Comp Cams stainless rocker question

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fishy68

fishy68

Tyr Fryr's Inc.
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Anybody using Comp Cams stainless roller tip rockers and chrome rocker shafts? I picked up a set awhile back for my 360 rebuild new in the box for a real good price then I recently read an article on Hughes engines where they had nothing good to say about them. Talked about how the stainless gaulded to the chromed rocker shafts. Showed a pix that looked like they weren't getting any oil??? I know these don't have needle bearings in them which would make them better but neither did the factory 273 adjustable and 340 6 pack iron ductile rockers and they didn't have any problems. Just wondering if anybody here is running them and what their experience is with them.
 
No experience here, but I have a hard time believing that comp would make something that would not perform correctly. I am interested in the answer as I am contemplating buying a set myself.
 
My brothers been running them hard on his 360 for years now-7,000 is not out of the ordinary when hes burning the tires!.He has had zero issues but our friend/machinist did drill a hole for oiling,he said that most of the rockers he sees have substandard oil hole locations in his opinion,he showed us an example when they are rotating on the shaft.He seems to know what hes talking about,if you like I could get some more info.They do seem to be a bullet proof piece and my machinist actually dislikes the needle bearing rollers.
 
lead69 said:
My brothers been running them hard on his 360 for years now-7,000 is not out of the ordinary when hes burning the tires!.He has had zero issues but our friend/machinist did drill a hole for oiling,he said that most of the rockers he sees have substandard oil hole locations in his opinion,he showed us an example when they are rotating on the shaft.He seems to know what hes talking about,if you like I could get some more info.They do seem to be a bullet proof piece and my machinist actually dislikes the needle bearing rollers.
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Man I'm glad to hear about your brothers luck with them cause I really didn't want to hear I wasted my money. I'd like to know more about the oiling mod. The pix they showed looked just like they weren't geting any oil. It don't surprise me that the oil holes don't line up quite right. I've seen it on all makes of engines where things don't line up quite right.

I have always had good luck with Comp stuff and like 66DartGT said find it hard to believe they would sell junk especially as many yrs. as they have been selling them.
 
hi, the original 273 had a banana groove cut at a diaginal accross the oil holes for rockers, this lets oil get all way accross rocker/shaft surface area.
this alone cured the gauling problem.
 
Tnx Perfacar. I see the shafts that came with my Comp rockers don't have the banana groove. Do you think it wise to invest in a set of shafts with banana grooves? I think Ma Mopar still sells them.
 
I will ask Tim tomorrow about the oiling mod-its a simple fix,I do believe he feels its neccesary even with banana grooves,I will post his answers.
 
lead69 said:
I will ask Tim tomorrow about the oiling mod-its a simple fix,I do believe he feels its neccesary even with banana grooves,I will post his answers.
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OK sounds good. I just checked on the price for a set of shafts with the banana grooves. WOW!!! They ain't cheap at all at Mancini's. I think I'll just wait to hear back about this oiling mod and do it and call it good.
 
hi, I do my own banana grooving on my shafts. you need a very thin cut off wheel, about 2" dia, mounted on a air die grinder, very carefully cut a small groove. it doesn't need to be deep. use low air pressure so you can have control of tool. go out enough to cover most of rocker area, do not go past . the original rocker shafts, had an oil hole on the back side also. the original 273 rocker had no groove in them. the comp rockers do have a groove.
i've used this homemade grooved shaft on a 340, turning 7000 rpm, have never had gauling or spalling. after grooving shaft, take 400 grit and wd 40, sand the shafts.
 
perfacar said:
hi, I do my own banana grooving on my shafts. you need a very thin cut off wheel, about 2" dia, mounted on a air die grinder, very carefully cut a small groove. it doesn't need to be deep. use low air pressure so you can have control of tool. go out enough to cover most of rocker area, do not go past . the original rocker shafts, had an oil hole on the back side also. the original 273 rocker had no groove in them. the comp rockers do have a groove.
i've used this homemade grooved shaft on a 340, turning 7000 rpm, have never had gauling or spalling. after grooving shaft, take 400 grit and wd 40, sand the shafts.
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I agree. He did this on my 360. Better than spending $200 on new shafts
 
perfacar said:
hi, I do my own banana grooving on my shafts. you need a very thin cut off wheel, about 2" dia, mounted on a air die grinder, very carefully cut a small groove. it doesn't need to be deep. use low air pressure so you can have control of tool. go out enough to cover most of rocker area, do not go past . the original rocker shafts, had an oil hole on the back side also. the original 273 rocker had no groove in them. the comp rockers do have a groove.
i've used this homemade grooved shaft on a 340, turning 7000 rpm, have never had gauling or spalling. after grooving shaft, take 400 grit and wd 40, sand the shafts.
Click to expand...

Excellent idea!! I have a variable speed dremel that should work fine for this. Appreciate the tip.
 
fishy68 said:
Excellent idea!! I have a variable speed dremel that should work fine for this. Appreciate the tip.
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Mr. Jim Devine turned me onto this. He does all his small block shafts. Sure saves over $200 from the cost of shafts that come with the grooves
 
Don't the shafts come in a different hardness for different types of rockers? I don't think you can change them around. Bob
 
I don't know about that Bob. I haven't ever looked into them. But I will say after comparing these Comp Cams shafts to the stock type shafts they are much heavier duty.
 
I use the stanless steel rockers on my 340s for 5 years and now they are on my 416 stroker. There is no signs of wear on them. I have about 1000 1/4 mile passes and 10,000 street miles on them. Harry
 
I just got off the phone with my machinist,what he said was the banana groove isnt critical but is good insurance-he does the mod to all shafts if they arent grooved already.The important thing is to make sure the shafts have a oil groove (second groove) to oil the pusrod cup/adjuster-this is where a problem occurs when upping spring pressures it becomes a critical factor.The problem is if you look at mopar adjustment specs they allow for a very small margin of tolerence,this is due to the fact that if the oil hole in the rocker and the shaft dont coincide correctly the pushrod cup/adjuster dont recieve enough oil and can fail.The way to check this is to first make sue you have the secondary oil hole in the rocker shafts then with valvetrain set up make sure the hole coincides with the rocker-you could do this by sticking a piece of wire to see if it will pass through the oil hole in the rocker and into the shaft.This is the oil hole he drilled in the rocker shafts on my brothers car,it makes sense,if the oil hole isnt in the shafts or the rocker sits in a different position the pushrod cup/adjuster dont recieve a good supply of oil.Again he said this is required especially if you have spring psi at or exceeding 120lbs. seat psi.The crazy thing is most aftermarket rocker shafts dont even have a second oil hole and the rocker oil holes alot of times dont line up with fatory holes-definitely food for thought.
 
Tnx DusterHarry for your input.

You too Lead69. I was planning on checking to make sure all the oil holes lined up good cause I'd heard that sometimes they don't. Mine does have an oil hole to oil the pushrod contact surface.
 
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