SBC Chevy - Testing 6 Rocker Arms Part 2 AVERAGE LIFT over full lift cycle. Which is more important?

[@aphil4581]

The measurements made here tell an interesting story same as the most HP will come from getting the fastest amount of lift from the valve opening to it's apex. But that's more for the cam guys I guess? It's hard to believe all these manufactures end up so far apart from where they advertise to where they should be. Some great info here! Some good responses here too showing that you have to go the extra mile with clearincing to really get these still completive engines fast for less $$$$'s and weight.

[@goldsgarage8236]

A Phil, thank you for your kind words. Watch for more of the same in my next video.

[@alexvendrig9205]

Very informative-interesting the range difference of the rockers

[@goldsgarage8236]

Thanks for your support as always Alex.

[@steveblottenberger1097]

Keep up the good work anymore smart knowledgeable consistent gentleman like you with engine work besides one or two other gentlemen out there Steve from Annapolis Maryland

[@goldsgarage8236]

Thanks for your kind words Steve, please keep watching and commenting. More content to come. AG

[@andysteele4056]

If anyone cares I swapped stock rockers for comp cams 1.6 roller tip rockers and went almost .2 quicker in the 1/4. This was in a 350 IROC with stock cam.

[@goldsgarage8236]

Thanks for sharing Andy, that is impressive. A rocker upgrade is a very good way to improve performance without taking the engine all apart. Lift helps everywhere. good for you. AG

[@patrickmoore1017]

Very nice. And very informative.

[@goldsgarage8236]

Thanks Patrick, good to hear from you again!. Thanks for supporting my channel. AG

[@jarlnieminen4307]

This was much needed.

[@goldsgarage8236]

Thanks for watching and commenting Jarl! AG

[@jonathoncouchey7151]

Thank you for this valuable information. I will probably never measure the actual rocker ratio myself. That's. Excuse I generally do junkyard builds😂😂😂 but. Currently I am putting some really cheap Chinese roller rockers on a dodge 360. I'm talking $250 for the entire set. Shooting for 550 lift with ported heads and Intske, headers. You know the drill.

[@goldsgarage8236]

Thanks Jonathon, good luck with your build. AG

[@dinoa9608]

Great video. I have always heard that stock OEM rockers could be down to 1.40 ratio. You've proved it. I wonder how aftermarket stock style with no roller tip would compare to OEM. Do they make 1.50 stock style rockers. Doubt it.

[@goldsgarage8236]

Thanks Dino, in the follow up video about average lift I added a Melling rocker arm to compare. Check it out! AG

[@dinoa9608]

@@goldsgarage8236 Thanks for your reply. I see the Melling result. I just used a set of Howards 1.5 stamped steel rockers. Hoping they spec out similar to the Melling rocker.

[@anthonyrowland9072]

@@dinoa9608 There was an old engine masters episode where they tested a modern stamped Howard's vs a full roller, hardly any difference in power. With modern slick oils and stiff accurate ratio bodies, a high quality stamped or roller tip might be all you need for normal spring pressures today.

[@robertwest3093]

THIS is something that I wanted to see tested for a LONG time! BTW, are any of the cheap aluminum cylinder heads worth buying? Or would one be money ahead to buy the best they can afford?

[@goldsgarage8236]

Thanks Robert. I have had good luck with so called Chinese cylinder heads. If you are making big power and high RPM you probably want CNC ported US made heads, (many of them also buy the castings from China). They usually provide the flow numbers so if they give you the flow you need they should work fine. Also pay attention to the lift vs. flow numbers. It doesn't help to buy heads that flow at .600" - .700" lift if you are only operating at .500" lift. Hope this helps. Please keep watching and commenting. Allan Gold

[@jonathoncouchey7151]

In theory a rocker arm that opens the valve quickly.say like 1.9 at like 10 degrees But then reaches close to 1.5 at the top would be ideal for torque and towing engines. However. You may want to choose a cam with even less overlap to make up for the increase in duration. Man I love engine science.

[@goldsgarage8236]

Thanks Jonathon, I am still learning also. Thanks for supporting my channel. Lots of content to come.

[@shortride1]

Shouldn't the measurements for each rocker arm require specific length of push rod that would achieve equal arcs of travel above and below mid travel of the rocker tip at the valve stem?

[@goldsgarage8236]

Thanks seebro, in the previous video about rocker arms (total lift) I showed how the correct length of pushrod is determined. The correct length was used for measurements taken in this video. Thanks for watching and supporting my channel. AG

[@hankclingingsmith8707]

THATS ONLY PART OF THE STORY. HOW QUICK THEY GET TO LIFT IS IMPORTANT ALSO

[@goldsgarage8236]

Thanks Hank, that is a good point. I can look up my data and compare them in the first 10-20 degrees. Maybe a future video. Thanks for the input and watching Gold's Garage. AG

[@NateDalton]

Off-the-seat ratio through TDC would be very good information! Even just evaluating the rocker ratios at only TDC would be great to provide insight on the opening behavior. Great test!

