T&D base welding

I just received a T&D shaft rocker assembly.
Question is regarding welding shaft bases together.
Mild steel "strap" between the intake and exhaust bases? 1/2" X 1/8" thick mild steel material be ok?
T&D mentioned some using an allen wrench cut up and welded between bases to prevent rotation.
Ideas? a picture would be great too.
TIG or MIG?

I saw some that were welded together using 1/4" round rod between the ends. Looked like they were welded with a mig.

Here is a picture of a set of mine done they are Cleveland heads with a Jesel pedestals but it show the tie bars.

FalconEh wrote:Here is a picture of a set of mine done they are Cleveland heads with a Jesel pedestals but it show the tie bars.

Thank you for the picture.
It looks like 1/8" thick X 3/8" tie bars?

Were they mild steel? How did you weld? TIG or MIG?

Yes, to the 1/8" x 3/8" as I recall they were TIG welded, I do not remember the type or material of rod used, I didn't weld them (not confident enough nor enough experience with a welder) they were done about 5-years ago.

Mild steel works fine, welding makes it not so mild anymore. Mine are ww's made with a one piece for the intake side.the exhaust fit close enough to just tig together.

16 sub plates is a sad deal .

Seems to me you pay that much for a product you shouldn't have to fix it.. to use it.. Kind of a waste of money ......

I agree. Are they not stable?

I believe there were so many machining issues (and valve tip heights) with the old A429 heads that it ends up easier to adjust each stand individually and then weld then together. The stands themselves require a small welded attachment for anti-rotation purposes.

My set up required a 0.040" spacer under the intake stands and no spacer under the exhaust stands.
Valve tip pattern looks fantastic - 0.060" wide sweep pattern.

68galaxie wrote:I believe there were so many machining issues (and valve tip heights) with the old A429 heads that it ends up easier to adjust each stand individually and then weld then together. The stands themselves require a small welded attachment for anti-rotation purposes.

My set up required a 0.040" spacer under the intake stands and no spacer under the exhaust stands.
Valve tip pattern looks fantastic - 0.060" wide sweep pattern.

The minimal adjustment on the rockers, means individually adjusting the stands some may be shimmed, some may be machined. After adjusting and numbering for that and only that set of cylinder heads welding the bars in makes removal and installation easier, and adds a little insurance against one of the bolts compromising the threads in the head.

The tabs are not "necessary"  on T&D rockers. I added them for convenience as my rockers ( 351C application) have to be removed to access the head bolts. The welded on locating tabs make reinstallation a snap and since every one of my stands was machined for optimum geometry, the "pairs" are always returned to the proper cylinder. The small extra effort makes installation foolproof.

gt350hr wrote:The tabs are not "necessary"  on T&D rockers. I added them for convenience as my rockers ( 351C application) have to be removed to access the head bolts. The welded on locating tabs make reinstallation a snap and since every one of my stands was machined for optimum geometry, the "pairs" are always returned to the proper cylinder. The small extra effort makes installation foolproof.

If the locating tabs were not present what prevents the rocker from rotating? Is the 7/16" attaching bolt sufficient?

The only consistent thing about racing parts is that they all need something just a little different on just about every application. That is why the best builders a meticulous about clearances. The convenience of shaft rockers is worth any little modification it takes to make you comfortable with them.

I have a set In a 557 I got from a buddy of mine. He bolted the standa right on top of the guide plates and weld them on. Then he cut the "U" part of the guide plate off.

I have a direct bolt on deal with my Jesels! No hassles at all. I just know push rod length is critical as there not a lot of adjustment in the adjuster on any shaft system



Ace

dfree383 wrote:Don't they make a single piece stand set-up ?

Mine were a single piece for all of the intakes. Then the exhaust stands bolted to the one intake stand.