Sr rocker arm broke, how to prevent?

[stevecorrado88]

Setup
S13 sr
Gt3071r 21 psi top mount
Tial external wastegate
Stock bottom
Poncams
Rocker arm stopper
Power fc
740cc injectors
Isis intake mani
Q45 tb

I think that's it so my car never breaks on the street no matter how much I beat on it, last 2 dfaction events I lost a shim and most recent broke a rocker arm. I hit rev limit a lot but that's only set to 7000. My question is should I put bc spring or stick with oem internals? My plan is jut to replace the shims and rocker arm but not sure if it's going to keep happening due to weak springs. Any advice would be great.

[jr_ss]

You should put better springs in it... Tomei or JWT are the best.

[stevecorrado88]

Even if I'm not reving it past stock??

[ray666]

check your lifter and make sure its okay

[jr_ss]

You're hitting your rev limit regardless, you tossed a rocker arm because you hit your rev limit. Stiffer springs well help prevent that even if you only rev to 7k. Another thing that would help, make sure your clearances are right. There is a spec for rocker shims.

[stevecorrado88]

I was thinking about buying new shims who knows how old they are also read that's it's a big pain to measure clearance of shims, you can't just use a normal gauge.

[hOngsterr]

Tomei 13220R300 Rocker Arm Stoppers (RAS) SR20DET (http://www.frsport.com/Tomei-13220R300-Rocker-Arm-Stoppers--RAS--SR20DET_p_1174.html)

done done.

[cotbu]

Rocker arm stoppers don't prevent: lost shim/guides or broken rocker arms!
You should bleed the lifters, even if you don't get new springs.
I would also remeasure the shims, but only if there was ever the possibility they got mixed up.

[stevecorrado88]

I already have ras I wrote that above. That's probably y I broke my rocker arm in half.

[TheRealSy90]

Get rid of the rocker arm stoppers. They cause more harm than good. If the motor wants to throw a rocker and the stoppers are holding it down, shit is going to break. I have been running jwt s4 cams for over a year and beat the shit out of my 7500 rev limit on stock valvetrain. I have never thrown a rocker.

What you should do is, throw the stoppers in the trash. Buy another set of the rocker arm guides, the "slotted shims". Have the rockers machined on the outer edge of the arm that was normally on the flat shim as shown in the picture, so that you can run the guides on both arms. After doing this run on the limiter for days. Everything is explained very well in this thread. http://www.sr20-forum.com/all-motor/53841-slotted-rocker-arm-shims.html It is a proven method that the fwd guys have been using for years. I never understood why rwd sr owners run rocker arm stoppers, fwd owners figured out how to fix it a long time ago.

http://www.sr20-forum.com/all-motor/53841-slotted-rocker-arm-shims.html

http://www.nicoclub.com/articles/images/IMG_0403.jpg

[stevecorrado88]

Get rid of the rocker arm stoppers. They cause more harm than good. If the motor wants to throw a rocker and the stoppers are holding it down, shit is going to break. I have been running jwt s4 cams for over a year and beat the shit out of my 7500 rev limit on stock valvetrain. I have never thrown a rocker.

What you should do is, throw the stoppers in the trash. Buy another set of the rocker arm guides, the "slotted shims". Have the rockers machined on the outer edge of the arm that was normally on the flat shim as shown in the picture, so that you can run the guides on both arms. After doing this run on the limiter for days. Everything is explained very well in this thread. slotted rocker arm shims? - SR20 Community Forum - The Dash (http://www.sr20-forum.com/all-motor/53841-slotted-rocker-arm-shims.html) It is a proven method that the fwd guys have been using for years. I never understood why rwd sr owners run rocker arm stoppers, fwd owners figured out how to fix it a long time ago.

slotted rocker arm shims? - SR20 Community Forum - The Dash (http://www.sr20-forum.com/all-motor/53841-slotted-rocker-arm-shims.html)

http://www.nicoclub.com/articles/images/IMG_0403.jpg


Thank you, I have read something about this before but I will do this.

[stevecorrado88]

Well I read everything and believe I understand it all but when it comes to measuring the clearance can u use a normal feeler gauge?? I'm confident enough that I want to do the double guide for the rocker arms but I don't have much experience in guide clearance. I no that the slotted shims are the same size and the other shim is where the difference would be.

[steve shadows]

There are a few things that I would do. First of all take the chance to upgrade your cams to better cams like HKS 264 step 2 or Tomei ProCams and get better valve springs. Then you should also get your hands on a shim tool and re-shim your valve shims that the rocker arms sit on. There are a few threads on how to re-shim your head. This will make a huge difference in making the rocker arms vibrate less and run smoother without the higher chance of flying off when hitting a hard cut rev limiter.

RAS will actually be more liketly to break the rocker arms than to prevent them from flying off. I mean they do stop them from flying off but in many cases they break instead. I suggest using the RAS but you need to do the Re-Shim and then also you need to have some sort of rev-limit control. I suggest upgrading to an EMS system that allows you to adjust the spot where your rev limiter is. A great and affordable way to go is to go with a power fc L-jetro. This should help a lot. Thanks and good luck!