[@bobgyetvai9444]

What you didnt say is what the Actual Ratios ARE . And at low lift which had enhanced lift ratios .

[@alonzahanks1182]

Ive got a set of crane dark gold 1.5 and they checked them on them is marked 10 - 150 then C -05 same thing you came up with lol I have 97 camaro LT1with stock stamped rockers my cam is 447 459 so with your dark gold 1.5 what would my cam lift be? i Figured + 17 Your going to laugh Ive got 60s set crane 1.5s was on corvette in car collection guy considered his retirement so he only had 1900 miles on it. rocker got about 200 miles on them Had 30 cars in his collection I ran them for day on my truck but they fell off so i bought self aliners instead of guide plates they are wide body and dont have revised hole in back and have fancy C15 on them The machine work is incredible the box says special order # 10 Higher Grade Bearings in black felt pen. so Hefty My Friend Was over the Hill Gang Id swear he took the off his world record Dragster but they are 3/8 lol I got ten Bucks Says if i send 1 to you it would be tits on your dark Gold Crane lol They were Finatics lol my silver ones are just to Dam pretty lol

[@turbosupra2jzdragracingtob249]

Hi, thanks for your vids. I find them very educational. Question… if someone has selected a new cam with certain characteristics….would changing the rocker arms change these characteristics? Or… could someone avoid changing the cam they have assume stock cam and just add rocker arms to change the characteristics?? … if someone has a cam with too much low end torque …would adding rocker arms move the power curve to the right for more top end at the cost of low end torque? Thanks

[@goldsgarage8236]

Toby, lots of good questions. Lift helps power everywhere but changing rocker arm ratio and adding lift has very minimal effect on duration and on the torque (power) curve. Having too much low end torque is a nice problem to have but the only way to reduce it is to retard the cam. Thanks for your question and for watching my channel. Allan Gold

[@DonMoore-g6u]

Could there be any benefit to installing a 1.6 rocker on the exhaust & keeping the 1.5 on the intake in a sbc 305 l69, 190hp motor?

[@goldsgarage8236]

Sure Don. Its a question of whether the intake or exhaust is least efficient. Lift always helps, its a question of how much. Dyno testing would be the only way to tell. AG

[@____MC____]

Cant find anything on 1.6 ultra pro magnums in comparison to known fast off the seat rockers.

[@goldsgarage8236]

Thanks for the info MC. AG

[@ICXCNIKA-conquerer]

Why are the LS7 rocker ratio at 1.8? Does combustion chamber, valve size compression play a part ?

[@hankclingingsmith8707]

Absolutely NO

[@ICXCNIKA-conquerer]

@@hankclingingsmith8707 elaborate

[@goldsgarage8236]

Thanks for the question and I apologize for the late reply. I just noticed it now. I am not an expert on the LS engines but i think it just has to due with geometry, how to fit it all into the space allowed. Remember the higher the ratio rocker arm the less lobe lift required for the same valve lift. Many other engines in the past like the 409 and 427 had 1.75 ratio and even some radical higher end small blocks have 1.8 or more, including the NASCAR engines. Hope this helps a bit anyway. AG

[@jarvislarson6864]

3 freeze plugs....my dude is using a 400sbc in this test

[@goldsgarage8236]

Thanks Jarvis. correct, I just posted a video about this engine a few days ago on the dyno. Please check it out. AG

[@sharons9367]

Any clearance issues with using the 1.6 ?

[@goldsgarage8236]

Thanks for your question Sharon. No issues on this GM Fast Burn Head with beehive valve springs, however the GM aluminum rockers do have clearance issues on the Speedmaster head that I tested (not shown in this video). The Speedmaster head has 1.4" diameter valves. Whenever valve lift is increased, always check for coil bind, interference between the bottom of the retainer and the valve seal, as well as the bottom of the rocker arm and the valve retainer.

[@sharons9367]

@@goldsgarage8236 great thank you I’ve got Brodix on my 350 1.5 comp cams pro magnum Was doing some research just to use 1.6 on the inlet So much mixed information I’ve read

[@goldsgarage8236]

Thanks Sharon, depending on how much lift you already have, (how big your cam is) 1.6 rockers should help, especially if you have a stock rocker arm now.

[@larryw5429]

If you use 1.6 ratio rockers on vortec head you might have to drill out the pushrod holes. My set of 8062 heads were touching so I drilled them bigger so I didn't run any issues! You probably will if you use bigger around push rods!

[@sharons9367]

@@larryw5429 thank you yes I’m going bigger pushrods I’m using Brodix heads I eventually found one place that was willing to sell one rocker for me to do testing with 1.6