Erson FE rocker arms

[Jim Harding]

Anyone here running these rockers in their FE motor? With Edelbrock heads too maybe? I have a question or two I need answers to before I purchase these over some other offerings out there.
Just 2400 miles on my engine, and I just had the second Dove rocker break off the shaft..... gotta install something better to regain some confidence in that motor. Nothing is more frustrating than waiting on the side of the road (with your wife saying she'll never ride in this &*%%#%&^* car again) for a flat bed tow truck to drag your sorry butt home

[Tony Radford]

Jim, I'm running Erson roller rockers in my Windsor stroker and have been for about 15K miles. What I particularly like about them is the fact that they hold and adjustment very well. I've got a solid flat tappet cam and after 4K miles, they requre "touching up" only.

[Brent]

Tony's 351W rockers are not shaft rockers like yours are. Completely different.
I had 2 of the Dove rockers break on my FE and I know Rick Bagley replaced his too due to breakage. They are (in my humble opinion) junk. I would switch to Erson, Comp, Crane, etc. and get rid of the Dove quickly.

Brent

[Slidewinder]

Jim, if you talk to Robert Pond, he will tell you Erson is the way to go....that's all he uses in the aluminum 427 S/Os he builds (using his own aluminum 427 S/O "Pond" block) and he is an active drag racer who currently holds the NHRA record hix class with his 67 Ford Fairlane.

If it holds up under drag racing conditions, it should work fine for the street (no matter how heavy footed you are).

[Naumoff]

Damn Jim, Sorry to hear of your troubles.
They are the one things on my engine I haven't had troubles with. Now I'm worried.

[Jim Harding]

Tony's 351W rockers are not shaft rockers like yours are. Completely different.
I had 2 of the Dove rockers break on my FE and I know Rick Bagley replaced his too due to breakage. They are (in my humble opinion) junk. I would switch to Erson, Comp, Crane, etc. and get rid of the Dove quickly.

Brent

Brent, did yours or Ricks break off at an end stand? The first was #4 exhaust and the second was #5 exhaust. Can't put my finger on to what went wrong. Doesn't 'look' like coil bind. Visual check at full lift reveals ample space between the coils and no contact between the retainer and the guide. I know that this is not the way to determine coil bind, but I'd venture it's 95% accurate anyhow. End stands have been the down side to FE motors since number one came out of the mold. Hate to blame it on SA's end stands, but can't find a common denominator as to what caused the failures. Maybe just junk rockers like you said.
I heard back from Robb at RobbMc Performance.... who I understand designed the Erson set up. Got most of my answers from the "horses mouth" so to speak. He said to check to see if the top of the push rod 'cup' is making contact with the rocker arm body (not just the adjustment ball). If the push rods are too long, (moving the adjusting ball too close to the rocker when adjusting lash) will cause the top of the push rod to hit the rocker arm and eventually break it. If that's my issue, I'll probably need new push rods anyhow with the new Erson set up.

Tony, are you using the SA/Dove setup? Maybe my solid roller, mega lift cam is just too ruff on them.

[Naumoff]

Jim,
I am using the SA Dove rocker arm set up but I have all new pushrods since Samakow Racing Engines rebuilt my engine.
We notice that some of the rockers were struck by the pushrod and there was less than 1500miles on the engine.
Your pushrod might be to long.

After I save up some money I will replace my rocker arm assembly.

[rosco]

I'm running the Pond combination with Ersons... So far (with dyno pulls) no problems... (knock on wood!)

Gino

[ralphscott]

Jim I had the problem you describe. The push rods were too long. Broke the shaft in 3 pieces. I concur with Brent on the Dove rockers I have heard that they don't hold up.

Ralph

[Brent]

My camshaft was not big by any means but it was more than some people run in a street FE. 651 lift solid roller.

When I check push rod length I always put the camshaft at 1/2 lift and make sure the roller is in the center of the valve.

The placement of the rocker will actually act opposite of what you would think it would on the head of the valve. The roller will move to the outside of the valve stem not the inside. I had to run lash caps on that motor to make things work. It used Ferrea polished SS valves and I think the stems were .320 or .330 I did have to mill the rockers so the pushrod would not bind at max lift.

