Converter and Roller Rockers advice needed

[Maxedwell]

Hey brothers - Could use some advice; especially from those of you who've done any of this work already.

I'm going to have one of the guys from the local boards do some performance mods for me (I'm no mechanic): LT4 hot cam, springs and roller rockers, headers, new stall, PC Tune.

Questions:
1. Converter: What stall speed should I shoot for? MY car is a daily driver and I don't want to get too radical. I've heard every suggestion from 2400 - 3400. A guy on eBay recently was honest enough to talk me out of buying his 3,000 converter saying it was too much for my application. What do you guys think? I won't be going to track; only occasional street race against cocky 'Stangs and the Mitsubishi 3000 that snuck up on me this morning!

2. Roller Rockers - I've been advised to install new 1.6 roller rockers (self-alligning) with my new cam. Been told I'll pick up as much as 20 extra horses. But again, I'm getting conflicting advice. Some guys say that the 1.6 won't clear unless I'm using aftermarket heads. I am sticking with the stock heads for now (not enough money for new ones). Will 1.6s be a problem?

Thanks for any and all advice!


Maxedwell
wcraft@kahoks.org

[redws6]

i would call the company for the stall converter, tell them the specs on your cam, and then go from there. it always helps to have your car listed in your sig so we can give you more accurate answers....

as for the roller rockers, they will free up some power, i think whoever told you they wouldnt fit the heads meant they might have trouble clearing the valve covers. that is if you have a lt1 or lt4. you might wanna look into getting tall valve covers.

[fastTa]

To a point, there isn't so much too much converter, but there most definitely is such a thing as too little of converter stall. If you do a search on torque converter on this board you will find some very valuable information. 3000 is definitely not too much for your application, but it will depend on factors such as gearing, vehicle weight, power (specifically torque), cam specs/headflow, and auto or manual. This is where the sig comes in handy.

LT1 heads utilize a screw-in type rocker stud so most 1.6 aftermarket rockers should have no problem attaching to the head itself. Even the stronger 7/16" studs will screw right in. Depending on the type of rocker and whether or not it is SA(self aligning) or NSA(non self aligning) will dicate the valve cover drip rail clearance. The stock valve covers can be easily modified to accomodate most rockers. And obviously you can always get a taller, better looking valve cover as well.