Self aligning rockers or guide plates?

[Samckitt]

I may be buying new rocker arms here soon & was wondering what you feel is better, self aligning or guide plates?

It's a 95 motor, from factory it had self aligning rockers, but I bought a set of roller rockers that were not self aligning, so I got guide plates.

[Lowend]

If you've already got the guide plates installed, than use em

[FR67C]

Check pushrods, should be hardened for use with guide plates

[Samckitt]

Check pushrods, should be hardened for use with guide plates

I already have hardened push rods now. I can easily remove the guide plates if I bought self aligning rockers. I didn't know if there was an advantage of one over the other.

[TT302Z28]

Both accomplish the same thing. The issue with guide plates is that if your geometry is off they will bind verses the self aligning do just that.

Be sure if you are taking a set of 1995 heads and using a bid cam with them that you drill out the push rod holes. The holes in many of these heads were never meant to support the angles that the push rods will be in at higher lifts.

[Samckitt]

I guess I should explain whey I am asking. I have been through 2 or 3 sets of guide plates trying to find a set that puts the roller tip exactly centered on the valve stem. None seem to do that, so I was already debating getting a set of adjustable guide plates to allow me to center them correctly. Well I have bought a different cam & to get the lift advertised on it I need 1.6 rockers. So if I decide to buy them I was debating getting the self aligning ones & not have to worry with the guide plates. But I didn't know if one method was preferred over the other.

Tim, thanks for that info, I was not aware of that originally. The cam in it now has .540" lift with 1.5 rockers & didn't have any problems. The one I bought has .530" with 1.5 rockers so I will be OK. Lift advertised as .565 (that is with 1.6 rockers)

Thanks

[TT302Z28]

With that size cam on a sbc it is important to use a pushrod checker too. If your not in the right area of the valve at full lift you can wipe out your guides, bend the valve or worst case run the roller off the valve stem.

Good luck.