DeTomaso Mailing List: September 99, Message #214

In a message dated 9/6/99 8:23:07 PM, n6kyr@value.net writes:

<< Just wanted to know what the part number was for the "factory" performance 
rocker arms that Ford put out. 
Probably you're thinking of the ones that used stock stamped steel rockers 
with two thin sets of caged needle bearings on special trunnions. IMHO, they 
are curiosities in this day & age but are sometimes still run in Vintage 
racing simply because they are a little better than the stock sleds, and were 
legal on Trans-Am racers. Hi-po 289s and Boss 302s used them in competition 
but I doubt if the 25+ yr old Ford p/ns are still any good. Note you still 
have to convert to stud mounted rockers to run them.

Better yet, I heard that there was an aftermarket version that utilized nylon 
"sled"/rocker combos. >>
There may be nylon-coated sleds, but under reasonable spring pressures and 
220+ degree oil, the nylon (or teflon) coating ain't gonna hang around 
long.... If I was you and wanted to do something trick AND cheap, I'd simply 
run stamped steel big-block Chevy rockers with roller tips. The ball-pivot is 
lower friction than the Ford sled and there are a blue-million of them around 
so they're cheap. You'll need studs rather than the long bolts you now have 
(Crane makes a conversion system that takes no machining). You do give up 
some cam lift with them, though since they are 1.70:1 while real 351C rockers 
are 1.73:1 Cheers- J DeRyke