Crane Sportsman Rockers vs T&D On FE

[R-WEST]

Looking at the valvetrain for my upcoming 445 stroker, and wondering about using Crane's "Sportsman" setup or T&D's.

I'll be using either a solid-lifter cam with ~120# seat/320# open; or hydraulic roller - 150# seat/440# open.

Opinions?

Thanks!!

[ScotiaFE]

I don't think you could go wrong with either set up.

[manofmerc]

Are you referring to #34790-16? This is the kit that has aluminum rockers steel stands,endstands and arp studs?If so I have that seup on my edel. headed 427 .I had to have my rocker stands milled down to get my valve geomentry correct .I think I had one of the first off the assembly line .From what I understand crane corrected this and the new ones are good to go .So far mine have been trouble free .I have more spring pressure than you.145 closed and 380 open .I havent heard any body other than myself running the crane setup .The pricing when I bought mine was less than $500 (2006) And if I somehow misunderstood your post and the rockers you were inquiring about are the crane ductile iron like the originals ford installed .They should work fine also .

[R-WEST]

Thanks manofmerc.
Yep, those are the ones I'm talking about - they're around $1,000  now...
So are the ones from Comp.
The cam's not going to be super wild (235/240 @ 0.050 & .560/.570), so I might even go with the stock Ford adjustable setup, but, with all the parts, even they're pushing $500.. 

[CaptCobrajet]

I'm gonna have to give the T&D a plug.  For the money, the light duty T&D is just right for a lighter duty set-up.  I like the single shaft set-up to about 550 lbs over the nose.  After that, I'd go to the paired shaft T&D stuff.  I think their stuff is just plain "the best".  Nothing at all wrong with Doug Garifo's (Precision Oil Pumps) stuff for your app.  I think he can set you up for a little less than the T&D.  I sell both, but Doug will also deal with you direct.  Be prepared for several weeks wait if you go T&D.  I try to keep some on the shelf, but they make to order,  and they move pretty fast..............I think Barry, Keith Craft,  and some of the other vendors also try to keep T&D on hand.

[Barry_R]

Pretty much agree with Blair as to the quality aspects - the T&D street set is an assemble and go sort of deal.  They also include mounting studs which eases about $100 out of the difference.  And yes - you best plan on a 2-3 week wait at the least - they got pretty far behind earlier this year and I've never been able to get any inventory built up. 

No experience with the later iteration of Crane, but the older version had issues.  The Comp parts are Dove in another box - not in the same zip code as the T&D from a quality perspective, but the head stud mounted end support has some merit.  The slip on rockers and end support kits from either my stuff (Dove & billet) or Doug Garifo (his own) are very usable at your level, but end up costing around $700 by the time you acquire studs.  Doug's rockers are nicer.

[Ford428CJ]

I would run Dougs set-up over the T&D for what you have! Save that extra coin and put it elsewhere. Nothing wrong with ether one but why spend $300+ and still have the same outcome. JMHO

[afret]

I'll be the oddball and prefer the bushed Harland Sharp rockers  with POP shaft, stands, and spacers.  I tend to remove the rockers pretty often and it makes it a lot easier to have a ball adjuster on the rocker to keep all 8 pushrods in place as you tighten down the stands.  With cup adjusters like T+D or POP it makes it really hard to keep the pushrods in place even with grease in the cup.  They are both very nice rockers though.  The cup adjusters are great if you can take two rockers off at a time like with the race T+D setup.