Setting lash on rockers.

[CManT1914]

How the F*** do I set the lash on these stupid rockers?? This is frustrating me. Are the pushrods supposed to be able to spin after the rockers are tightened down? I tighten down the rocker (right before the valve opens) until I feel resistance in the pushrod, then I go 1/2 turn more. Well the intake pushrod on piston 1 will still spin, but the fulcrum bolt is TIGHT! However, the exhaust pushrod on piston 1, will NOT spin, but there is still slack in the fulcrum bolt. Keep in mind I have 1.7 rockers on the intake, and 1.6 on the exhaust. Is this normal? HELP!! Mike and I are sleeping in the garage tonight so we can work real late.

 

[S/CBlack95GT]

If these are bolt down rockers you need to use a torque wrench. Finger tighten the bolt until the slack is taken out of the rocker. Then set the torque wrench to 18 ft-lbs. You should be able to put 1/2 to one full turn on the bolt before the wrench clicks off at 18 ft-lbs. Use the shims if you must put more than 1 full turn on the bolt. It's not an exact science, but you can't just tighten them snugly and leave it. Sometimes you can still spin the pushrod even after you install the rockers correctly.

 

[CManT1914]

Thank you Shaun!

 

[DFG 5OH]

sound like your having touble man

 

[Grn92LX]

Trickflow heads are stud mount so you don't torque them.

Heres how I do my rockers. I don't do that turning the crank a million times BS.

Engine @ tdc #1 adjust: 1 i/e, 2e, 3e, 4i, 5i, 7e and 8i

Rotate engine to tdc #6 and adjust: 2i, 3i, 4e, 5e, 6i/e, 7i and 8e.

Obviously I = intake rocker and E = exhaust rocker. TDC #1 = 0* on the balancer and rotor pointing to #1 on the cap. TDC #6 = 0* on the balancer and rotor pointing to #6 on the cap.

Turn the adjusting nut until you first feel the pushrod stop spinning (spin the pushrod with your finger as your turning the adjusting nut) Then go another 1/4-1/2 and then lock the locknut.

 

[CManT1914]

Is it normal for the rockers to have some play in them after setting them? Every single one of these bastards is completely different.

 

[final5-0]

Trickflow heads are stud mount so you don't torque them.

Heres how I do my rockers. I don't do that turning the crank a million times BS.

Engine @ tdc #1 adjust: 1 i/e, 2e, 3e, 4i, 5i, 7e and 8i

Rotate engine to tdc #6 and adjust: 2i, 3i, 4e, 5e, 6i/e, 7i and 8e.

Obviously I = intake rocker and E = exhaust rocker. TDC #1 = 0* on the balancer and rotor pointing to #1 on the cap. TDC #6 = 0* on the balancer and rotor pointing to #6 on the cap.

Turn the adjusting nut until you first feel the pushrod stop spinning (spin the pushrod with your finger as your turning the adjusting nut) Then go another 1/4-1/2 and then lock the locknut.

Chris

I never done it this way but I can see how it will work just fine. I think you can see that Mike is making sure you understand you don't set up your rr's like you would if you had ped mounts.

Main reason I posted is if you have any doubts about what your doing ........

Go to FTI's site, or one of the big cam company's site, or look up some old threads on this site for a clear understanding of what your trying to accomplish. If you've never set up stud rr's, or peds for that matter, it can be a little confusing.

Good luck

Later
Grady

 

[cavscout371]

Is it normal for the rockers to have some play in them after setting them? Every single one of these bastards is completely different.

I know when I'm doing mine I wait like a minute after turning the engine before making my adjustments I think its has something to do with the lifters pumpin up not sure really just seems to help, but even then I never get it 100% perfect. I just cut the top off my old valve covers and lash it running.

 

[CManT1914]

Hey hey!! 3 down, 5 to go, and there is no longer any up and down play in them. Everything is going smoothly again. Thanks Grady, I decided to follow FTI's instructions, as they were a little simpler.

TJ, you're supposed to wait a minute after the valve is closed for the lifters to pump up with oil, however, since my engine has no oil in it, then they won't really do that.

It's looking good for early afternoon completion time!

 

[RIO5.0]

Fun doing your own wrenching....I been reading you various posts and it seems funny....but hey, we all been there...once you do it then its all good from there...part of the learning curve....next time will be much easier...

BTW...Did you prime those lifters ????

Mike...I never did mine like that but have seen it posted...gonna save that for future use....seems like it would be alot easier....i usually go one to another...PITA...
Same deal with my old stock VCs....I'm gonna sacrifice them for the next time I do mine up....I prefer to do em running....you can pick the noisy ones right out...done deal...

 

[DFG 5OH]

BTW...Did you prime those lifters ????

whats that?

 

[RIO5.0]

Generally before the first start and doing up new lifters, or even old if they been out for awhile, you want them pumped up....You do that by going inside the dizzy hole and hooking up to the oil pump...run a drill in reverese and it will pump oil thru the sytem....pressurizing the system and filling the lifters so they're pumped up...
This way you have oil in all the right places before you start it....specially if you got alot of new parts, including lifters..

 

[CManT1914]

It's amazing how much easier things are when you're not tired! I got up this morning, and had the lash set on all the rockers in 30 minutes (taking breaks to help Mike with various other stuff too). We got the fan, radiator in, all the electrical connections hooked up, valve covers on, fuel rails on, my new AFPR on, distributor in, coil on, and I'm about to set the upper intake on. Almost finished!

 

[5spd GT]

Glad you getting it together.

I find the best luck by adjusting the "FTI way" - www.flowtechinduction.com

It's easy

 

[R.J.]

This procedure has been posted other times on this forum and I used it then saved it to repost at times like this. It is the best way that I have found to make sure the lifter of the rocker your adjusting is at its lowest point of travel. This insures proper preload.

With the piston at TDC with both valves in the closed position, do the following:

The first thing you want to do is verify zero valve lash. The best way to do this is to wiggle the push rod up & down as you tighten the rocker arm nut. At the point where the push rod no longer moves up & down, That is zero lash. You now have a starting point for verifying “true” zero lash & the lifter pre-load.

When you adjust the valves you are setting the lifter pre-load, Pre-load is the amount of distance the push rod seat (or “cup”) moves away from the retaining clip.

To set true zero lash & the lifter pre-load, We are going to follow the “EO / IC” procedure.

What is “EO / IC?

EO, is Exhaust Opening; IC, is Intake Closing.

We have the piston at TDC (Both valves are in the closed position), Rotate the engine in the normal direction of rotation (clockwise, if you are facing the front of the engine).
You will see the exhaust valve just starting to open, stop rotating the engine & back off the intake rocker arm.(You are going to back off the rocker arm & re-verify for true zero lash, As you are now positively on the base circle of the camshaft whereas the previous lash adjustment was just a pretty close ballpark guess.) You will once again wiggle the push rod up & down as you tighten the rocker arm nut. When all up & down movement is gone, tighten the rocker arm nut ½ turn, tighten the hex head set screw until it bottoms out on the rocker stud, tighten the rocker arm nut ¼ additional turn. You have now set the lifter pre-load at .045”.

Rotate the engine, You will see the exhaust valve fully open & then close. Watching the intake valve that you just set, You will see it open, You want to keep rotating the engine until it fully opens & then starts to close. When it is almost closed, stop rotating the engine. Set the exhaust valve the same way you did the intake valve.

Move onto the next cylinder in the firing order…