LA Rocker arm placement
- Thread starter 66/440
- Start date
Red63440
Well-Known Member
Set them up in pairs with the dimples for the pushrods close together instead of on the outer edges like shown in in your photo.
Red63440
Well-Known Member
Can you get the oil pan off?
66/440
Well-Known Member
Ok, I am officially confused. Seems like the consensus was that the cups in the rocker arms should be placed on the rocker shaft so that they are nearest each other when installed (318 LA). However the FSM seems to indicate they should be placed so they are the furthest apart. What I have now:
FSM:
Seems like I have them correct, BUT if so what would cause this?
Pushrods all seemed to be seated correctly.......
FSM:
Seems like I have them correct, BUT if so what would cause this?
Pushrods all seemed to be seated correctly.......
I think you are correct. Would the pushrods go in the head if they were reversed? Seems unlikely. Here's a pic.
Is it possible yours are bb rockers??
Is it possible yours are bb rockers??
Nope. Just checked and bb rockers are a no go, they hit the retainers.
You have them on correctly
You have them on correctly
Ho-lee crap dude!
On LA engines the pushrod cups sit farther away from each other, not closer together. The FSM is correct....If you ran them as shown here you had them right.
As far as the destroyed lifters?? Maybe, burrs/rough edges on the lifter bores in the block? Lifters incorrectly assembled? Not sure if a lifter that stopped rotating could break like that, but what do the lifter bottoms and cam lobes look like?
66/440
Well-Known Member
Lifter faces and barrels looked great. Cam lobes looked fine except uneven wear pattern.
Unkle Krusty
Well-Known Member
Old post, but I am just putting the rocker arms and push rods back in on my 77 318. I mixed up one side, but the left hand side are in order the way they came out. The offset dimples are furthest apart on the set that I did not scramble.
Somewhere else I read the oil holes go down.
But, will it be okay to run not adjustable rockers with the new Performa cam? There are four wide spaces, and six narrow spacers. Some of the narrow spacers are not symmetrical. Is there a good guide for the correct placement of all the bits.
It will probably be obvious once I get them all positioned. But it is Sunday afternoon and raining.
Somewhere else I read the oil holes go down.
But, will it be okay to run not adjustable rockers with the new Performa cam? There are four wide spaces, and six narrow spacers. Some of the narrow spacers are not symmetrical. Is there a good guide for the correct placement of all the bits.
It will probably be obvious once I get them all positioned. But it is Sunday afternoon and raining.
66/440
Well-Known Member
Spacers from either left or right end Narrow - Wide -Narrow - Wide - Narrow.
Oil for rockers comes up through rocker pedestals so oil holes go down. IIRC the bolts that correspond with the oil holes have a narrower /smaller dia. shoulder above the threads. Rocker shafts have notches in the ends. On left / drivers side notch is at the front. Passenger side notch is at back toward firewall. You are using new lifters RIGHT? Make sure lifters spin freely in their bore's. Lube is imperative, Not the runny liquid kind that drips off before you can get it started. CAN NOT overstate this! Lube CAM and the drive gear, LIFTER faces, Lifter bore's, drip a little oil on the rocker arms if you use factory style, Lube the rocker arm bore if after market adjustable type. Don't use the little bottles of break-in oil additive it doesn't really mix with the oil well enough. Pop for really good break-in oil.
Oil for rockers comes up through rocker pedestals so oil holes go down. IIRC the bolts that correspond with the oil holes have a narrower /smaller dia. shoulder above the threads. Rocker shafts have notches in the ends. On left / drivers side notch is at the front. Passenger side notch is at back toward firewall. You are using new lifters RIGHT? Make sure lifters spin freely in their bore's. Lube is imperative, Not the runny liquid kind that drips off before you can get it started. CAN NOT overstate this! Lube CAM and the drive gear, LIFTER faces, Lifter bore's, drip a little oil on the rocker arms if you use factory style, Lube the rocker arm bore if after market adjustable type. Don't use the little bottles of break-in oil additive it doesn't really mix with the oil well enough. Pop for really good break-in oil.
Last edited:
Unkle Krusty
Well-Known Member
66/440.
That works. Haynes book told me about the notches in the shaft, put nothing about the spacers or the rockers.
Push rods are centered in the holes. Bolts appear to be all the same. New lifters and cam yes, timing chain too. All Edelbrock stuff. They included the oil. The rockers are stamped, but some are hard to read. Better to just check for where the dimples are, IMO.
Each set of rockers has about 60 thou gap between the next set, some a bit more. The narrow spacers are not symetrical.
The pic should show one set of rockers and shaft in place, the spacers, and the other shaft with polished marks where the rockers moved. No wear on the shaft, just the polished surface. Tomorrow I will add oil to the top of the pushrods and turn the engine by hand.
Did you get your lifter problem fixed?
That works. Haynes book told me about the notches in the shaft, put nothing about the spacers or the rockers.
Push rods are centered in the holes. Bolts appear to be all the same. New lifters and cam yes, timing chain too. All Edelbrock stuff. They included the oil. The rockers are stamped, but some are hard to read. Better to just check for where the dimples are, IMO.
Each set of rockers has about 60 thou gap between the next set, some a bit more. The narrow spacers are not symetrical.
