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tips, technology, tools and techniques related to vehicle driveline components

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NixVegaGT
Nicolas Wiederhold
Minneapolis, MN
(659 posts)

Registered:
10/16/2007 05:30AM

Main British Car:
'73 Vega GT 4.9L Rover/Buick Stroker

authors avatar
Re: Question about the Olds F85 Rocker Arms
Posted by: NixVegaGT
Date: December 02, 2009 10:12AM

OK you hooked me. I've searched all over as well. I've seen two references by vintage Olds builders that Thomas was a manufacturer of custom adjustable rockers for Olds engines:
Quote:
Well, for those searching swaps and ebay for vintage Olds aftermarket parts, here's some manufacturers to be on the lookout for:
GOTHA, Thomas, and McGurk: variable ratio adjustable rocker arms and lifters/pushrods

I've found similar references a couple times. Not a single shred of information more extensive than that. Frustrating. I guess if they work, GREAT! Would have been cool to know if they were floating around though.


mabie1978
Michelle Pierce
Elyria, OH
(111 posts)

Registered:
08/25/2008 07:47PM

Main British Car:
1978 MGB 3.5 Rover V8

Re: Question about the Olds F85 Rocker Arms
Posted by: mabie1978
Date: December 02, 2009 10:23AM

Nic, sometimes they tell me a curious mind is a dangerous thing. Before long someone will lock me away :).


Greg55_99
Greg Williams

(102 posts)

Registered:
11/01/2007 07:12PM

Main British Car:
Re: Question about the Olds F85 Rocker Arms
Posted by: Greg55_99
Date: December 02, 2009 10:53AM

Yep, now that I'm digging, it looks like Thomas built adjustable rockers for the 303, 324, 371 Olds V8's. It looks like the ones you have are bushed to fit the Olds 215 shaft. Learn something every day...

[74.125.93.132]

Greg
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castlesid
Kevin Jackson
Sidcup UK
(361 posts)

Registered:
11/18/2007 10:38AM

Main British Car:
1975 MGB GT Rover V8 4.35L

Re: Question about the Olds F85 Rocker Arms
Posted by: castlesid
Date: December 03, 2009 06:54AM

Michelle,

Thanks for posting the pics, would be helpful if a clear picture of the push rod cup could be shown and possibly a pic of the adustor removed from the arm as I'm still not clear as to how the oiling actually works in respect of supply to the cup and the shafts themselves.

Kevin.


BlownMGB-V8
Jim Blackwood
9406 Gunpowder Rd., Florence, KY 41042
(6470 posts)

Registered:
10/23/2007 12:59PM

Main British Car:
1971 MGB Blown,Injected,Intercooled Buick 340/AA80E/JagIRS

authors avatar
Re: Question about the Olds F85 Rocker Arms
Posted by: BlownMGB-V8
Date: December 03, 2009 08:57AM

I would guess that it used thru-the-shaft oiling. That would be appropriate even with the tubular pushrods if the passages were available as a simple orifice could be used to limit the oil to the shafts.

Jim


castlesid
Kevin Jackson
Sidcup UK
(361 posts)

Registered:
11/18/2007 10:38AM

Main British Car:
1975 MGB GT Rover V8 4.35L

Re: Question about the Olds F85 Rocker Arms
Posted by: castlesid
Date: December 03, 2009 07:15PM

In one of the pics of the F85 rockers you can see an oil hole on the valve side, presumably to positively oil the rocker tip and possibly to add some cooling for the valve springs which could be important for circuit racing use.

Kevin.


mabie1978
Michelle Pierce
Elyria, OH
(111 posts)

Registered:
08/25/2008 07:47PM

Main British Car:
1978 MGB 3.5 Rover V8

Re: Question about the Olds F85 Rocker Arms
Posted by: mabie1978
Date: December 07, 2009 09:00AM

Well according to Mark up at D&D there is not a way to use them on the Rover application. So they will end up for sale sometime in the near future. :( But thanks for all the questions and advisement.



mabie1978
Michelle Pierce
Elyria, OH
(111 posts)

Registered:
08/25/2008 07:47PM

Main British Car:
1978 MGB 3.5 Rover V8

Re: Question about the Olds F85 Rocker Arms
Posted by: mabie1978
Date: December 08, 2009 03:18PM

Hey guys, Ted from Eaton Balancing sent me an ad he ran across regarding the rockers but other than that he had not seen them before for an Olds application. Here is the ad in case anyone is interested, they look similar with exception to the adjuster having a cup on it for the push rods.
Thomas Rockers ad 01.jpg


NixVegaGT
Nicolas Wiederhold
Minneapolis, MN
(659 posts)

Registered:
10/16/2007 05:30AM

Main British Car:
'73 Vega GT 4.9L Rover/Buick Stroker

authors avatar
Re: Question about the Olds F85 Rocker Arms
Posted by: NixVegaGT
Date: December 08, 2009 05:26PM

Bitchin'! So these were around to eliminate hydraulic lifters. Interesting. I went on "street view" and looks like there is nothing there but a few VX3 tags. I wonder what happened with them.


roverman
Art Gertz
Winchester, CA.
(3188 posts)

Registered:
04/24/2009 11:02AM

Main British Car:
74' Jensen Healy, 79 Huff. GT 1, 74 MGB Lotus 907,2L

Re: Question about the Olds F85 Rocker Arms
Posted by: roverman
Date: December 09, 2009 04:47PM

Story is, Mr Thomas, first name, Doubting, never tried mass marketing and therefore doubted the true potential for the market, much like England for aftermarket, Rover engine parts, heads, intake manifolds were produced, didn't sell to their expectations, possibly based on less than ideal marketing, so just gave-up! Sad near-misses, roverman.


castlesid
Kevin Jackson
Sidcup UK
(361 posts)

Registered:
11/18/2007 10:38AM

Main British Car:
1975 MGB GT Rover V8 4.35L

Re: Question about the Olds F85 Rocker Arms
Posted by: castlesid
Date: December 09, 2009 05:27PM

Nick,

Where the ad says collapse the hydraulic lifters, do you think this means that they are converted to solid lifters?

