Ric232

I know, I know . . . minimal power gain, if any. But, you see, I love to tinker, and when I installed my Gils, I put on these cool KE (yes, the original KE) 2-piece valve covers so I wouldn't have to remove the exhaust to get to the valvetrain. I feel as if I need to get my money out of those suckers. I don't mind spending $300 and a few hours time on the rockers.

So, my questions are:

1. Do I have anything to lose by installing roller rockers? Is it possible I might even gain 10-15hp and pick up up that elusive 0.5mph I've been searching for?

2. Can a careful, mechanically inclined, weekend wrench-turner to the job right?

3. I'm thinking Comp Pro Magnum or Harland Sharp. Any opinions?

4. Does anyone think I'm entirely crazy?

Wildfire

Go for it Ric.

I don't know anything about it, but they do look cool. Maybe you could rig up an actuator on the two piece cover so you could show 'em off when you raise the hatch!

You got a big boat? You definitely crazy!

mcollinstn

You gotta convert to adjustable studs. Your heads have 3/8 tapped holes and currently use a bolt-down non-adjustable stamped rocker. You'll need the "conversion" studs that are 3/8" on the bottom and 7/16" on the top.

You won't LOSE horsepower. Might gain some, but don't be looking for it on the speedo. 1/2 mph is a reasonable expectation, since you can only miss your target speed by no more than 1/2 mph.

Difficulty? Not difficult at all. You'll just have to adjust the new rockers whereas you just had to bolt the old ones down. No biggie.

Breathe Later

Rick,

When you change from the NA valve train to adjustable, yes, you'll need to go with different rocker studs- ARP # RRS 6H I believe. Then the stock pushrod lengths will need to be changed, I used Manley #'s 25818 and 25855 with the Crane 13750 rockers. This job isn't that big of a deal, just go on Crane's web site for adjustment info. With the stock valve covers, The intake rockers on # 1 and 8 cyls. need to have a corner radiused to clear the valve cover bolt boss. How do the KE valve covers fit with the MPI plenum- what are you doing for the PVC and breather?

Mark

bobby daniels

Breathe later is right USE THE PRO_COMP ROCKER S !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Breathe Later

One thing I noticed with the roller rockers is lower oil temps. I can't say for sure but, there's got to be alot less friction with the roller pieces. If you change cams, you'll need them anyhow because the stock stamped pieces need a POS enlogated slot design.

Ric232

Mark,

The KE valve covers fit fine. The only tight areas are the front of the port valve cover and the rear of the starboard cover. To get the base of the 2-piece cover installed on the port side, you have to loosen the front bracket where the engine hoist hook is and separate is slightly from the block so there is room to mount the base. The base protrudes out from the cylinder head very slightly so it requires so more room.

Same concept on the rear of the starboard cover, except back there you have to loosen the bracket where the main wiring harness plugs in and push it away from the cylinder head slightly.

These valve covers come with breather tubes so you can adapt the breather and pcv valve to fit. The breather is easy; you just need a fitting to go inside the breather tube that will accept a 90deg fitting where you can connect the breather line. I'm not satisfied with what I rigged up for the PCV, but it works perfectly so I can live with it. I bought a copper plumbing adapter at Home Depot with threads on one end and no threads on the other. The threaded end screws into the breather tube. The rubber grommet from the stock valve cover fits into the opposite end of the copper tube. The PCV valve just plugs into the grommet as usual.

The only problem I'm having is that they leak a VERY VERY small amount of oil. I'm not sure if it is coming from the gasket between the base and cylinder head or from the O-ring between the base and the cover. I may get a total of 3 or 4 drops of oil each day I run the boat, but it is kind of annoying.

Regardless of whether I do the rocker arms, I may re-install the stock valve covers next winter. Or I may try to re-install the KE's to see if I can get a better seal.

** I knew about the clearance issue with stock valve covers. Don't I also have to grind off the oil drippers inside the stock covers? That's the first time I've heard that the stock pushrods are the wrong length.

Breathe Later

Ric,

Yes, the drippers need to be ground off as well. I had my heads reworked by Teague Custom Marine for extreme duty intakes and inconel exhausts for my Whipple system. The pushrod lengths were suggested by Teague as well. The stock pushrods would be too short. I wanted to get their polished valve covers but was told there were fit problems with the MPI motors.

Mark

Ric232

The KE covers are the only ones I could find that would fit. They are barely larger than stock, but will supposedly clear anything except stud girdles. They have no oil drippers.