I bought a set of Proform 1.6 roller rockers and a friend said to get the "self-aligning" set, but i read somewhere that its for 88-99 heads. Is it true they are only for 88-99's? Will these work with my World S/R Torquers?

 

Self-guided rockers are only to be used when you do not use guide plates. If those SR heads have guide plates, use the regular roller rockers. If you try to use guided rail rockers and guideplates together, you get pushrod binding.

You only need either one or the other, but not both.

And yes, beginning in '87 or so self guided (or guided rail as some refer to them) rockers came on factory GM heads.

Dave

 

I thought the S/R heads had the factory-style pushrod slots? Where the pushrod comes up through the head, the slot is a tiny bit wider than the pushrod, so as to keep everything in line. Basically, works the same as guideplates, except it's part of the cylinder head casting itself instead of being bolted on under the rocker studs.

If you have guideplates, I'd remove them and run the guided rockers - they are SURE to be perfectly aligned with the valve tip all the time. Guideplates aren't always that perfect.
Now, if you have slots, you CAN drill them out, but that would require removing the heads and all so no metal filings get inside the motor. Lotsa work! So, in that case I'd get regular roller rockers.

 

They have the slots the pushrods go into, and my friend asked me if they had guideplates but i didnt consider those guideplates so i guess that screwed me. So basically I have to send them back, since the pushrods go through those slots in the heads? I dont see the purpose in drilling the heads when i can just send the rockers back.

 

well, if you ever get Vortech heads, you'll need them. But yeah removing the heads just to put on a new set of rockers just seems too much work!