Some know Im having issues with the ported iron heads on the Riv. I still oil the top end through the rocker bar and have no issues with that. I'd said to myself in the past that if something happened to these heads I'd like to go Alumn. Maybe the stealth heads or a set of S1 SE's Rather than change the entire top end oiling and all the expense that would entail would it be possible to drill out a passage in the new heads to accommodate the 430's oiling system?
What issues are you having with the ol' irons? I'm still using mine & have another set in reserve without the AIR passages just-in-case...
See my thread compression leak. Basically one or more of the guides are gone. Getting closer to pulling the heads to see what's up in there.
Ahhh, I see. I had my heads re-done with bronze guides when I had the engine balanced/blueprinted about 20 years ago.
Only if they changed the water core, in a way that would not allow one to drill from the end rocker towers to the pressure passage coming out of the block, would this be not possible. You would have to call TA on that, unless someone here has done it in the past. I would be surprised if that in 15 years of production and sales, he has not had a 400/430 owner ask for this mod. JW
What makes it tough is the passage is not 90° to the deck. It could be done as JW states as long as the casting allows for it. A stock 400/430 head could be mounted in a mill and set to get the angle of the passage proper and then repeated on the aluminum head. I'd guess 3-4 hours of machine time, which would probably be about the same as sourcing the parts needed to convert to the later rockers.
Roller rockers, lifters and pushrods. Probably over a grand in todays prices. Kicking myself for selling a set of 1.6-1 rollers few years back for 350$
I've been using stock '68-'69 rockers and a set of adjustable push rods for 25+ years in a low 12-second stock appearing Buick big block without any issues. I swapped to a set of roller rockers at the track for a comparison test and saw ZERO improvement in performance so I swapped back to the stock rockers. So my opinion is skip the expensive rockers, buy some lifters and pushrods and move along. Actually since you will have new heads with consistent valve stem heights, you could just take a measurement and buy a set of fixed length pushrods for your car. I've had two sets of hybrid push rods (small ball on the lifter end, large ball on the other end to fit the '68-'69 rockers) made by Smith Brothers (www.pushrods.net) in the last month and both times they had them shipped out less than 48 hours after I placed the order.
Roller rockers are optional with aluminum heads. Although most guys upgrade both. I would buy the hd shafts from TA and not think twice.
Briz, You can actually just change the cup in the lifter, if it has no oil hole in it.. then get the tubular hybrid pushrods from Smith Brothers, and run the 68/9 rockers. I order these all the time, I can give you the part number, you just have to come up with the length. Normally I would tell you to replace the lifters, but that's problematic and expensive right now. If I had an older set of 70 up lifters around, I would take one out of the car, take it apart, and then compare it to your used set of oil thru the pushrod lifters. I think you will find the only difference is a lack of oil hole in the pushrod seat. Zero reason to spend over 1 K for roller rocker arms on your engine there. JW
If I remember correctly I have been using the 1406 lifters from day one. The adj rods I have are hollow and it should be pusing oil as far as the rocker cup. Hope to have the heads pulled over the weekend. In hindsight this job would have been much easier if I'd pulled the engine. Got everything unbolted and moved out of the way except the L header, intake and heads.
