If you’ve read our warning on engine builders using low grade no-name rods and cranks, a very similar situation exists in the roller rocker market. We do not use or sell off-shore, (no-name) roller rockers, period. They have proven to be faulty in many ways. The center trunnions are not polished, nor is the center of the roller tip true to size or polished. Metal fragments are often left inside the trunnion housing and will cause destruction of the needle bearings.

The aluminum alloys used cheap rockers are never aircraft aluminum alloys as are used in all USA made roller rockers. They often mention the alloy as being 6061, and that is a very soft form of aluminum. The 6061 alloy used on these will assure rocker-flex on any higher than stock spring pressures, and this will reduce performance. The pins and keepers that hold the parts together are often of poor quality and improperly installed. The front roller will usually "scoot" along the valve tip, as it can't roll properly due to rough internal surfaces. 

We have seen valve tips that were scalloped out due to the front roller dragging across them. This will cause the valves to side-load against the valve guides in the heads and surely cause damage to them if  run like this for very long.  

We use Scorpion, Comp Ultra Pro Magnum, and Comp Gold Arc rockers in all of our engines. The difference in these compared to the low grade no-name rockers on the market is huge.

We have scrutinized these products in the past and found all of the above problems, and I can tell you there are most likely many more. We would not use them in an engine under any circumstances. You will also see many of these rockers made from stainless on the market. They use a very low grade stainless that actually has a near non-existent amount of nickel in them, but that's not the real problem with them, as stainless steel has no advantage over high grade heat treated steel when it comes to a roller rocker. The lack of hardness of the rocker body is the real problem.

Stainless Rockers

Stainless rockers have the same problems mentioned above. These are the roller rockers you see on the market for around $119 and up to $169 for the so called "stainless" versions. They are not worth putting in your engine, unless it's a budget back yard stock build up that has a very low spring pressure, with a cam that has very low lift. Even then you would be better off with the stock stamped rockers instead of "stainless" rockers.

We have heard of many engines using these rockers that came apart and spilled needle bearings into the engine, only to end up in the oil pump. It seems like some engine builders do not care how long the parts in your engine last, or they simply don't know this. I can tell you for sure that using such low grade, "no-name" roller rockers is asking for trouble. 

Please browse our selection of roller rockers, you'll find only high quality products in our catalog.