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Re: Roller rockers, etc

To: Tombread@aol.com, vintage-race@autox.team.net
Subject: Re: Roller rockers, etc
From: Andy Ramm <aramm@concentric.net>
Date: Tue, 19 Jan 1999 10:34:49 -0800
Tom,

A very god point, but...  Then by association, wouldn't synthetic
lubricants and breakerless ignitions fall into the same category?  Maybe
not to the same extent as rollers, but it is something to consider. 
What about modern solid-state fuel pumps, or modern alternators instead
of the corrrect generator/regulator combination?  I'm just unsure where
the line is drawn and why rollers are singled out when a lot of other
seemingly non-period pieces are allowed for "reliability" reasons.

Again, I'm not necessarily arguing for roller rockers per se, just
seeking a clearer understanding.

Andy

Tombread@aol.com wrote:
> 
> Andy:
> I raced an MGB in E production long ago, so I will give you my perspective on
> cheating and rollers: most of my DNFs were because of engine failure, even
> though we were running BLMC-provided engines, which were professionally
> maintained.  You may argue that rollers "just" provide reliability; I would
> argue that reliability is just as i mportant a part of the competitive
> advantage as speed or power.  We could have tweaked our cars to go faster,
> engines to produce more power or response-- but we knew we wouldn't  go the
> distance.  Hence, the ability to make an engine last longer is cheating that
> should be penalized.
> Tom Butters

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