HiPo Rocker System: Project DeadSpool To Get A Valvetrain Upgrade

In my honest opinion, in all of the upgrades available for diesel engines, rocker arms are overlooked. We know they are the bridge between the valves and the pushrods of an engine, but other than that, they get used for valve adjustment and we move on. When you take something like Project Deadspool, something that is constantly abused, valve adjustment should be maintained more often.

Just recently, I had the valve cover off of the engine at a race for a valve adjustment and I was noticing some noise during idle and even at open throttle. I was hoping this could cure it and once inside, I discovered that some of the valves have been adjusted way too tight and some of the plastic caps that separate the rocker and the bridge were broken.

This is actually a common problem. These caps will get old and brittle and since these have close to 175,000-miles, it was just time. I saw an opportunity to upgrade. Why not upgrade these caps to a stronger material this way we’ll know they won’t fail again. Well, you can’t actually buy these caps themselves. You have to buy an entire rocker assembly.

For OEM Cummins brand rocker arms, I was facing a $900 bill with shipping. I was planning on replacing all of them instead of just the two that needed it but if I’m in there, let’s have a clean bill of health altogether. That led me to my search for an upgrade. What are my options for an upgraded rocker system that came equipped with stronger caps?

The Fix

I thumbed through some of our sponsors’ websites to see who may have an option and PRW Industries came up. Though they offer many hard part items for Cummins, Duramax, and Power Stroke engines, I was excited to see a new item for them was their high-performance, alloy steel rocker system. This engine contains a lot of nitrous and a lot of boost so this was right up my alley.

I needed a rocker arm assembly that would be stronger than stock considering the conditions. I reached out to PRW about our cap issue and discussed the idea of replacing the stock units with these and here we are. I wanted a set that was a direct replacement. I didn’t want to modify anything on that engine to make anything work and luckily for me, these were exactly that.

PRW’s rocker arm system is 100-percent drop-in ready for this Cummins engine. Available for the 5.9 and 6.7-liter engines (1998-2018), these rockers are equipped with bronze bushings, new steel isolators, a standard ratio, and they are drop-in-ready. Claiming to be “a perfect upgrade to allow more power and run your engine more efficiently”, I’m ready to put these to the test.

Each rocker is made from alloy steel that is substantially thicker and more durable than the stock ones which will inevitably yield a longer life. The upgraded rocker arm system comes complete with everything you will need from the ball adjusters, fasteners, and silicon bronze bushings. If it is that easy, we’ll be done with this in no time.

I have been in contact with the guys and gals over at PRW Industries and I’m looking forward to getting my own set for Project DeadSpool very soon. Come back in a few weeks’ time to get the full installation and full review of this Cummins rocker upgrade. What are your thoughts initially? Let us know in the comments below.

For more part reviews, stay tuned here at Diesel Army.

 

 

 

 

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About the author

Artie Maupin

Artie Maupin is from Southeast Missouri and has an extreme passion for anything diesel. He loves drag racing of all kinds, as well as sled pulling competitions.
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