Also made of Magnesium so any original ones might have age related issues?

Kevin.
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castlesid
Kevin Jackson
Sidcup UK
(361 posts)

Registered:
11/18/2007 10:38AM

Main British Car:
1975 MGB GT Rover V8 4.35L

Re: Question about the Olds F85 Rocker Arms
Posted by: castlesid
Date: December 09, 2009 05:33PM

Found this Wikepedia link that shows Bill Thomas of Thomas automotive Products as a Charter member back in the early days of SEMA

[en.wikipedia.org]

Kevin.


roverman
Art Gertz
Winchester, CA.
(3188 posts)

Registered:
04/24/2009 11:02AM

Main British Car:
74' Jensen Healy, 79 Huff. GT 1, 74 MGB Lotus 907,2L

Re: Question about the Olds F85 Rocker Arms
Posted by: roverman
Date: December 09, 2009 06:45PM

"Bill Thomas Race Cars", in Anaheim int the 60's. Famous race cars, "Cheetah", faster than a speeding Cobra and more $Pricey now. Michelle- you din't mention they were, magnesium.In the pic' they looked like maybe cast steel ? Even more cool than alum. roverman.


mabie1978
Michelle Pierce
Elyria, OH
(111 posts)

Registered:
08/25/2008 07:47PM

Main British Car:
1978 MGB 3.5 Rover V8

Re: Question about the Olds F85 Rocker Arms
Posted by: mabie1978
Date: December 09, 2009 08:36PM

Art, I am guessing that I have both. I only brought in two loose ones from the box but one is a bit more silver while the other looks like cast steel. Magnet sticks to the steel one but not the other, at first I thought maybe someone tried to paint it a silver color but evidently the metals are different. I will get the rest of them in the box tomorrow and see what it looks like.


roverman
Art Gertz
Winchester, CA.
(3188 posts)

Registered:
04/24/2009 11:02AM

Main British Car:
74' Jensen Healy, 79 Huff. GT 1, 74 MGB Lotus 907,2L

Re: Question about the Olds F85 Rocker Arms
Posted by: roverman
Date: December 09, 2009 09:42PM

Michelle, another clue is mag. is approx 1/4th weight of steel. roverman.



nalle
Bjorn Nilsson

(21 posts)

Registered:
09/29/2009 12:03AM

Main British Car:
Re: Question about the Olds F85 Rocker Arms
Posted by: nalle
Date: December 09, 2009 09:58PM

I think I would like to get hold of a set of these.... do they have the same 1.6 ratio still?


mabie1978
Michelle Pierce
Elyria, OH
(111 posts)

Registered:
08/25/2008 07:47PM

Main British Car:
1978 MGB 3.5 Rover V8

Re: Question about the Olds F85 Rocker Arms
Posted by: mabie1978
Date: December 10, 2009 01:18PM

Oops I was wrong, I think they are all magnesium. The magnet I was using was so strong it was picking up on the metal parts in the rockers. So I guess someone did try painting them.


NixVegaGT
Nicolas Wiederhold
Minneapolis, MN
(659 posts)

Registered:
10/16/2007 05:30AM

Main British Car:
'73 Vega GT 4.9L Rover/Buick Stroker

authors avatar
Re: Question about the Olds F85 Rocker Arms
Posted by: NixVegaGT
Date: December 11, 2009 11:02AM

Wow, Michelle. You are super lucky to have those rockers. What is the reason why they won't work on the Buick/Rover shafts? I don't get it.


roverman
Art Gertz
Winchester, CA.
(3188 posts)

Registered:
04/24/2009 11:02AM

Main British Car:
74' Jensen Healy, 79 Huff. GT 1, 74 MGB Lotus 907,2L

Re: Question about the Olds F85 Rocker Arms
Posted by: roverman
Date: December 11, 2009 12:51PM

Michelle and all , I think you were told no was because Olds "stand" is wider than Buick/Rover? Shafts should be same dia. at .812". Maybe put a spacer to make-up the differance? Double check the off-sets in a mock-up. Good Luck, roverman.
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ryan.creaturo@gmail.com
Ryan Creaturo

(1 posts)

Registered:
05/14/2016 09:00AM

Main British Car:
Re: Question about the Olds F85 Rocker Arms
Posted by: ryan.creaturo@gmail.com
Date: May 14, 2016 09:09AM

Hmmm, Don't know if anyone is still following this thread or not, but interesting. I have a set of these Thomas adjustable rockers off a buick engine. Don't know much about the buick rocker shafts bc I have an Olds F85 with the olds engine. I'll throw up some pictures later. They look very similar to the ones posted by the original poster, but instead of F85 they say B.S. my guess would be that stands for buick special?
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