I like to hit the rev limiter just about every day, so I don't know that SA would be for me. I'm guessing the stock springs will work??

 

min LT4 springs with RRs

 

If you don't want to overcomplicate things and are working on a budget, keep an eye out for someone dumping the LT4 hotcam valvetrain components. It's a good budget replacement for stock application and you can usually find everything you need dirt cheap. You'll of course need to replace it later when you upgrade heads and cam but it's an good short term solution to get the 5-15 HP bump you're interested in while you piece together the rest of your upgrade. Could be money well spent depending on your timeframe for the rest of your upgrades.

 

What you could do is use GOOGLE, then track down several Forums where LT1/L98 guys hang out and post. Log on and use the site's "Search" feature to find posts about SA rocker arms.

Many of the threads on that subject also include photos of the carnage caused when the SA rocker(s) failed. Once you begin reading all the first-hand accounts of the failures you'll have a better idea of the relative frequency of the failures and you can then decide if you are willing to take the chance.

Remember, not EVERY SA rocker will fail, but enough do to warrant caution and concern. Take, as a comparative example, the recent recall of over 4 million cars because of their throttle pedal problems which have lead to WOT crashes. Not EVERY ONE of those 4 million cars will suffer that failure, but enough do to warrant the recall.

On issues like these, I prefer to take the "big picture" approach, and examine what's actually happening across a wide range of users. Of course, there'll always be someone who'll post that he's been doing/running such and such for so and so long without a single problem. However, I submit that a person's individual experience isn't all that meaningful since it doesn't speak to the massess. The results an individual has experienced is not the "test"; rather, it's the results of a wide range of individuals that really tells the tale.

I only offer this as a pre-caution so that you'll, at least, know what you're gettng into and to allow you to make a more informed decision. But, as always, it's your call.

Jake

West Point ROCKS! Nation's TOP COLLEGE per Forbes Magazine!! Graduation Day Parade 20 May 2010!!!

 

Do we search on the issues with PR and GP clearance also? since this is an LT1.....
And how do we determine that the person did not install the parts correctly? And I can ask that b/c I have had SA rockers come off but no fault of the rocker, that was my fault. The carnage from a SA coming off, what did the person do once it came off??? Did they keep their foot in it or did the drive it home, or did the shut it down?

The debate is useless. So I am done. If I can help you in any way let me know.

 

i went with the SA narrow body scorpions (did not have to trim valvecovers) the quality seems great and probably have nearly 15000 miles on them already with many redline shifts and extended roadtrips with no problems, they definitely made a seat of the pants difference powerwise and even changed the exhaust note a little from the midrange up

i need to update my sig but since the baseline of 271 hp 314 tq i have added pacesetter LT's ORY, a tune from madz28 and the of the rockers and springs and it now dynos 309 hp 331 tq with 130,000 on the clock

 

Thanks for the replies, I'll keep my eye out for a good used set.

 

Ok, search for individuals posting their experience that they fail and use that to reinforce your argument that they fail and therefore should be convicted and sentenced to life, sounds like a logical idea.



Huh? the individuals that are posting against your argument are not that meaningful? Only the persons individual experience that resulted in something bad should be considered??? Do you work for Fox news by any chance?

Now I am not saying that in a high performance application SA are better than NSA. But in this particular situation the OP's motor is BONE STOCK. In this application Shon is steering the guy in the right way. There is a lot of upkeep that should be done to a guideplate valvetrain that NSA rockers don't require. Stop arguing with people just for the sake of arguing. Your background in "the legal system" shows as a penchant for arguing using a small sample of data gleened from the internet as hard evidence. In this case your trying to discredit Shon Herron! I believe his credebility in the field of LT1 engines would qualify him as a "Professional Witness" in this "case".

 

reading the thread FTW.

why buy twice? one time the right way sounds like the right direction to me

 

Oh, okay then. Do it your way. Best of luck and Merry Christmas to you and yours.

