Trunion Upgrade Questions

[Aries240SS]

I know some of you must have already done this with your cam swaps, but I'm looking for additional information on doing the trunion upgrade at home without a normal press. Simple things like, can it be done with a smooth vice? Or are most of you taking your rockers to a shop to have the upgrade done?

I know Texas Speed and some others do the upgrade with a rocker exchange, but I was looking at a few kits out there like Jannetty's 480 kit and they seem to come with the upgrade but you need to install it yourself. Hence the questions.

[blazzin1]

Although, not quite as easy, I believe they do say in this video that assembly can be done with a standard vice.

[Aries240SS]

Thank you sir! That video lead me to http://www.summitracing.com/parts/SME-906011/.
Looks like they put out a kit to do it with a vice already!

[toml_pa]

Originally Posted by Aries240SS

Thank you sir! That video lead me to http://www.summitracing.com/parts/SME-906011/.
Looks like they put out a kit to do it with a vice already!

This Summit kit is great and well worth the $40.00. Just used it on my cam swap.

[blazzin1]

Originally Posted by Aries240SS

Thank you sir! That video lead me to http://www.summitracing.com/parts/SME-906011/.
Looks like they put out a kit to do it with a vice already!

Hmmm, didn't know about that kit from Summit, but definitely looks like a good investment if you don't have access to a real press. Glad I could help a little anyway!!!

[Stealth 2010 2SS/RS]

vice and a socket, thats all you need. Once you do one and you get everything down you can do the rest in about 30-45 mins. Easy upgrade.

[MikeOD]

I've ALWAYS done it with a vice...done several sets now. You'll need a second person if the vice is horizontal because you'll need to keep things aligned where gravity can't help like it would in a vertical press.

[blake-b]

Vise and socket here too. Maybe an hour to complete.

[tkrupinski]

Save the 40 for gas and just use a vise. If my wife can do it you can to, very easy install.

[The 2010 Sin]

I know i should already know this answer but we all learn something new everyday...

What exactly do we gain with a trunion upgrade? What does it accomplish. I'm 10,000 miles on a motor with a .236/.244 .602/.612 on a 112LSA without the upgrade.

[Synner]

Removes the possibility of needle bearings being vomited into your engine if the rocker arm fails. The retrofit has enclosed bearings.

[Aries240SS]

Originally Posted by Synner

Removes the possibility of needle bearings being vomited into your engine if the rocker arm fails. The retrofit has enclosed bearings.

This. And as someone who has just rebuilt a friend's LS1 that had a rocker arm fail, I'm not interested in going through all that again. He was smart this time and went with Yella Terra rockers, but they don't seem to gain enough to offset the cost on an LS3.

[mikeSS]

Originally Posted by The 2010 Sin

I know i should already know this answer but we all learn something new everyday...

What exactly do we gain with a trunion upgrade? What does it accomplish. I'm 10,000 miles on a motor with a .236/.244 .602/.612 on a 112LSA without the upgrade.

there use to be problems with older GM v8s. but they seem to fix the problem. i see A LOT of cammed camaro at meets and at my local shop who do not have the upgrade. in fact my shop advises against the upgrade on the ls3. note they do the most Lsx work in the state of MI.

its one of those things, where people said do it and others say its not needed.

[Bo White]

I would think the upgrade would be a good idea on the LS3/7/9 more so than any other LS engine because of the offset intake rocker and the uneven corner to corner load it experiences.

[The 2010 Sin]

Thanks for the teachings... I have 10k+ miles of 7k RPM shifts and hard driving on mine and no issues yet.. Let the gambling begin!! :-P

[MikeOD]

Originally Posted by The 2010 Sin

Thanks for the teachings... I have 10k+ miles of 7k RPM shifts and hard driving on mine and no issues yet.. Let the gambling begin!! :-P

The newer engines seem to have a better track record with rocker arms and rold bolts than the older ones do. I was always terrified of high RPM with my old LS1 and LQ4 in the past, mostly because of rod bolts. With the LS3, I still did the trunnion bearings, but I'm not really concerned with the rod bolts.

[Doubleblank]

One of our H-Town CC guys recently puked his bearings into his motor. He spent a lot of time flushing, using magnets, etc to try to find them all.

[blazzin1]

I think it's good insurance....especially for the price and easy installation....why not??? I have a set sitting on my work bench awaiting install. Just can't decide if I want to mess with it now, or just wait until cam upgrade time....

[Bo White]

Im going to go ahead and upgrade my topend soon so that next year when I do my camswap Ill have half the job done already. Thats how I did my Z28 I had.

[Mikes2nd]

has ANYONE ever heard of a 2010+ camaro or any LS3 do this?

I would have thought GM would have this issue figured out by now.

[Cruz-lo]

Yes LS3.
30K on motor. about 27K on the cam. While the needles were still there the outer race failed on one side. Thanks to the noise "tick tick" I caught it in time. But this caused the rocker to ride ****eyed.
Took out the $14.00 rocker OK no big deal.
But it also wiped out the valve stem top. Changing the valve now is a big deal.

[Ebbsnflows]

Originally Posted by Mikes2nd

has ANYONE ever heard of a 2010+ camaro or any LS3 do this?

I would have thought GM would have this issue figured out by now.

It's an extremely rare point of failure on a stock-valve trained car. From that perspective GM does have it figured out.

The problems occur on cam'd cars with much higher spring pressures, faster ramp rates and more importantly, higher rev-ranges. The stock components simply aren't designed for that level of stress.

[Mikes2nd]

yeah i guess it kind of sounds like a "cheap" precautionary almost bolt on mod...

I was wondering if I should just do mine while I have it apart. Or get new rockers...

Im going for a vvt 2 cam

[376LS3]

Originally Posted by Mikes2nd

yeah i guess it kind of sounds like a "cheap" precautionary almost bolt on mod...

I was wondering if I should just do mine while I have it apart. Or get new rockers...

Im going for a vvt 2 cam

If its in your budget, Id go roller rockers. I regret not getting them when I did my cam install. I just always feel like Im on borrowed time. Theyre not made to handle anymore than .550 lift, and Im way over that. Its just hard to decide which rockers to go with since all 3 companies Ive looked into have all had problems. And I dont have $1600 for Jesels, so thats not an option.

[tadams72]

Originally Posted by Mikes2nd

yeah i guess it kind of sounds like a "cheap" precautionary almost bolt on mod...

I was wondering if I should just do mine while I have it apart. Or get new rockers...

Im going for a vvt 2 cam

For the price, very cheap insurance. I've got 4500 miles on mine with several hard road track and drag strip days on them with no issues. Running a fairly stout cam (227/239, .624 lift) and Comp double springs as well. I would definitely do it again. Only way I wound spring for the aftermarket rockers is if I was doing a complete and more aggressive build.