Rocker install

OK, fair call.
After re-reading the Comp cams and Crane cams guide I think I had it arse backwards.

The method is to torque all bolts first and then "wait a few minutes, allowing the lifters to bleed down". Then measure the preload by loosening the bolt and allowing the rod to rise.
I was going from a raised position and torquing down...therefore having to wait for each lifter to bleed to neutral position.

Sometimes you just get too wrapped up and can't see the obvious.

Thanks Gordon, some tips in there should help me shave a few hours off the task   

Please re-read this entire thread from the beginning, I think you may be missing the point of the exercise.

You do NOT want the lifters to bleed down while measuring preload. A good before/after comparison depends on the lifters staying pumped up. What changes is the rockers.

For a non-adjustable valve train:
1. Install primed lifters, pushrods and torque down rockers to spec.
2. Make a mark on the pushrods relative to some fixed reference point (cam must be on base circle, ie, valve closed)
3. Remove rockers and see how much the (primed) lifter pushes it back up. Re-mark pushrod relative to the same reference point.
4. Measure difference between marks. If not in spec (.020-.040), shim or adjust pushrod length as necessary.

Okay, I'll be bolting on the new heads today so this is next. A few questions (I've read the other references (Crane and Comp) as well as what is in the manual. Honestly, if I had read this in more detail before tearing into the engine, I would have thought twice and maybe had someone else do it. The only other car I've adjusted the valves was my first car (anyone remember Datsun), a 4-banger with adjustable valves. These non-adjustable rockers seem to be a major pain, and if I do it wrong, I can't just pop the valve covers, I have to take the exhaust manifolds back off as well as the plenum. My retired auto mechanic friend (ski club member) thinks I shouldn't have to worry about it (it will be fine without shims or different push rods (even though I said that since these are remanufactured heads and some has been milled (he says probably no more than 10 thous).   I haven't seen what the shims look like, but the method of measuring seems inexact at best. I don't have a dial gauge. So, questions:

1. What do you use to scribe a small enough mark on the push rods so you can see and measure the difference?

2. Can I measure the difference with calipers (I assume I can get to the marks with them but haven't tried yet (standard calipers used for ski fin adjustments)?

3. Some of the docs I read said that you need to let the lifters bleed out before measurements, but above in this thread people were talking about collapsed lifters due to no oil so needing to pump them back up (or put them in a can of oil). I'm not planning on taking my lifters out so was going to use the drill oil pump driver to pump everything up (which I just got yesterday). Now I don't know which is the correct method.

Anyway, I'm nervous about the preload measurements / adjustments at the moment. I still have to finish cleaning the head mating surfaces of the block (that's going slow) and put the heads on first. So I have a little time to continue to worry about valve adjustments (in addition to concerns about having to tear back into it again due to leaky gaskets or some dumb mistake). I think I'd better take a breather so I'm going to run out and get a ski ride in with a ski buddy (which will get me pumped up to get back onto it---and by that time, you guys will have given me a bunch of additional info and/or slapped me upside the head......   :-)

slmskrs wrote: I'll ask later how the distributor only turns one way regardless of crank rotation.

Left or right hand gears on the cam shaft. It's also why you need the proper gear on the distributor to match the rotation of the engine.

Ok, just found it. As viewed from the top, the distributor always turns counter-clockwise.

Aha! Now I get it (I didn't realize the pump was rotated by the distributor). What direction does it rotate (does the drill go clockwise or counter clockwise?). With right hand rotation engine (looking at the front of the engine and facing the stern), which way is the drill supposed to turn?

And on using shims, what part of using shims makes this non-adjustable? I would think that non-adjustable would mean they are auto setting, etc. and you shouldn't have to do anything.   Instead, it just seems to be a painful way to adjust....

slmskrs wrote: Thanks. Ordered. How does it work? Is it turning the oil pump (don't know how that is possible)?

Normally the camshaft turns the distributor shaft, which in turn, turns the oil pump.

Now, with this distributor out, you are putting in this tool, and attaching it to the oil pump, where the distributor shaft normally goes.

And, instead of the camshaft spinning the distributor shaft, your drill is spinning the tool, which will turn the pump.

It's kind of like when someone has a cardiac arrest, and the surgeon reaches into the chest cavity and squeezes the heart by hand to make it pump

if you dont want to purchase one, you can use a long 1/4' extension with a deep well 5/16th's socket electrical taped to the extension. the extension will chuck up in the drill

slmskrs,

This is what you want oil primer

You attach it to a drill and place it into the distributor shaft hole, spin with a drill and it pumps oil through the engine. Go slow at first because you can send oil flying with a fast drill, you don't need much rpm to get the oil moving. Yes it is used for the exact reason you suggested, pumping oil through the engine before a cold startup. Doesn't matter if the engine is new or just hasn't been run in a while the purpose is the same.

good thinking eric, since my engine was apart there is no oil at all in these lifters so thats probably why they bled down. Also I turned it over several times. probably should get some oil back in there.

ahh very clever good advice. Thanks!, I just kept cranking and watching the valves open and close to figure out where they were, probably the hard/long way.

good advice alan,
Ill push on then, just wanted to make sure I wasnt making a big mistake. I will say that is probably what happened as they were stiff at first but after some turning over and what not things got real loosey goosey.

well it goes up and down fine.

no these are not new lifters. There was a little inconsistency, they were mostly .060 a few .030. No double shimming yet anyway I only got one side done. The intake is on so no oiling them now.

So if they are too loose they will clatter/ make noise? How will I know. I know my measurements are consistent I was using a straight edge etc and I made sure both valves were closed all the way.

I had one rod with no preload, it was the same before and after I torqued down the rocker. I guess I will need a longer pushtube.

Sounds like you did something wrong. 0.090 - 0.060 should have left you with a preload of 0.030 (just about perfect). If you could spin the pushrods and the rockers were loose, then you had none at all.

Im also surprised that you had consistent preload across all the valves. Like I said before, mine varied up to 0.060 between valves. (I shimmed from 0.030 to 0.090.)

Sounds like you need to start from scratch and re-measure the preload on each lifter without any shims.