Anyone using the Weber rocker shaft braces?

[TR Custom Parts]

No burned fingers Earl! Put a bolt thru the brace and laid it flat on the belt sander and whittled away. Pushed down on it with a square of padding I had laying around. Dunked in water when it got too hot. Too bad something so simple wasn't the right dimensions, at least to me anyway.

 

[Pronto]

Back in Black.

 

[earlbrown]

View attachment 250205 No burned fingers Earl! Put a bolt thru the brace and laid it flat on the belt sander and whittled away. Pushed down on it with a square of padding I had laying around. Dunked in water when it got too hot. Too bad something so simple wasn't the right dimensions, at least to me anyway.

That's hotrodding. It's just not right if you don't have to massage ever part you get... except that timing cover of course


(and those sweet looking bolts)

 

[SS/GN]

I use the RJC braces and they were .700 thick. I like Jasons because he sinks the bolt in the brace so you can use a stock bolt. I bought an extra set and put 3 on each side. Nice motor Mark, hurry up spring is around the corner

 

[TR Custom Parts]

Longer bolts were supplied with the Webers and had enough for ALL the shaft bolt locations. Maybe they might have worked as is but too close for comfort to me. All good now. Car probably won't be back on the road til June at this point. Getting some body panels painted as well and we all know how that goes.

 

[czimpel]

From RJC's website.

 

[earlbrown]

Since the shafts are hollow (and weakened with a hole) every Buick V6 should have had these from the factory. Torquing a flat bolt down on a springy hollow round, is asking for it

I never understood the 'manufacturing costs' thing. Granted it cuts down on material costs by 1/3, but it's miniscule dollar wise. The main costs to make them are effort.

 

[czimpel]

Has anyone ever just made a solid steel rocker shaft? If not, why?

 

[RmvBfrFlght]

Has anyone ever just made a solid steel rocker shaft? If not, why?

At one time someone did make solid shafts (T/A maybe?). The issue with either the stock, HD, or solid shafts is the heat treatment. They need to be surface hardened to a decent depth in order to provide the proper surface for the rocker arm to bear on.

This makes that part of the shaft brittle. Go too deep with the hardening and now the shaft is brittle throughout and much more susceptible to cracking.

Then as Earl mentions the bolt bears down on just two small locations on the shaft. Which stresses the shaft and breakage occurs right across the bolt hole.

On a stock engine this really isn't much of an issue, as long as the 25 #/lb of bolt torque is adhered too. Now go with higher RPM and higher rated valve springs, then the trouble begins.

RemoveBeforeFlight

 

[earlbrown]

I've been thinking about tooling up and making solid shafts for a while now. I just have a feeling I'd end up getting buried with them.

 

[Mike Licht]

BOP Engineering made them we sold tons of them, They quit making them

 

[earlbrown]

If tons could be sold, I might see what the current material costs are. I just can't have a break-even point of 10 years.

The print I drew up years ago is pretty sweet. Either screw-in rocker retainers shielded in UHMW or plain ole push in plastics.

 

[czimpel]

Earl, have there been any thoughts of a push in round slug that is pre drilled to just stiffen the stock shaft? It maybe still too weak around the bolt hole that way though.

 

[Mike Licht]

at this stage of the game anything that has to be made in large quantity has no payback. The market just wont support it. Thats why the shafts were discontinued. There is already two people making braces no room for a third sales wise IMO.

 

[earlbrown]

Earl, have there been any thoughts of a push in round slug that is pre drilled to just stiffen the stock shaft? It maybe still too weak around the bolt hole that way though.

Years ago I thought about making some slugs with holes in them to knock into the I.D. of the shaft. On paper it's an awesome idea to help with the stress risers. The application would be a little different though.

Installing them in a used shaft would be iffy as they aren't round anymore. Forcing them back up into position might create a bunch of microcracks. If so, that would make them worse as the only way to have a crack is to start with one.

Some people might play hell getting them in and in the right place without knocking them in and out a dozen times. And most importantly, after they're installed you still have two 'flats' on the bolt pushing down on a 'round'.

In that case, it seems easier to me to just start with a better shaft and be done with it.

 

[BuickMike]

I think TA still makes the thicker shafts. I bought a set back when I was putting together my motor. That was 3 or 4 years ago. Check out the comparison. I sold my set of 4 RJC braces and went this way.

 

[trixdout]

I think TA still makes the thicker shafts. I bought a set back when I was putting together my motor. That was 3 or 4 years ago. Check out the comparison. I sold my set of 4 RJC braces and went this way.

Last summer when going roller, I went with the thicker ta shaft and the 4 rjc braces. Seems to be doing alright on a very mild mild roller *knocks on wood*.

 

[Mike Licht]

since roller rockers just took another big price jump there might be something there, we would sell them I know

 

[earlbrown]

Hmmm. Maybe I need to revisit some shafts next time I'm at the foundry/machine shop working on my timing cover project.