427 high riser oem heads rocker shafts

[427HRmike]

New to join, not new to learning and getting insight from all on here. Thank you!

I have a 427 high riser that has been in the family for years. It has been through a few drag boat races in its day, but its time I pull it out of the boat and put it in a 64 Fairlane, which is what my late uncle wanted to do and has been my dream also.

I'm running the old school Isky cast iron adjustable rockers and OEM cast iron rocker arm shaft stands which I plan to keep. My question is  should I get new standard rocker arm shafts or get the POP shafts. I know the end stands are a good choice but with a high riser I am limited to DOVE HR end stands which use the head bolt from what I am told. I can't find a lot of info/pictures or any instructions on those. What I have seemed to last for years, but then again boats are not used as much as a car would be used. The cam is a crane solid with .625 lift, I plan on putting a comp solid lifter in the .571 to .605 lift range.

[HvyFt4spd]

 I ended up with a set of street TD's modified for Hiriser but when I had intended to run a similar setup Blair had end supports cut for Hiriser heads so you might want to ask him. There isn't much for HIrisers as you already found but you still have some options. Dove may still have those if you check with them but you'll need to verify what size shaft they are for. I inquired and was only given the option of a beatup used set for stock shafts but more recently a couple friends purchased new parts that if I remember correctly were oversize. I've also bought POPS parts and the HD shafts which are stock OD but a smaller ID... I tend to lean towards overbuilding and for the money would buy them vs any current replacement even on a stock rebuild unless I found NOS Ford pieces for it. When you "need" them I'll leave to the pros but it's not a huge amount of cost for very nice upgrade.

[427HRmike]

Thanks  HvyFt4spd. If I had the money I would defiantly go for the T&D setup. I don't have a problem getting the DOVE ends stands but no one seems to talk about them good or bad. I would be interested in what Blair did for you, Doug told me there was not enough room under the shorter HR stands.

[HvyFt4spd]

 With the Dove stands I have never bought them but as you said they use the outer most head stud as an anchor point. When you talk Highrisers they often come up as being a great option. The iron head 482 Hiriser that Barry has on YouTube is owned by a friend and posted 699@7,000 from the sheets I was sent. He chose them through a recommendation from Ray Paquet and in now building a yet more serious iron headed Hiriser he has decided to use them again. I wish I had more direct information to share but that is limited to I have seen them and I would buy them myself for future projects if I ran across a new set.

  With Blair, I'm not sure if it's any secret to say more but basics I've seen him post is that he uses a different core stand end that is pocket milled to sit over the factory stand thus lowering it to the correct height. I had already bought all of Doug's parts for a stalled build with a flattappet cam so that was the original plan. The street TD's I purchased use a similar modification to the rail the rockers mount on. In both cases studs in the factory mounting location are the only anchor points. In the end we went this way to keep from milling the head for the race setup I had intended on.

 * note, I was thinking the street TD's used a rail similar to the Oregan cam design Richard posted below. I just left them in the package until this thread peaked my curiousity but looking at them and TD's site closely that is not the case. They use regular style stands and mine are milled down to fit the Hiriser pedistol.  On the end stands they are simply step milled as needed leaving the over hang the original height. Something interesting is that the spacers are made of what appears to Nylatron or a graphite impregnated Delrin like some British shaft setups.

,Dan

[TomP]

I would just get the good thick shafts and call it fine enough. It isn't likely using stiff enough valve springs to be snapping the ends off shafts. The iron HR stands are good. I used them on mine with a big roller, I think aluminum stands are just asking for more flex.

[427HRmike]

 Thanks again HvyFt4spd.
I met a guy running an FE in a rail at the March Meet a few years ago and still kick myself in the butt for not getting his name or contact info. He had a bag full off DOVE high riser end stands that looked un-used, not sure if he would have sold me a set but its not like I had that much cash with me at the time anyway. Like most, he had switched to the T&D race set up with what I thought were blue thunder HR heads and never looked back. He gave me a torque spec for OEM high riser heads that could add 50 to 80 horse power because of how thin the high risers are in some places causing the valves not to seat correctly. I'm starting to think High riser is a 4 letter word here? Ha ha No Jbrown,Blair, or Barry not to mention others.

Thank you TomP. That's kinda the answer I was hoping for. I always wondered what the chromoly shafts would do for you if you had the end stands. But since I am limited I was hoping the chromoly shafts with out the stands would do the trick. If I am right POP has excellent shafts with the correct factory OD I need to retain my rocker arms and stands, plus he is about 3 hours from my house.

[cammerfe]

Please be aware that Dove is in process of wrapping things up due to Jim's health. Good luck on getting parts from that source. Call before noon because Earl is only there in the morning, last I knew. Tying the end stands to the head studs is a really excellent way to stiffen the entire valvetrain. My own worked beautifully.

KS

[FERoadster]

I've somehow got a set of the Oregon Cams rocker shafts, stands plate and end plates that seem to be for a HR setup. How would I tell?
I'll never use them but they are available "cheap" if they are OK for someone's use. Ken at Oregon Cams said these are his that someone modified.

Richard >>> FERoadster

[HvyFt4spd]

 Richard,

 Simply measure the centerline of the shaft vs the surface that sits on the pedestal of the head. Hiriser uses the same valve spacing as MR and TP but with a shorter stand. I don't remember what the difference is exactly without digging up parts maybe .250 ?


 *Parts I mentioned were purchased within the last two months directly from Dove, I have no idea what they have in stock or not as in spite of being local I've usually decided to purchase parts from other sources. The stands are one of those parts that I feel was a good design and I'm surprised others have not adopted the idea. Credit where credit is due in my opinion, if a person "needs" them or not.

[427HRmike]

cammerfe - Thanks for the info, that's too bad. If I can't get a new set of HR end stands from DOVE I guess I will try POP shafts with out end supports and cross my fingers.

FERoadster- I might be interested if they were for a HR but from what I have read their set up is like all the others with the taller stands.

HvyFt4spd- If I did find the DOVE end stands, are the sealed power shafts the way to go? Or is there another brand that makes the standard duty?

[HvyFt4spd]

 Hey, Mike

   That's not a question I can answer as I've never used or bought those. Maybe PM one of the dealers here? I think there was a thread on the old FE. Ford forum some time ago that might be worth looking up as it's most of same crowd there.

What I can tell you is that when I bought all of the POP's stuff for my 406-462 it totaled the same money as the new BP/TD street set I have now. There is then additional cost to have them cut to fit Hiriser so you'd have to price that too. On the other hand what I really like about buying from Doug is that he sells every item by the piece. My funds are hit and miss so I placed three different orders breaking up the rocker setup and misc. engine parts so it wasn't some huge hit I had to try to save up for. 

 I like Tom's suggestion of stock parts on the HD shafts, he's run his for some time and I've asked his opinion on a few things myself. For me I usually go at least a step above for a sometimes false sense of security and nod toward future upgrades. The guy I used to work for often noted that people almost always want more/bigger/faster and those that he could talk into better parts never regretted it. The good enough types would bitch about the good enough price then bitch again when it broke or they needed to step up. I never forgot that but to be fair I'm the guy above pricing 2k plus rods. Lol I think you should make some calls, send some emails and draw your own conclusion.

  *Note the POP HD shaft is factory diameter, it has a smaller bore... so you can swap stock and similar size aftermarket parts on them.