Hi Jarrid, good to hear from you again
My understanduing is that the main purpose for lightening rockers was to
reduce valve train inertia, thus increasing the rev that valve bounce will
occur, and thus meaning lighter springs can be used. So the total valve
train stress gets reduced.
As far as hardening the tips again after refacing, I don't think it is
required. I had a machine shop reface mine and they did a real mess as the
radius is all wrong (i.e. no radius), and the rocker is hitting partly
against the side of the valve stem. I have only just noticed, but my valve
guides have already been shagged as a result. I am just about to reface
another set myself. Anyway, the ones that were done by the machine shop have
not noticeably worn after about 1000 miles (200 race), and all they did was
attack them with a grinder. Maybe the action against the stem self hardens
them.
Greg
----- Original Message -----
From: Jarrid Gross <jarrid_gross@earthlink.net>
To: <alpines@autox.team.net>
Sent: Wednesday, 7 February 2001 19:49
Subject: Polished Rocker fingers.
> Alpiners,
>
>
> Decided to get off my rear, and get back to alpining, when
> I stumbled across a couple sets of rocker towers I was going
> to do something with.
>
> I decided that I would lighten and polish them like the rootes works
> racers did in the good ole days.
> I actually sat down and polished 1 to see what was involved.
>
> The good news is "it CAN be done".
> The bad news is that the rockers are steel, not cast iron
> like I originally thought, and with well over an hours effort
> I was able only to smooth the casting flash and polish
> a single rocker.
>
> Now, before I get all gung ho about the other 7, would
> someone give me a good technical reason for why I should
> do this.
> "Smooth" sounds good, they look pretty, but if stress relief is
> the consensus, then is shot peening a better bet, or should
> I do both?
>
>
> While were on rockers, after I regrind the radius's on the rocker
> tips, what should I do to re-harden them?
> Years ago, we discussed casenite, but that was when I thought
> that the rockers were cast iron?
>
> Tom W. metalurgist et al?
>
>
>
> Jarrid Gross
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