A dedicated race part, Jesel Valvetrain’s new pedestal rocker system for the Gen V LT1 and LT4 engines is aimed right at NHRA racers. “We developed this system for the Stock and Super Stock classes, where you can’t change the configuration of anything in the head,” says Jesel’s Jon Fordor. “The Gen V GM head has a cast-in pedestal mount, so that’s how we designed them.”
Strength and durability is the name of the game with these race pieces, and to that end they have been meticulously designed to balance strength and weight. “They are a steel rocker which is stronger than the factory rocker, and they still incorporate the factory geometry,” Fodor says. “Using Finite Element Analysis, they have been contoured to reduce weight while maintaining strength.”
To reduce friction, needle bearings are used throughout the rocker assembly. “The rockers have needle bearing nose rollers and needle bearings for the trunnion instead of the standard bushing,” says Fodor. “They are also REM finished to further slick them up.” Jesel’s Bob McDonald expanded on what the REM finishing does. “The REM finish takes down the stress risers through the finish, as well as helping it shed oil more efficiently while decreasing wear,” says McDonald. “These are built with the LS Super Stock racer in mind.”
Available in both standard 1.8:1 and 1.9:1 for a little more lift, the rockers feature a ball-end pushrod adjuster and are available with either 8mm thread ARP hardware or 3/8-inch ARP hardware, for a little extra strength.