Heck the cam in our last 385 series motor was .867 lift. No wonder FE's are so expensive to build, nothing fits, and the "high performance aftermarket parts" are a joke. You can make over 1000 horsepower in a 385 for less money than you can make 500hp in an FE.

I did run the billet end stands. I put a dial indicator on the end of the shaft and when you just turned the motor by hand it would really flex.

[Jim Harding]

Had some time to rip and tear into the engine yesterday. I had noticed that the number 5 intake valve lash was excessive... slightly over .030. This is the companion valve to the exhaust valve rocker that broke. After removing the rocker assembly, I pulled the push rod from the #5 intake and it is bent...explains the lash I saw. But what's confusing is one might think that the push rod from the rocker that broke would probably bend before the other one. The rod from the exhaust rocker is poker straight. Go figure! My guess is that the broken piece got tangled up with the intake push rod/rocker and caused it to bend. There's no evidence of dings or scuffs on the intake rocker/push rod the confirm this, but.........
Anyhow... I ordered the Erson set and will install it. Then doing the geometery thing with an adjustable push rod, order a new set of 16 push rods.
I also confirmed that there is no coil bind at max lift (.645 at the valve), and no contact between the push rods and the rockers other than where they are susposed to mate up. Like Brent said... maybe the dove stuff is just junk.
Here's hoping the Erson assembly ( and a prayer ) puts this issue to rest.
Will post how things went after getting this engine running again.
Tony, maybe the Dove stuff you have came from a good batch of aluminum. I've heard that the process of making good aluminum billet is determined by the cooling process after the pour. Maybe I (and others) just got rockers carved out of a poor block of aluminum. Or maybe that's just wishfull thinking

[eliminator]

My problems came from the offset rockers, mine were from Precision Oil Pump in California. I broke 3 in 18 months, 2 in April/May, one at Homecoming and one after. Bought a set of straigh Roller Rockers from the same company and no problems since then. I didn't need the offset rockers to get the correct alignment through the intake anyway.

[Naumoff]

Thanks Jim for the little glims of hope.

I am glad you are on your way to recovery.

I will have to hope I will make it through the summer.
Last night I just rolled over 14K on my car but only a couple of thousand on the 4 rebuild.

Maybe I will also change to a hydrualic roller this winter as well.

[Jim Harding]

Maybe I will also change to a hydrualic roller this winter as well.

Tony, my thoughts too. I don't need a cam with this much lift and duration. I'm sure if I tame it down a little, I'll never feel the difference when I hit the loud peddle. And it will be easier on the valve train. Might even get a tenth or more in the miles per gallon department too.

[Naumoff]

Tony, my thoughts too. I don't need a cam with this much lift and duration. I'm sure if I tame it down a little, I'll never feel the difference when I hit the loud peddle. And it will be easier on the valve train. Might even get a tenth or more in the miles per gallon department too.

Now you're dreaming!

[TurnpikeBoy]

Tony, my thoughts too. I don't need a cam with this much lift and duration. I'm sure if I tame it down a little, I'll never feel the difference when I hit the loud peddle. And it will be easier on the valve train. Might even get a tenth or more in the miles per gallon department too.

Naaahhh....just switch to a good stroker small block. Never feel the difference, and all you'll have to do with it is put gas in the tank and turn the key.

[Naumoff]

Naaahhh....just switch to a good stroker small block. Never feel the difference, and all you'll have to do with it is put gas in the tank and turn the key.

I have to take you for a ride my friend. I think you will feel the difference especially when you pee your pants.

And yes, small blocks never break. Right!

[TurnpikeBoy]

I have to take you for a ride my friend. I think you will feel the difference especially when you pee your pants.

Really....your driving is that bad?

And yes, small blocks never break. Right!

Aw, sure they do. Usually right around 10,000 rpm, for the third or fourth time

[Naumoff]

Really....your driving is that bad?

Naw, just the pure acceleration will be enough to do it. bring your Depends.

Aw, sure they do. Usually right around 10,000 rpm, for the third or fourth time

They should turn that all day long.

[Jim Harding]

A few pictures to show you what I'm replacing the SA/Dove rocker arm set with. Rockers by Erson and pushrods will be coming from Smith Brothers. From just looking at them, I think this will be the end of my rocker arm breakage issues.