roller rocker life span??

[GN-231]

I am in the middle of an engine re-build and I am trying to decide if roller rockers or stock rockers are best for a mainly street driver with occasional strip runs. I have heard from a friend that aluminum roller rockers will not last very long in a street car and that the stock set up is much more robust and reliability. I haven't been able to find any steel roller rocker set ups for GNs.
Does anyone run alum roller rockers on the street? How many miles do you have on them? Anyone heard to street alum rocker failures?
I really like the efficiency associated with a roller rocker, but I would hate to trash an engine from them.

Any thoughts?

 

[shane13]

i would look for steal rockers, but if you cant find them go with the stock ones.

shane

 

[87buick3825]

Stockers !!! Over a 100k

RD

 

[BJM]

Not on my Buick nut on a SBC I had an aluminum rocker just crack and fall apart, I bought another and put it on, a few months later another died. When a third one went (each in a different location and always on intake) I switched back to the stock style stamped rockers. Upon inspection, several more had cracks beginning to grow. This was not a radical camshaft or anything either. If you go with aluminum don't get cheap ones.

 

[MeanBuicks]

I had 225,000 miles on my stock rockers before I replaced them.

 

[CTX-SLPR]

Howdy,

Does anyone know how 1.65 T&D's hold up on the street or should I stick with the cro moly stockers I have sitting next to them on the shelf?

Thanks,

 

[gn4u2c]

harland or t&d's will last a very very long time. if you don't know the name on the box be scared.

 

[GN-231]

It looked like TA performance had the best set of alum roller rockers, but I may just stay with the stockers since they are tried and true.
Kind of expensive mod for now much gain, but I just liked the idea of creating only an axial load on the valve stem instead of adding a little side loading with the stocker friction on the stem tip. Seems like the valve seals would wear much better with a roller set up, but I wouldn't be willing to risk the reliability when stock valve stems never seem to be much a problem anyway.

 

[typhoon]

The problem with aluminum is it work hardens and ages over time.

So they become brittle.

All will fail at some point, you are just hoping it is AFTER you are done using them.

I have Pro Magnum Stainless one of my motors, never had a problem.

I would buy them again.

I would never install aluminum.

 

[toofastforyou]

Kenne-Bell aluminium rockers...

I'm currently using Kenne-Bell aluminium rockers with no problem at all...
Claude

 

[BJM]

Aluminum alloys differ greatly, the cheaper rockers are made from aluminum extrusions that are machined and tend to be softer alloys. The higher end ones are cast and can therefore be made of a different alloy from an extrusion. If the fabricator chooses they can do a multitude of heat treatments as well. The cheapos I had were extruded and had a sharp edge in the middle that the cracks propogated from.

While generally even a mild steel will have decent fatigue properties, there is no reason why an aluminum rocker won't last a long long time, but it has to be made right.