ROCKER
RETAINERS
Push the limit. Not past it.
Denstoj Rocker Retainers reduce the risk of rocker arms dislodging and destroying your engine.
ROCKER
Pick your platform.
Toyota 86/Subaru BRZ
Toyota 86/Subaru BRZ
GR Yaris/GR Corolla
GR Yaris/GR Corolla
Mitsubishi Evolution
Mitsubishi Evolution
Nissan S13/S14/S15/N15
Nissan S13/S14/S15/N15
01_CREDIBILITY
45+ years
engine building.
We have taken the phone calls. The track day that ended on a tilt tray. The fresh build that let go on its third weekend. Forty-five years of Newcastle engine building taught us exactly what a dropped valve costs you.
02_PROBLEM
Performance means nothing if it breaks.
You feel it every time you hold a gear to the limiter: is today the day? One harsh RPM event can unload a rocker arm. Once it walks, the cam throws it through the tappet cover, or the valve drops into the cylinder.
03_PHILOSOPHY
The most fun car is the one that works.
Rocker retainers keep your valvetrain where the factory drew it. Hold it at the limiter all day, then drive it home. Stop driving around your own engine.
WHAT IT COSTS
Don't let your day end like this.
When a valve spring loses pressure, the rocker arm can fall out. If it's picked up by the camshaft, it gets shot out the tappet cover. Without the rocker, the valve can drop inside the cylinder and destroy the engine.
“I started the car, heard some sound, didn't think much of it… on my short drive to my appointment, I noticed smoke and a trail of oil.”
Ricardo, California · Toyota 86 after a fresh rebuild
“First session of open lapping my engine blew. One of the rockers blasted a hole in my valve cover… I've got a nice hole in the block.”
Patrick, Colorado · Toyota 86
$5,000 to $10,000+ damage
What an engine rebuild might cost you. A Rocker Retainer kit is a fraction of that.
SEE THE DIFFERENCE
Stock valvetrain vs Denstoj Rocker Retainers.
Left is a factory G16E-GTS valvetrain. Right is the same head with Denstoj Rocker Retainers and Kelford camshafts and valve springs fitted.
The same logic applies to our solutions for the Subaru FA/FB, Mitsubishi 4G63 and Nissan SR20 engine.
Before you decide.
Does this only happen to track cars?
No. We have seen rockers dislodge across the rev range on completely stock cars. The rocker is only held in place by valve spring pressure, and on a boxer engine it sits vertically, so gravity helps it out. Any time a valve floats, bounces or sticks, the rocker can walk. A rocker retainer is what stops it.
What does it cost when one comes out?
If the camshaft picks the rocker up, it gets thrown through the tappet cover and oil spills onto the exhaust headers. Without the rocker, the valve can drop into the cylinder and destroy the piston. A rebuild generally runs $5,000 to $10,000 once pistons, valves and gaskets are counted. A rocker retainer kit is a fraction of that.
Which engines do you make rocker retainers for?
Four platforms, and every rocker retainer kit is engine-specific.
I am fitting better valve springs. Does that fix it?
No. The rockers are still fundamentally floating. Stiffer springs reduce the risk of valve float but they cannot make the rocker captive, which is what a rocker retainer does, and depending on your setup they can add unnecessary valvetrain wear. The 2012 valve spring recall on the 86 and BRZ did not fix it either. The rockers still float.
Can I just buy the clips?
No, and it is the most common question we get. The clip only works with a pivot or lash adjuster that has the retaining groove machined into it, so every rocker retainer kit ships complete. The 4G63 is the exception, because the OEM hydraulic lash adjuster already has a groove.
At what RPM do they let go?
There is no specific RPM. It can even happen at low RPM under normal driving conditions, and carbon build-up makes the valve stickier, which makes it more likely again.
Do I need the engine out?
For the FA and FB Subaru engines, yes. It is a boxer, so we recommend pulling the engine out. It is the ideal job to do during a rebuild, and/or cam and valve spring upgrade.
