Technical Anybody have experience strengthening stock hemi exhaust rocker arms!?!

YES! That would be great! I emailed Tom last week and asked if he'd come on here and weigh in, but I/we never heard back.

I too am convinced that I need something more robust than the factory non-adjustable unit. I won't have both sets in hand until this Saturday, and I will measure both then and report back. The factory adjustable pieces certainly look more significant in every aspect...

 

I see where your at......Two options,well,three..... If you have a factory adjustable set,those can be refurbished. A non adjustable set can be converted. Then there's the hail mary p*** and go for the fancy stuff.....All within your means of course........ I was just stating that look at has been done,look at what is being done and accomplished,and ask/see the results of such......Not promoting,but when I see someone beating the snot out of their stuff,under full pedal,AND seeing what they are using(thanks to their posts),unless I'm going to try to top that,I would be fine with THEIR set-up..... Just me saying,as it's not my engine,nor my checkbook.
I'm sure you'll handle it accordingly.....

 

I follow what you are saying. I don't know Kerry, or how hard he pushes his stuff. I'm guessing pretty hard. Though it'd be helpful to know the process and filler used to convert those arms, and WHY Gary at RAU seems to think an unmodified factory Chrysler adjustable exhaust rocker arm is stronger than a properly welded non-adjustable rocker with converted to adjustable. Say that 5 times fast. I dare you!

 

They're doing fine. One of my rods isn't. I hope to blow the motor apart and fix it in April.

 

Oh, for what it's worth I bent up 5 Smith Brothers adjustable pushrods before I had Gary convert the rockers to adjustable. With some 3/8 pushrods the whole setup is pretty solid.

 

A lot of guys ran the ribbed rockers in the early days. Why? Because it was all they had.
The factory adjustable arms are stronger than the standard hydraulic arms. And also 4 times the money.
I had a couple of my ribbed rockers done with stainless tig. The rocker arms are forged. My ribs are mild steel, and priced as such. And currently out of stock.

 

Thanks for your input Tom. The factory adjustable arms ARE 4 times the money, but once you pay to have them welded, and pay to have them modified for adjusters (if you don't have the means to do these operations yourself) you're pretty darn close to even money. So in your opinion, cost not being a factor, what's the better arm; a ribbed hydraulic arm modified for adjusters, or a factory adjustable arm just as Mother Mopar forged it?

Also, are your steel collars in stock? I need to order a set of those either way.

 

If I had the factory adjustable rockers, I would use them. If they have good shafts, and the arm bores are not scored, I would do a standard rebuild, and use what I had. Dont spend money on chrome shafts or bronze bushings. Those items are for repairing otherwise unusable rockers.
I keep both the steel and aluminum collars in stock.
And my personal opinion: There is no way I would pay over $600 for a set of factory adjustable rockers that I knew nothing about. That is just insane.

Because the adjuster end of a converted rocker is only 1/2 the thickness of the factory adjustable. That ends up being the new weak point in the ribbed rocker.

 

Thanks Tom. That's some good info. Is there anything I should be looking for besides galling, missing parts, and irregular wear on the rocker tips when I go to pick up these rockers this weekend? Also, thanks for confirming...that was what I was thinking was the weak link on the reinforced rockers.

For the sake of the thread, is there anybody that you recommend or use regularly for welding your fins on the hydraulic rockers?

 

if you are looking at stock adj.rockers make sure the adj. screws are there. they take a very fine od ball thread. the screws and nuts are hard to find seperate and expensive when you do. they can strip with too much force. i use a special toque wrench set at 22 inch pounds to adjust lash.

 

Ok, thanks for that. Wow! 22in-lb, that's it? That's nothin. I would have over-tightened them for sure.

 

This is a really good read:
http://www.myth-racing.com/technical/

 

Old thread, but thought I would share this...