This is the Jesel small-block...
This is the Jesel small-block rocker kit complete with eight pairs of factory-assembled rockers and shafts, two rocker stands, all the necessary bolts, and two Torx head 3/8-inch drive sockets to assemble the system. The kit even includes an adjustable-length pushrod used to establish the proper pushrod length for your engine.
The Jesel rockers offer a...
The Jesel rockers offer a large shaft to prevent deflection and use an adjuster located on the pushrod side to establish preload or lash.
The Jesel system is designed...
The Jesel system is designed for use on all small-block camshafts from flat-tappet hydraulic to solid roller.
The Jesel kit supplies four...
The Jesel kit supplies four Torx head bolts per side that fit under the stand. The bolts should be used with high-quality washers and torqued in place. Here, we are installing this kit on an Air Flow Research 210cc head.
The steel rocker stands bolt...
The steel rocker stands bolt to the head using the existing rocker-stud holes and new 7/16-inch Torx head bolts.
One 3/8-inch and two 5/16-inch...
One 3/8-inch and two 5/16-inch Torx head bolts attach each pair of rocker arms to the stand. The rockers should always be torqued in place with the cam lobes on the base circle so the springs are not compressed when the bolts are tightened.
We used the checking pushrod...
We used the checking pushrod to establish the proper pushrod length. This must be done with the cam lobe on the base circle.
You should also check pushrod...
You should also check pushrod clearance near the port wall to ensure adequate clearance. The pushrod must not rub on the head anywhere throughout its entire lift curve.
A critical step is setting...
A critical step is setting the lash. Jesel requires that the lash adjuster be within a half-turn out from seated to no more than two turns out from the seated position. This ensures that the adjuster has proper thread engagement on the nut. The adjuster allows a range of adjustment of roughly 0.080-0.100 inch.
We set the lash adjuster to...
We set the lash adjuster to one turn out and set the pushrod length.
Then we removed the pushrod...
Then we removed the pushrod to measure it with a set of calipers. The checking pushrod uses small flats on the end to make it easier to measure the length. This length can then be sent to your cam grinder for a set of custom-length pushrods. Be sure to check both the intake and exhaust lobes since the base circles may be different.
Pushrod length plays a big...
Pushrod length plays a big part in proper valvetrain geometry. High-lift cams create acute angles that can stress the pushrod and cup. This is why the proper pushrod tip is critical when used with the Jesel rocker shafts. Jesel recommends a high-quality chrome moly pushrod with a full radius contact top.
With this race-oriented ...
With this race-oriented valvetrain, we decided we needed a cool valve cover to go with it. Moroso supplied a pair of its sheetmetal-fabricated valve covers that ensure proper clearance and give us a real shag-nasty look at the same time.
Theres a very distinct trickle-down system that flows from the racetrack directly to the street. Everything from intake manifolds to the latest exhaust header technology is fair game, and this includes valvetrain components. Jesel has been building high-tech racing valvetrain parts for well over 20 years. Jesels drag racing experience has now branched out into big-time circle track and road racing so it was only a matter of time before the company built a dedicated system for the street.
The problem with racing parts for the street is that they are expensive. Jesel has always been known for high-quality parts, and one of its most famous valvetrain concepts was to convert the small-block Chevys classic rocker-stud arrangement to a shaft system. Jesel made the usually cumbersome one-piece shaft system easier to work with by creating a short shaft that pairs the intake and exhaust rockers together to minimize deflection caused by stiff valvespring pressures.
The idea was so good that Jesel decided to build a system for the street guy and keep the price right at $700. Each kit is designed to fit a particular cylinder head, with a billet-steel mount that fits over where the rocker studs used to fit and mounts four pairs of rockers on each head. The kit consists of >> eight pairs of rockers, two steel stands, head bolts, Torx head fasteners and the right size Torx sockets, all the adjusters, and a pushrod-length checking tool.
We decided to check out the Jesel system and ordered a complete 1.6:1 rocker system for an Air Flow Research 210cc head and a mechanical-roller cam for a small-block were building. The system requires you to pre-fit the shaft system on the engine and then check the pushrod length so you can order custom-length pushrods. We also learned that our roller cam had different pushrod lengths between the intake and exhaust lobes due to different base circles between the two lobes.
Once we read through the directions, it didnt take long to assemble the rocker-shaft system and install it on the engine. We spent a majority of the time establishing the correct pushrod length so that the lash adjusters ended up within Jesels spec of around one turn out from the seated position. Proper pushrod length is critical to valvetrain geometry and minimizing rocker-arm travel across the top of the valve stem.
Clearly, the Jesel shaft rocker system is not for every street car. It is intended for high-end street small-block applications. But neither is this system outrageously expensive, considering that it replaces a set of roller rockers, rocker studs, and guideplates while increasing the strength and durability of your valvetrain.