[fliprayzin240sx]

2 words: Solid Lifters

[jr_ss]

2 words: Solid Lifters

I'm going to one up you with two better words, SR20VE head...

[stevecorrado88]

I'm going to check my shims and if they are good then next step would be springs and retainers.

[Croustibat]

How about just NOT bouncing off the rev limiter ? Simplest fix ever. And it is free.

[TheRealSy90]

How about bouncing off the rev limiter more. That's what I do.

[jr_ss]

How about just NOT bouncing off the rev limiter ? Simplest fix ever. And it is free.

Sure that sounds simple and all, but when you're staging, once boost kicks in, rev limit is almost too easy to hit. I know I've unintentionally bounced off the limit before warming my tires. Even if we aren't talking about drag, if you're sliding, you hit the limiter more. It's there for a reason, however if you have upgraded components, you could safely bump it up to 7500 or so. He could also try a soft cut limiter vs a hard cut limiter.

[enohand]

I hit 8200 al day everyday, & no problem with rockers being thrown.....
but im FWD & running some Cam gears & BC Stg II

[hobbs]

I hit 8200 al day everyday, & no problem with rockers being thrown.....
but im FWD & running some Cam gears & BC Stg II

uh huh.....

[enohand]

not sure i understand jake?

[jr_ss]

I hit 8200 al day everyday, & no problem with rockers being thrown.....
but im FWD & running some Cam gears & BC Stg II

not sure i understand jake?

What he is saying is your post is useless. It doesn't help the OP and no one cares that you rev your DE/DET to 8200. Not to mention BC cams are garbage.

[stevecorrado88]

Sure that sounds simple and all, but when you're staging, once boost kicks in, rev limit is almost too easy to hit. I know I've unintentionally bounced off the limit before warming my tires. Even if we aren't talking about drag, if you're sliding, you hit the limiter more. It's there for a reason, however if you have upgraded components, you could safely bump it up to 7500 or so. He could also try a soft cut limiter vs a hard cut limiter.

What is soft cut limiter ?? Im only reving to 7000 but I also have 380 hp so it's hitting that pretty hard, I think it's a shim problem because it should be able to handle 7000. I've only have this problem at events and I feel like I've hit rev harder on the street sometimes.

[jr_ss]

What is soft cut limiter ?? Im only reving to 7000 but I also have 380 hp so it's hitting that pretty hard, I think it's a shim problem because it should be able to handle 7000. I've only have this problem at events and I feel like I've hit rev harder on the street sometimes.

A hard cut is an instant stop to Fuel or Ignition and a soft cut is a progressive or gradual cut.

It very well could be a shim issue, especially if it is happening on the same cyl. I honestly think you should increase your limiter as well.

[stevecorrado88]

When I went to the dyno I lost power at like 6500 so I won't be making anything plus if I'm floating shims and rockers now it deff won't help at higher rpm on stock springs.

[jr_ss]

When I went to the dyno I lost power at like 6500 so I won't be making anything plus if I'm floating shims and rockers now it deff won't help at higher rpm on stock springs.

How are you losing power with a 3071R at 6500? Especially at 21psi?

[stevecorrado88]

How are you losing power with a 3071R at 6500? Especially at 21psi?

I'm only running 256/256 cams

[jr_ss]

Any particular reason you have that size cam with a large intake manifold, q45 throttle body, and a top mount 3071R?

[stevecorrado88]

Cams I had so I used them, intake mani is cleaner and easier to work with and water gain it will do for hp, q45 cuz stock tb kept breaking, 3071r because I wanted to see the difference from a 2871r that I had in the same setup in a different car. Is there any reason y I shouldn't have this?? Plus I wanted to prepare for the future if I wanted bigger cams .

[jr_ss]

No reason, you just have small cams for your intake/turbo setup. Typically you'd see atleast 264s in a similar setup motor.

Check your valve lash, and put it back with in spec if it is out. If you continue to have the issue upgrade your springs. Your motor would like 264s more as well.

[stevecorrado88]

I might get cams over the winter just want to make sure this problem stops first.

[TheRealSy90]

Get rid of the cams you have and get JWT's. The ramp is a lot better design for sr. Also do the other things I said in my previous posts. I still don't understand why you have the rev limiter lower than stock. I think the fact that I can beat up 7500 without a problem on stock valvetrain really shows how much better the jwt camshafts are.

[jr_ss]

Get rid of the cams you have and get JWT's. The ramp is a lot better design for sr. Also do the other things I said in my previous posts. I still don't understand why you have the rev limiter lower than stock. I think the fact that I can beat up 7500 without a problem on stock valvetrain really shows how much better the jwt camshafts are.

He said power starts to drop off at 6500. If that is the case, there is no reason to rev it out.

I do agree though, new cams will wake that motor up.

[stevecorrado88]

I couldn't find the shim. Took the Pan off and it wasn't there and I don't see it in the head, any other place I could check?

[cotbu]

If not in the pan, worst case it got lodged somewhere!
Most likely case, in one of the oil filled pockets in the head right next to the springs, look harder!

[Dori90]

How about just NOT bouncing off the rev limiter ? Simplest fix ever. And it is free.

whats the fun on that.. the whole point is to break things lol.. jp i have a bee-r limiter and im getting to carried away