Jake

West Point ROCKS! Nation's TOP COLLEGE per Forbes Magazine!! Graduation Day 20 May 2010!!

 

Shon, experience has taught me that people almost invariably tend to defend their choices; some "to the Death". Unlike you, not too often does one admit a mistake in selection or installation, it's basically a Defense Mechanism not to.

Then we have the group that feel obligated to defend something that's been said by others, sort of like jumping on the bandwagon. Even, in their zeal, resorting to personal attacks. Friendship, loyalty, etc. is most likely at the core of that approach. Some, however, question and challenge conventional wisdom; those who tend to remain open-minded to new and yes, perhaps differing information.

You can drop out of this discussion should you so choose, I don't have a problem with that decision. It's your call. My goal is to share information as I become aware of it, not to force anyone to go one way or other. All this stuff is an individual choice anyway. Yet, as was once said in an advertisement, "An informed consumer is our best customer".

Bottom line: Each is free to do as they please and, to paraphrase the Knight said in an Indiana Jones movie, "CHOOSE WISELY"

Jake

West Point ROCKS! Nation's TOP COLLEGE per Forbes Magazine!! Graduation Day Parade 20 May 2010!!!

 

I missed the fact the guy wants to go FI, in that case I would go with at least NSA, shafts would be better though. Still, the point I was trying to make is to base your decision on your specific application, not a couple of posts on the internet about some that failed. That's just giving a part a bad rep, almost all the failures were used outside of there range of application. That Doesn't make SA rockers bad, just not good for shifting at 6800 or whatever RPM.

 

Let's get ONE THING STRAIGHT RIGHT NOW! If you continue with the personal attacks I will report you to a Forum Moderator and ask that you be sanctioned for it. There's no place on this or any other Forum for personal attacks.

You're free to disagree, which is fine, but resorting to personal attacks goes over the edge and is unacceptable behavior.

Consider yourself Fore-Warned!

Jake

West Point ROCKS! Nation's TOP COLLEGE per Forbes Magazine!! Graduation Day Parade 20 May 2010!!!

 

What theres no place for on quality forums is people giving others advice based on bad information they read about on the forums. You may feel that you are being attacked personally but frankly if you want to avoid getting your feelings hurt then stop posting stuff like that.

If I recall correctly you started a thread not long ago simply to point out a thread on another board about a broken comp 26918 valve spring. I read the thread. The guy should have known better than using that spring with the cam he was running as it was way out of the design specs for it. Of course it's going to break.

That doesn't give you or anyone else the right to go and blast that part as being junk. Unfortunately people come here to find out information on things that they do not know anything about. Posts like that make them think that those springs are defective/junk/etc when in fact used in the right application they are quite good at what they were designed for.

The same goes for NSA rockers. As I admitted before if your going FI then they are no good, as the OP stated later on he might want to do so in this case. That doesn't mean they are no good for anything. Telling people of the "Carnage" that they create implies that they are simply a bad idea. GM thought they were good enough to put on the LT4. See any posts about those failing? Tons of guys run them on smaller cams and mild springs and have no problems. It's not even that common for a NSA rocker itself to actually fail. What is common in these failure posts is that they where installed on big cams with erratic lobes and either springs that the retainers interfered with the rocker or some other combination that caused the tip of the rocker to jump of the valve.

I am not defending SA rockers because of my stubborness to admit a part I use is not any good either like you suggested. I don't run them on my setup, they would do just as I said they would and you would have another post of carnage to use to tell people they are junk. As far as reporting me to a mod, feel free. If anyone needs to be "sanctioned" it would be the guy giving out bad information on parts based on posts he read about that part being misused and abused.

 

Ya, I want to run 6psi on procharger some time down the road, but the budget sucks right now. I'd like a small upgrade on power for now, but I don't want to have to upgrade my upgrade down the road. Will I have to mod my tune with this, or will it stay just about the same. With 111k on the motor, I figure it wouldn't hurt to upgrade rockers and pushrods and set valve adjustment.