There
are many rocker arm products made by many fine companies, but the most advanced
and leading edge "innovation" that matters in rocker arm valve train was not
accomplished by any of the "big names." Instead, the most fundamental concepts
of rocker arm geometry went undiscovered for many years, until MID-LIFT was
developed in 1973 for an engine few people cared about, the Ford
BOSS 429.
Working from a modest 2,000 SF Illinois based cylinder head shop
(MRE),
Jim Miller applied for a Patent in 1980 and was awarded
US Patent #4,365,785 in 1982. For many years the top valve train companies tried to
ignore MID-LIFT, some denounced it.
Today, this simple but precise concept is the only method accepted by both Chrysler and Chevrolet's
performance engineers. Ironically, it is estimated that more than 90% of the
racing community still works in the dark as to what MID-LIFT really means; often
believing it is adjusting the rocker tip to be in the middle of the valve at
half lift.
Which couldn't be further from the truth.
In July of 1993, MILLER ENGINEERING INC (MEI)
was founded to "contract" manufacturing of proprietary rocker arm and related
valve train components to various machine shops, maintaining strictly and
"engineering" mode of operation.
In early 1995 the original "high end" PRO-SHAFT™
Mission was accelerated for R&D to bring its technology to NASCAR, and by
late 1995 on through 2000, the R&D engine divisions for nearly every top team
owner in NASCAR. Teams like: Jack Roush, Joe Gibbs, Bobby Allison, Cale
Yarborough, Robert Yates, Rick Hendrick, Richard Childress and others, including
Chrysler; were all involved with some level of introduction, instruction and R&D
with Jim Miller that sometimes involved confidentiality agreements on
re-thinking their valve train program and the wasted energy being lost to the
school of thinking the popular advertised rocker brands used to design and set
valve train geometry. This introduction to MID-LIFT ended the casual means by
which cam and valve train development was being done, and led to the steps top
teams eventually would make in developing their own rocker systems 10 years
later, well outside of the top advertised name brands previously used. That same
advanced tech is now available by PDF, with information not made available
anywhere else, including this web site. Go to:
MID-LIFT TECH.
In January of 1996, PRECISION VALVE SYSTEMS (PVS)
was founded to manufacture higher volume "production" of economy stud mount
aluminum and steel rocker arms using both domestic and overseas resources,
without suffering the usual quality issues most offshore production entails. To
accomplish this, an office and full time engineer as employed, and remains to
this day.
In May of 1998, MILLER ENGINEERING INC and PRECISION
VALVE SYSTEMS expanded to an 8,000 SF facility. When development of new designs,
and new Patents made this untenable for the domestic high end manufacturing, MEI
initiated its own manufacturing, with state of the art machines and new
manufacturing techniques used no where else that allowed a billet block of
aluminum to be cut on all surfaces in less than 2.5 minutes to provide a
finished rocker arm of the strongest and lightest design.
Limp partners involved with the original PVS and its
second descendant required Jim Miller to acquire both companies at great expense
in 2004 that eventually hurt his original company, MEI, which he remained the
sole owner. Additional costs from breached agreements of long term associates
and vendors forced MEI into reorganization in 2007, and eventually being
dismantled in 2008, where its remaining assets were acquired by Jim Miller for
use in MPG, a grander operation that parents not only the assets
remaining from MEI and PVS, but other ventures, too. But foremost among all, is
accurate information for professionals or amateurs alike to find which can be
found nowhere else, and in a way that makes sense.
MILLER PRODUCTS GROUP, INC
(MPG), was established in March of 2006 for consolidating technical
information and valve train products developed by Miller Engineering
(MEI). MPG also acquired the MEI designs produced under Precision Valve Systems (PVS) in supporting America's
cost conscious engine builders who need quality and value. Miller Products Group occupies offices in Pompano Beach, Florida. Our main goal is to
support the ENGINE
BUILDER with real information that can only be found at the MID-LIFT.COM
and the MILLERROCKERS.COM web sites, which goes to not only rocker arm geometry
we developed and patented nearly 30 years ago, but cam and cylinder head tech
that rocker geometry integrates with which can be found no where else.
Information that separates precision geometry from old geometry (or no
geometry), while introducing new products we develop in working with engine
builders, listening closely to what they have to say, and what they need in
valve train advances. Go to:
MID-LIFT TECH.
