|
By pcmenten - 17 Years Ago
|
|
I have some rockers that could stand to be rebushed or similar. Is there a company that does this service? I tried searching Red's Headers website because I thought I remembered that they did this but could not find a link.
|
|
By 46yblock - 17 Years Ago
|
|
http://www.rockerarms.com/ These guys can do it. Dont know the price but they are supposed to be good.
|
|
By crenwelge - 17 Years Ago
|
|
I have bought several pairs of rebuilt and NOS rocker arms on eBay for probably less than what it costs to have them rebuilt. Unless you have the high lift which never go cheap.
|
|
By pcmenten - 17 Years Ago
|
Mike, thanks for the pointer. I called and they're asking $180 for a set of rebuilt rocker shafts. New chrome shafts, rebushed rockers, new adjusting screws.
And, yes, I have lots of used high ratio rockers. At least three sets, two are from 1956 engines.
|
|
By 46yblock - 17 Years Ago
|
Paul, they have their price right. Certainly not inexpensive, but barely affordable  .
|
|
By Ted - 17 Years Ago
|
|
Considering the price of new rocker shafts and supplying usable rocker supports, the pricing at $180 for a pair of assemblies sounds very reasonable especially when taking into account the amount of work it takes to also rebush the rockers and hone to the correct size.
|
|
By yehaabill - 17 Years Ago
|
|
Y-Guys The rocker arm guys quoted me $252,for that job, this past week. You may want to check again. Bill
|
|
By mctim64 - 17 Years Ago
|
|
New shafts can be found through Pioneer, FM, and Clevite for about $30-$40 a set, that seems to be where most of the wear is. If your rockers aren't in too bad of shape, it's not hard to rebuild the yourself. You may want to find a shop that can reface the tips for you though.
|
|
By 57FordGuy - 17 Years Ago
|
|
I would check with the following outfit. They will rebuild your old shafts for $30 or $40 per set, including straightening and hard chrome surface cut back to factory spec. For additional fee, they will rebuild your rockers and/or convert to 1.6 ratio. I just sent a set of rocker shafts to be rebuild and a buddy of mine uses these guys with good results. Rocker Arm Specialties 19841 Hirsch CT. Anderson, CA ostalCode>96007ostalCode> Phone: (530) 378-1075 Contact: Gary Patrick
|
|
By pcmenten - 17 Years Ago
|
Tim, I watched that u-tube video showing the rocker shaft rebuild. Thank you, it was very informative. That trick of grinding the tip of a bolt to help locate the rocker stand is slick. But I wonder if throwing away those overflow tubes is a good idea, they direct oil to the distributor gear and the timing chain. I was considering jamming a lead shot in the tube and drilling it with a small drill to pressurize the shaft a bit.
I salvaged some rockers off of a car that obviously had oiling issues on one of the cylinder heads. The shaft was very, very badly worn and four of the rockers were wobbly. I have doubts that those four rockers can be salvaged, but the other 12 can probably be rebushed.
The car had sat in a pond and there was some rust. For now, I'm going to buy new shafts, cherry pick from my other rockers, and set up a quick-and-easy pair of rocker shafts.
Speaking of refacing the rocker tips, would it be a good idea to try to harden them after grinding? Something like heating and quenching them to impart some surface hardness? I think this is sometimes done with the tips of valve stems.
|
|
By pegleg - 17 Years Ago
|
|
The hardening method depends on the material of the shaft. Quenching can SOFTEN some materials, not harden them. I would suggest buying new shafts and leaving them as purchased.
|
|
By mctim64 - 17 Years Ago
|
|
[quote I wonder if throwing away those overflow tubes is a good idea, they direct oil to the distributor gear and the timing chain.quote] If you look at the way the block is cast, the oil that drains back from the heads is directed to the dist. and the timing chain without the tubes anyway.
|
|
By PF Arcand - 17 Years Ago
|
|
Frank: I think PC was referring to the Rocker Arms, not the shafts. Anyway, the arms are Cast are they not?..
|
|
By 46yblock - 17 Years Ago
|
|
PC, if you dont have a reasonalble source in your area to resurface rocker ends and need a set done, my retired mechanic can do it pretty cheap. We could go together and have two sets done for not much. I had him do a couple individuals and they are fine. It took him a little longer than usual to do the setup since he hadnt done it in 30 or so years, he being a SBC guy, but even then it was only 10 minutes setup and 5 minutes to completion. Mike
|
|
By Ted - 17 Years Ago
|
mctim64 (12/7/2008)
[quote I wonder if throwing away those overflow tubes is a good idea, they direct oil to the distributor gear and the timing chain.quote] If you look at the way the block is cast, the oil that drains back from the heads is directed to the dist. and the timing chain without the tubes anyway. Tim. Here’s a link discussing the pros and cons of rocker arm oil tube elimination. I’ve been both ways and now retain the tubes on all Y builds. Doing a search should bring up some other discussions on the topic but the following link was pretty detailed. http://www.y-blocksforever.com/forums/Topic10464-3-1.aspx
|
|
By Ted - 17 Years Ago
|
46yblock (12/7/2008)
PC, if you dont have a reasonalble source in your area to resurface rocker ends and need a set done, my retired mechanic can do it pretty cheap. We could go together and have two sets done for not much. I had him do a couple individuals and they are fine. It took him a little longer than usual to do the setup since he hadnt done it in 30 or so years, he being a SBC guy, but even then it was only 10 minutes setup and 5 minutes to completion. Mike The older valve grinding machines have the capability to resurface the rocker arm tips as I use my Sioux machine on occaision to perform this operation. As Mike mentions, takes longer to install the attachments and get the machine up to speed than it does to actually do the resurfacing operation. Most of the older shops will have the equipment to perform this if you can find someone in the shop that’s familiar with it and knows where the attachments for the machine are.
|
|
By pegleg - 17 Years Ago
|
|
PF Arcand (12/7/2008)
Frank: I think PC was referring to the Rocker Arms, not the shafts. Anyway, the arms are Cast are they not?..Paul, yes you were! The right procedure for hardening cast is a salt bath or carburizing heat treat, with an oil quench.......I think. Again, you need to look up in an ASTM or a Machinery's handbook what that metal needs. It's not near as easy as it looks and my info is some 40 years old, so I could very well be wrong. I haven't worked in heat treating, other than Aluminum, since the 60's.
|
|
By mctim64 - 17 Years Ago
|
|
Ted, Thanks for the heads-up. I read the old thread and found it very interesting. I have performed this modification a number of times and still think it is not a bad idea, but the question of bleeding off air makes me rethink the process. I may make a small airbleed in the end tower. Thanks again, I am always open to new ideas. 
|
|
By pcmenten - 17 Years Ago
|
Regarding the concept of hardening the tips of the rockers; quite right about them being cast parts. I guess the best I can do is to give them the cryogenic treatment.
Mike, I'll check around to see if I can find a machinist who has the equipment. If not, I'll get ready to send off a set for machining.
|
|
By Park Olson - 17 Years Ago
|
|
With a steady hand and a good eye, rocker tips can be reworked on a belt sander, not a lot of magic to it.
|