I've been following this thread, and the needle bearings sound like a good idea. They'd be pressed into the rockers and would get plenty of oil from the holes in the shaft directly into the needles. No need to drill the outer race. Like Jerry said, just let the oil leak out the ends of the bearings.
One thought I have is that with the rocker action, the bearings may wear grooves into the shaft (eventually) as they'd be moving in a limited range. Torrington bearings are usually designed for a rotating shaft, not oscillating motion. It may live longer than any of us in a rocker application, but it's a consideration.
Way back when, I did a needle bearing and inner race refit on a Model A water pump that was prone to wear into the shaft with the original style roller bearing supporting the fan.
