Starting my engine build

[GRX]

Did you get your adjustable push rod yet? Given you have aftermarket heads, used ones with possibility of unknown machine work at that, *strongly recommend you check geometry and buy appropriate length rods (if needed). You may get lucky. Probably not. At the very least you can wear your valve guides prematurely. At worst you could drop a valve.

Here is the geometry lesson link I posted previously.
http://www.hotrod.com/how-to/engine/...ushrod-length/

[swamp rat]

When i did mine i rounded the end of the bolt once i threaded it into the old spark plug, that way the edge of the thread won't ding the piston face.

[swamp rat]

https://www.google.com/search?q=home...=1858&bih=1011

[Mrturner1]

Originally Posted by GRX

Did you get your adjustable push rod yet? Given you have aftermarket heads, used ones with possibility of unknown machine work at that, *strongly recommend you check geometry and buy appropriate length rods (if needed). You may get lucky. Probably not. At the very least you can wear your valve guides prematurely. At worst you could drop a valve.

Here is the geometry lesson link I posted previously.
http://www.hotrod.com/how-to/engine/...ushrod-length/

I was just going to use the pushrods I have.

[GRX]

You may be able to squeak by. Always be certain. At the very least color the valve tips with a marker & observe pattern the rockers make across the entire sweep of valve travel. See image in post #97.

[Mrturner1]

Originally Posted by GRX

You may be able to squeak by. Always be certain. At the very least color the valve tips with a marker & observe pattern the rockers make across the entire sweep of valve travel. See image in post #97.

I get what you're saying now. I'm making sure the rocker contacts the valve right in the middle of the contact point?

My timing tab is all set, so I'm dropping pushrods and lifters in now and then I'm going to install the rocker arms

[Mrturner1]

This doesn't seem right. These RockerLocs are supposed to thread on the stud, with the pivot ball under them flat side up. So how do you tighten the RockerLocs when the part you put a wrench on has to go down into the rocker where a wrench can't get to it?

[Mrturner1]

RockerLocs

[Mrturner1]

Hex end has to go down

[Mrturner1]

It seems like the RockerLocs can only go on one way because there's some weird key looking thing on the closed end. I threaded it all the way down with the pivot ball and rocker arm and it stopped threading before the rocker was even close to snug

[swamp rat]

I'm assuming you have Hydralic lifters??

There are not suppose to be tightened like a regular bolt, it looks like you cranked it down pretty tight, the hydraulic lifter has a spring inside of it. I'd start with backing it off and starting over, but after you pull the rocker and push rod check the lifter to be sure its inside part is still the same as the rest and not pushed in and stuck.

First off you need to place both intake and exhaust push rods in and make sure they are both seated in the lifter, then insure they are both at the same height visually, this insures you are in fact on the compression stroke, if the exhaust pushrod is higher than the intake you need to rotate the engine one revolution and back to TDC.

Place the rocker on per instructions and start the nut, when its gets close to contacting the rocker you should be able to raise the pushrod up and down, keep tightening until that up and down movement stops, then turn the nut an additional 1/2 turn.

Weather 1/2 turn or 3/4 turn is a personal preference, i like 1/2 turn until they are all set up, using the service manual will tell you which other rockers can be installed while on TDC #1, then which can be installed on the next revolution.

[GRX]

Hex goes on top. Those set screws are turned all the way down. Move them upward with your Allen wrench so they will not contact the stud end during valve lash procedure. Set the nut just like you would a stock rocker nut - 1/2 to 3/4 turn past zero lifter preload. After you set the lifter preload, snug up the set screw while holding the nut with a box end. Do not over tighten. Probably 15 lb-ft, but don't quote me on that. Should be specs with the parts.

[geezer#99]

Originally Posted by Mrturner1

I get what you're saying now. I'm making sure the rocker contacts the valve right in the middle of the contact point?

My timing tab is all set, so I'm dropping pushrods and lifters in now and then I'm going to install the rocker arms

So how did your homemade piston stop work for you?

[Mrturner1]

Man you guys are awesome, I couldn't do this without the help. I'll check back in after some progress is made.

[Mrturner1]

Originally Posted by geezer#99

So how did your homemade piston stop work for you?

Worked pretty good, I used an old head bolt lol I already had the tap for the head bolts from when I was cleaning the block, so I tapped the remainder of the spark plug after I got the porcelain and metal out

[Mrturner1]

I guess my rocker studs are too long because I backed out the Allen head inside the RockerLocs all the way, and when I thread it onto the stud it bottoms out before the rocker is even touching it

[Mrturner1]

This part of the build is getting annoying.

[Mrturner1]

Ok so stud LENGTH isn't the problem. I'm looking closer and threading the RockerLocs on without the Allen bolt inside, and there's room to thread down far enough. It looks like the problem I'm running into is not enough thread on the stud. When I get it close to threaded down, it runs out of thread before contacting the rocker arm

[Mrturner1]

Pic

[Mrturner1]

Timing tab

[Mrturner1]

Both valves closed on #1 cylinder at TDC

[Mrturner1]

Rocker tip to valve contact look good. Gonna paint it and check still though

[Mrturner1]

Wow I'm such a dummy. There's plenty of thread, I tried a different RockerLoc and it snugged the rocker just fine. lol it's Monday give me a break

[geezer#99]

What method are you using to set the pre-load on the lifters?

[Mrturner1]

Originally Posted by geezer#99

What method are you using to set the pre-load on the lifters?

With #1 cylinder TDC I'm installing 1,3,4,8 exhaust and 1,2,5,7 intake. Then rotate one full turn until balancer Mark is back at "0" on timing tab and do exhaust 2,5,6,7 and intake 3,4,6,8. Is that what you mean by preload?

The fun factor is back now