[Bill Hanlon]

Has anyone on this forum actually used these rocker arms?

[60man]

Originally Posted by Bill Hanlon

Has anyone on this forum actually used these rocker arms?

Which ones?

[Bill Hanlon]

forgot the pointer to the rockers

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pontiac-1955...-/151104715310

[Jack Gifford]

I've never seen them. The seller says they are made by Packard and Kanter Auto, so I'm guessing they are probably okay. [Also guessing he meant made by Packard and sold by Kanter]

[Jack Gifford]

Hmm... I see that Kanter and Packard are at the same address??
I also see that Kanter still lists the '56 rocker arms- a set is slightly more money than the eBay seller, but they can also be bought individually from Kanter.

[MJVAUGHANS]

Yes bill I have used them.
Here is a post by me on this forum on 3/27/14:

The stock rocker studs are 3/8". So what I did was order a set of replacement rocker arms,balls, and nuts from Falcon Global on the internet for a 55 Pontiac. They came with holes in the arms, the balls were solid, and the nuts are not self locking. None of this is correct for 1955. (I contacted them to tell them). Then I ordered replacement hollow pushrods from summit racing based on the stock length and end type. Then I installed the pushrods, rocker balls, rocker arms, non-locking nuts, then sbc crimped lock nuts to jamb lock them. I am still using the stock lifters because I cannot get a direct answer/agreement on what will work on the 1955. They have a different oem part number than the other years.

Another by me:
Update and observations:
I gave up on the roller rocker idea for now and broke down and ordered a set of stamped steel replacements from falcon global(they get them from Kanter). They have a listing for both the 1955 and the 1956. I ordered the 1956 instead of the 1955 because they would have 3/8" rocker balls and the 1955 would have 5/16" (my studs are 3/8").

Besides the 3/8 vs. 5/16 discrepancies there were a couple of other things to note about them.
1. The rocker balls I got are the same diameter and height, but they are not hollow for the stud oiling.
2. The pushrod sockets have the hole drilled in them for the pushrod oiling.
3. The nuts that came with them are not self locking, crimped or otherwise. (That is probably correct for 1956 since they were just supposed to be torqued down with no adjustment, in 1955 they were adjustable.)

So ignoring that my studs are 3/8 instead of 5/16 for whatever reason(remember first year GMC V8), these rocker sets that Kanter is selling are not exactly correct factory replacements.

My plan for now unless I change my mind is to use the new stamped steel, let them pushrod oil, polish my hollow balls and reuse them so it will also stud oil and use sbc crimped nuts and double nut them.

And another:
Here is some interesting info. I contacted comp cams about what I was trying to do, install roller tip rockers like their sportsman series, on my 287cu. a while back and here is their response:

ME Does COMP or anybody else sell a 3/8" stud Pontiac rocker arm? The only thing I can find for a Pontiac is for 7/16" stud. My 1955 287cu studs are 3/8".

If not could I run the 3/8" balls with the 7/16" rocker arms? What I mean is does the size of the pivot ball and locknut designate it as 7/16" but the actual rocker may be the same?

THEM Ihave done some checking, and it will be ok for you to swap the pivot balls.

There will be a little more space between the rocker stud and the slot in the rocker, than on a normal setup, but it should be fine.

The 3/8" pivot balls are part# 1400B-16. A set sells for $10.31.

Thanks,
Matt Maxwell
COMP Performance Group
Technical Consultant.

[pfilean]

Another point about the Comp roller tip rockers if you try to go that way. I bought a set for my 61 a few years back. Came with new balls and both 3/8 and 7/16 lock nuts (or maybe it was 5/16 and 3/8 - been few years). But the lock nuts would not work. Seems like the balls are about 1/8 thicker that the stock. I think Comp is trying to get the nuts up higher on the threads so you can adjust to their specified preload on the lifters and not adjust to the torque load used by the Pontiac engineers. In my case, because of the extra 1/8 thickness in the balls the crimp on the top of the nuts would not come down to the threads to lock them. So I was forced to find a set of nuts that have a dimple put in three of the hex sides to distort the threads and lock the nut. Kind of shade tree but has been working for several years. Maybe I was supposed to also get shorter pushrods so the nuts would run down further on the studs and lock. But my contact point on the valves stem is right as is so I don't want to change it.

[Bill Hanlon]

Thanks for the info MJVAUGHANS. I passed it along to the guy asking over on the old Pontiac e-mail list.