Is there a way around using self aligning rocker arms with the Vortec heads? Can you use screw in studs with guide plates, then use conventional rocker arms?

 

Yes you can, that's your way around it.

 

That's what I thought, thanks!

Oh yeah, which style guide plates would I want to use with Patriot Performance Vortec heads, and aluminum roller rockers?

 

Actually, it says it comes with screw in studs and guide plates, however when I emailed a Jegs tech, they said that the Patriot Performance vortec heads are designed to work with self aligning rocker arms. It seems to me that I can use my current aluminum roller rockers without any modification: http://www.jegs.com/i/Patriot-Perfor...ductId=1192214

 

Perhaps the tech was thinking about the other Patriot Vortec heads that don't have guide plates? The use of guide plates overrides the reason why the regular Vortec heads need to have self aligning rocker arms; the wider pushrod openings in the head. Unless they have something set up differently, but I can't think of what it could be. To put your mind at ease, you could contact Patriot and see what they have to say.
To make sure I'm not nuts (about this anyway), I dug through my bookmarks and came up with this article: http://www.chevyhiperformance.com/ho...458/index.html

 

See, I thought I was nuts too, lol. From the looks of it, these heads should require no modification to use my roller rockers. The article recommends elongating the push rod holes when using 1.6 rockers however.

Thanks a ton!