I have a '77 with rail rockers, and I'm buying a set of reconditioned heads. Right now, I have a choice of '77, rail type, and using Comp Cams roller rockers, or '78, fulcrum guided (stamped steel), with standard rockers. Which way should I go with this? Are the '77 rails with rollers better than '78 with stock non rollers? I've had rail rockers, and no problems with them, but I have heard they can jump the valve tip. I don't race, and never ran across this problem, or heard of anyone having trouble with them, other than wear, but that would be very high mileage. Any opinions? Thanks a lot.
The difference would be CC. You need to check the casting numbers on the head. You do not want to go from say, a 63cc head to a 69 cc head. This would lower your performance. So your question is more than rocker arm type.
IIRC both the '77 and '78 SFB heads are 69cc. I, myself, prefer the rail rockers over those goofy bolt-down '78 stamped rockers. Have had a set on my Ranchero for years and as a 16 year old I beat the snot out of that 302 and never had a rocker pop off. And that was witht he Rpms floating in the 5500 range.
I have 1975 heads with rail type rockers. I have comp cams magnum roller rockers on my car. My car is a week-end toy and it is beaten with out mercy 5500RPM shifts (100hp nitrous kit too) on stock parts store rebuilt heads. I have never had any valvetrain failures. Oil pump, pistons, rods, gaskets and transmissions are another story though
Oh, I almost forgot My heads have an in-expensive kit from Comp that makes the rockers adjustable. It works very well also.
