the 200 bucks. With an OEM cam and mild valve springs, there's not a lot of stress on the stems and rockers.

 

I have all my old rockers as well. They are grooved off-center and look exactly like what they are. Used parts. Could probably make them work, but new would be better without the wear. Price some new O.E. rockers sometime, and the rollers start to look a lot better. I found out O.E. rockers were going to cost me more than rollers. Summit and Jegs aren't the only source for rollers, although they are a good source. I got my set of rockers for under $80.00 brand new and name brand. I didn't really want rollers, but price-wise they were the best option.

 

Ok, here's a picture of my rocker arms and a picture of my old heads from the other engine. The heads were cracked and junk so they are gone now.

You can see in the picture of the old heads that the valve stem was higher as well. This engine was a Jasper rebuild. I had problems with it right from the start. It used to smash the hydrolic lifters apart. I ended up replacing all of them and the push rods too.

 

I have new comp cam roller tip rockers if you're interested. I was going to use them, but I think I'm going with full rollers and a bigger cam.

 

Those AREN'T rail rockers. In the image below, the rockers on the LEFT are the rail style, so named because the rails on the sides keep the valve stem centered between them.

 

Maybe that's why they gave me trouble from the start. Thanks for that picture now I understand what you mean by "rail rockers". I was thinking that they mounted on a rail before.

 

Definitely Tim. Running the early style rockers with the large hole in the head can cause some problems. It was never intended to be run that way.

 

Comp Cam Magnum 1431-16

 

Problem solved. If you can't find an old fart to give you some out of their collection, get some new ones from a VMF'er or speed shop. I've got some C9 W heads out in the shop that I took apart to port many years ago and I think the rockers are still around and those are rail units. I'll look and see.

Glad you caught this. Good luck!

 

I think I'm going to work a deal with Mustmatt and pick up his roller tip ones.