Good info here guys. It's clear to me not to run both.

I'm getting RR's, and wondering which route to go with. Self-Aligning, or Non-Self Aligning w/ guideplates. *Shooting* for ~450flywheel, we'll see. Going Comp Pro Mag RR's, not sure of the specs on the cam yet, have to see whta my heads flow after this port work...

 

I think most people would agree that the NSA rockers and guideplates would be the best for high revving/output engines. With the guideplates, the geometry of the pushrod and rocker is controlled earlier in their movement rather than later . I think it would be more stable.

 

Sorry to bring up such and old thread but...

I did try to use both (guide plates w/ self aligning rocker arms) as a temporary situation until my other rockers came in... I broke or bent every pushrod in the motor. And yes, they were hardened and stock length (which was correct). Now let the nightmare of flushing metal shavings out of my motor begin... If you want pics, I'll have them next weekend.

 

cpope, No need to be sorry, just the opposite. It's always a good thing when someone confirms something that shouldn't be tried.

 

I don't know if this is the same for the F-Body, but the early ('92) Y-Body LT1 engines came with "loose" fitting guide plates and self-aligning stamped steel rocker arms. I think the purpose of these guide plates were to keep the push rods in place until the rocker arms were installed on the assembly line.
From what I have been told, later ('94) Y-Body LT1 heads had a smaller hole in the aluminum head that held the push rods in place until the rocker arms were installed -- this eliminated the need for the "loose" fitting guide plates.
I have a set of original '92 LT1 Corvette heads on the shelf in my garage with guide plates, and the engine had self aligning stamped steel rockers.

In addition, I have also been told there is a difference in the casting of the early Y-body LT1 heads and the later Y-Body LT1 heads. The early ones supposedly had more "meat" for porting along with the guide plates.

I now have AFR heads on my '92 LT1.

Tom Piper

 

If you have/had original '92 Y heads with guide plates, I have no reason to doubt that at least SOME '92s were oem built that way. However, confident it was NOT the case, for all '92s. They were also built the 'traditional' way, when using SA rockers. What the ratio (of plates to plateless) was, is anybody's guess.

 

I'm not recommending anyone do this, but on this page, http://www.crower.com/cat/domestic/c...lvetrain.shtml, Crower states their self-aligning roller rockers can be used "with or without guide plates."

Tom Piper

 

If the tabs on the sa aren't "bottomed out " throughout the cycle ...ie turn the engine over and watch to see if they move side to side , i don't see how the guide plates would hurt . Crower should know if they're advertising it(maybe their rr's have a wider roller tip to accept some side play)

 

Don't care whose site it is, sounds illogical to me.

 

I found out that it WASN'T the SA rocker w/ guideplates that screwed me up, it was the fact that I was getting coil bind on my springs. I used the wrong spring seats and it threw the geometry off and caused me to bend about $150 worth of pushrods. . . twice.

 

ouch