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Rocker arm help

AlphaVictorTango

AlphaVictorTango

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New Hampshire
Hi all,
Well I got my engine back together and it's been running great. Last week or so it started to tick a bit and sounded a bit off. Last night I pulled valve covers. Almost all of the rocker arms were loose. I readjusted the valves and it ran great! More power, no noise. On the drive home it stared knocking and running like crap. Got home and pulled valve cover again. Busted rocker arm. What gives? It also appeared that the rockers were loose again. It's a 350 TBi. I used 2 bolt heads on my 4 bolt block for a slight bump in CR. A mild roller cam and these obviously cheap asian rocker arms. Does anyone see a problem with replacing my broken roller tipped rocker arm for a stocker? Just for a couple weeks while I save for these? If so then I need to either modify my valve covers or replace with aftermarket right? Also does anyone have any insight as to why the rocker arm bolt may be backed off? Thanks to all in advance.
 
Your rocker arms typically will be loose when the motor is off. The hydrolic lifters will bleed down and take the pressure off the rockers. You may have over tightened them.
What procedure did you use to adjust the rockers?
 
I set engine to TDC and tightened rocker nut while moving push rod. I tried to feel when the vertical movement stopped. Then tighted another 1/4 turn. The motor was cold when I did this. Maybe I should try the make a oily mess way?:dunno:
 
The engine does not need to be warm, wouldn't hurt but not required. Also once the lifter pumps up it SHOULD NOT bleed down unless the lifter is bad or has sat for years with valve spring pressure against it (valve open).
 
The nuts are supposed to be one time use lock nuts, they won't hold as tight if you re-use them. I had the same problem with my motor, don't reuse those nuts.
 
AlphaVictorTango said:
I set engine to TDC and tightened rocker nut while moving push rod. I tried to feel when the vertical movement stopped. Then tighted another 1/4 turn. The motor was cold when I did this. Maybe I should try the make a oily mess way?:dunno:
Click to expand...


Did you make sure it was on the compression stroke? If not then you may have adjusted it with the valves open a small amount, which would mean they are loose now. Also, you have to do that for each cylinder. I like to start at #1 at TDC on comp stroke. Then rotate crank 90 degrees, and adjust #8, then rotate 90 and adjust #4, etc., in the firing order. After you rotate it 4 times you can double check to make sure you are on TDC again if you balancer doesn't have marks every 90 degrees.
 
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Does anyone know if the #1 cylinder exhaust rocker arm stud goes into the water jacket? :dunno: Mine sheared off and I need to pull/tap/replace it. Thanks!
 
I thought they go into the intake or exhaust runners. I pulled the studs and tapped a pair of heads once but that was a long time ago.
 
Now that I think about it there are a couple that might go into an intake runner but most go into water.
 
I used red loctite on the ones I did.

Never got around to using them though, they've been sitting for about 3 years now.
 
I figured if it's coolant I'll use Permetex 14A. And if it's intake I'll use red Locktite. Not looking forward to pulling/taping this. Seems like an easy way to F up a cylinder head.
 
as far as tapping, you prabably dont want to hear this, but I would pull the head just in case the stud goes into the intake runner.
 
Yeah. I kinda feel thats what I should do but man I don't want to. Part of me says I could grease that tap/hole and get out most of the bad bits out. That's why I love this site. It's a way for me to not only think out loud but get input from such a broad base of knowledge. Anyone else have any input? This is not a daily driver. More a camping/work truck. But I am pro-reliability.

:popcorn:
 
If it is in the intake runner. Maybe you could make sure both valves are closed on that cylinder and find a way to make a tip to go on the end of a vaccuum to suck anything out.
 
If you can remove the broken stud without damaging the original hole then use a Dorman brand #693-005 rocker stud which is a .003" oversized press in stud. If you decide to tap the hole then you'll be using a Dorman #693-006 which is a screw-in stud with a small shoulder rather than a hex which allows to to not have to machine the rocker pedestal. If you do need to use the screw-in stud then I use Permatex 14A with Teflon as the sealer.
 
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