The pic should show one set of rockers and shaft in place, the spacers, and the other shaft with polished marks where the rockers moved. No wear on the shaft, just the polished surface. Tomorrow I will add oil to the top of the pushrods and turn the engine by hand.
Did you get your lifter problem fixed?
Unkle Krusty
Well-Known Member
I will look at them later. I foresee a better ( more expensive ) system in my future. I was all set to adjust the lifters, then realised they were non adjustable. Will see how it runs on this years trip. Can do work on the heads and leave the engine in the van. I did a bit more checking on the spacers. The wide spacers sit opposite the inlet holes. With the rockers centered over the valves, the longer spacer will not fit in the wrong place. Everything is together, and the engine turns fine by hand. Waiting for some decent weather to bung it back in the van. But I may be working in the rain. The van has a roof over it, but not much overhand.
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@66/440
what or how does the camshaft look
better rotate the motor & check out the lobes
be a waste to do lifter if the cam is junk
& when you do run it again
use good break-in oil, ZDP additive lots of zinc
I would suggest replace the cam & all the lifters,
timing chain & gears if worn & old too
along with the new rockers now
use the proper assembly lube on all of it, liberally tips of pushrods on the lifters & cups
also on the camshaft & rockers shafts
make sure the shafts are 'the oil holes' in the rocker shafts themselves
are pointed in the proper direction, before putting them back on
& torquing them down
or it will wipe it out on top again,
That factory service manual should cover it some
I'd also look at the pushrods & see if they are F--ked too,
very well could be
it's just smart & cheap insurance replace it all,
before you put the intake back on
or before you replace the oil & the filter too,
flush everything, prior if you can, get the crap out of the valley & pan
a clean engine is a healthy one
&
break it in properly, very important, on 1st start up
get all the temps up to reg. run. conditions
immediately set the idle screw to like 2,000-2,500 RPM sustained
(even if you just replaced, just a few parts, it needs to be broken in again)
run it at up to the normal temps for at least 15-20 min.s like that,
after that
turn the idle screw back down to near normal, shut it off
let the engine cool completely
like going thru the reg. heat cycles
after that's done,
fire it back up set the timing & go for a drive
&
When 1st driving it
run around on the break-in oil
leave it in for at least 500+ (to even 1500) miles
try not to stay at any one RPM for any period of time, vary it "a lot"
AFTER DRIVING IT A SHORT DISTANCE
make sure to check it see if you have any 'glitter/poly' lil' metallic/shinny particles in it
on the dip stick
'if'
you do see a bunch of it/shinny glittery stuff,
the cam/lifters may be wiped again...
sorry to say
It's not uncommon in todays crappy flat tappet camshafts, or lifters
especially Hydrualic stuff
& you didn't do the process of cam break-in properly, or high enough/long enough
don't be/get impatient let it run the heat cyles
if all is good change the oil & filter
what or how does the camshaft look
better rotate the motor & check out the lobes
be a waste to do lifter if the cam is junk
& when you do run it again
use good break-in oil, ZDP additive lots of zinc
I would suggest replace the cam & all the lifters,
timing chain & gears if worn & old too
along with the new rockers now
use the proper assembly lube on all of it, liberally tips of pushrods on the lifters & cups
also on the camshaft & rockers shafts
make sure the shafts are 'the oil holes' in the rocker shafts themselves
are pointed in the proper direction, before putting them back on
& torquing them down
or it will wipe it out on top again,
That factory service manual should cover it some
I'd also look at the pushrods & see if they are F--ked too,
very well could be
it's just smart & cheap insurance replace it all,
before you put the intake back on
or before you replace the oil & the filter too,
flush everything, prior if you can, get the crap out of the valley & pan
a clean engine is a healthy one
&
break it in properly, very important, on 1st start up
get all the temps up to reg. run. conditions
immediately set the idle screw to like 2,000-2,500 RPM sustained
(even if you just replaced, just a few parts, it needs to be broken in again)
run it at up to the normal temps for at least 15-20 min.s like that,
after that
turn the idle screw back down to near normal, shut it off
let the engine cool completely
like going thru the reg. heat cycles
after that's done,
fire it back up set the timing & go for a drive
&
When 1st driving it
run around on the break-in oil
leave it in for at least 500+ (to even 1500) miles
try not to stay at any one RPM for any period of time, vary it "a lot"
AFTER DRIVING IT A SHORT DISTANCE
make sure to check it see if you have any 'glitter/poly' lil' metallic/shinny particles in it
on the dip stick
'if'
you do see a bunch of it/shinny glittery stuff,
the cam/lifters may be wiped again...
sorry to say
It's not uncommon in todays crappy flat tappet camshafts, or lifters
especially Hydrualic stuff
& you didn't do the process of cam break-in properly, or high enough/long enough
don't be/get impatient let it run the heat cyles
if all is good change the oil & filter
66/440
Well-Known Member
Thanks, I've solved my issues long ago. This was (@
Unkle Krusty)
asking about rocker arm install and I answered.
Unkle Krusty
Well-Known Member
In the back of my Haynes manual, supplement, revisions and information on 87 and newer models. Is all the info about left and right rocker arms, and spacers.
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