ADJUST ROLLER TIP ROCKERS ON 302 HYD. ROLLER CAM - Ford Muscle Forums : Ford Muscle Cars Tech Forum

MNSJR · 04-08-2004, 09:02 AM

I JUST PICKED UP MY 302 ROLLER CAM ENGINE FROM THE MACHINE SHOP. BASIC LONG BLOCK WAS ASSEMBLED. IT IS A NEW 5.0 SHORT BLOCK, STOCK HO 5.0 ROLLER CAM WITH MILD PORTED 351W HEADS. THE HEADS HAVE HARDEN PUSHRODS, GUIDE PLATES AND COMP CAMS ROLLER TIP ROCKER ARMS. MY OTHER ENGINES HAVE HAD POSITIVE STOP ROCKER ARMS, THIS ENGINE IS ADJUSTABLE.

I HAVE PRIMED THE ENGINE WITH A DRILL AND IT HAD 70# PREASURE WITH THE DRILL RUNNING. THIS SHOULD PUMP THE HYD. ROLLER LIFTERS UP.

WHAT IS THE BEST PROCEDURE TO SET PRELOAD WITH THIS ADJUSTABLE VALVE TRAIN?
THANKS

pedal2themetal45 · 04-08-2004, 11:44 AM

HI
First off just running the pump with a drill isn't going to pump up your lifters.. The lifters have to pump (move) in order to fill up.. The action of them moving up and down fills them. All your doing with the drill is getting oil to all the barings and filling the lines. I would adjust the rockers by adjusting the intake just as the exghaust starts to open and vice versa. Rotate the motor to TDC of the Exghaust stroke on one. (how you may ask) Watch the push rod on the exghaust of #one's and when it starts comming up, stop a TDC (0) this should be top of the exghaust stroke. Rotate the push rod on #one's intake while tighten the adjust nut just as it stops rotating go 1/4 to 1/2 turn more. This should get you started for brake in.
tim

thekingofazle · 04-08-2004, 03:35 PM

a lot of people over tighten and bottom out the hydraulic lifter. What your trying to obtain is removing any slack in the rocker/pushrod/lifter system, so what you want to do is tighten it until you feel MORE resistance on the pushrod, not necessarily when you cant turn it. But if you have the manifold off, you can just look. make sure each cylinder's at TDC on the compression stroke (as no valves are opening). Turn the nut until you just see the plunger start to depress. Now most people will tell you to take it a half or quarter turn after that, but i like to take a dial indicator on a magnetic base and place set it up on the back of the rocker arm so that you can see how much the rocker lowers. Now I turn it so the needle advances about 25 thousandths (about a quarter turn of the needle on the dial) To set correct preload, then lock it down if you have locking rocker nuts. Never had an engine click on startup yet

[ This Message was edited by: thekingofazle on 4/9/04 3:36am ]

MNSJR · 04-15-2004, 02:06 PM

I TRIED TO ADJUST THE VALVES COLD. STARTED UP THE ENGINE, IT CRANKED OK BUT RAN ROUGH AND SOUNDS LIKE VALVES ARE KNOCKING. SO IT LOOKS LIKE I DID NOT DO SUCH A GOOD JOB ADJUSTING THE VALVES COLD. I HAVE A SET OF OLD STOCK VALVE COVERS I CAN CUT THE CENTERS OUT AND ADJUST ROLLER ROCKERS. WHAT IS THE BEST WAS TO ADJUST THESE VALVES.
THANKS,
MIKE

ckelly · 04-15-2004, 02:16 PM

I use my fingers. Rotate the engine until the exhaust starts up. Back off the intake rocker and let the lifter relax a minute or two. Turn the pushrod back and forth with your fingers (thumb and index) lightly on the rod while you start to tighten the adjuster nut. When you feel the pushrod stop (slack is gone) STOP. Go 1/2 turn more. Turn the motor till the intake is almost closed. Do the exhaust the same way. If you think you missed the stop point at all, back off and start over. I do this every time I have to set my valves (so far only with a cam change) and I have no fire up and run problems at all. I changed cams in the winter of 02 and then raced all year. Never took the valve covers off.

MNSJR · 04-15-2004, 02:37 PM

SO I SHOULD TRY TO ADJUST ROCKERS WHEN COLD AND ENGINE NOT RUNNING? IF EASIER, I CAN CUT UP OLD STOCK VALVE COVER TO CONTROL THE OIL SPLASH AND ADJUST WHILE RUNNING. TWO NIGHTS AGO, I TIRED TO SET ON COMPRESSION STROKE TOP DEAD CENTER WHEN BOTH VALVES SHOULD HAVE BEEN CLOSED, BUT I MUST HAVE NOT ADJUSTED CORRECTLY.

THIS IS MY FIRST HEADS WITH ADJUSTABLE VALVE TRAIN. OTHER FORDS HAVE POSITIVE STOP RAIL ROCKERS. THIS IS 302 STOCK EXPLORER ROLLER CAM AND 351W HEADS WITH COMP CAR ROLLER TIP ROCKER ARMS 1.6 AND HARDENED PUSH RODS WITH GUIDE PLATES.

THANKS,
MIKE

schump · 04-15-2004, 03:00 PM

listen carefully on the adjustment of valves. use your firing order to adjust. use the opposite on the intake and exhaust to make sure you are on the base circle of the cam. for instance
on a chevy firing oder 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2 do this for the opposite. 1 6
8 5
4 7
3 2
when number 1 intake valve fully open number 6 will be on the base circle. adjust number 6 intake and so on. do not rely on the old hot rodder valve adjustment.
this valve adjustment will work with all motors.

MNSJR · 04-16-2004, 08:38 AM

THANKS SCHUMP,
I FOLLOWED YOUR FIRING ORDER PROCEDURE AND ADJUSTED LAST NIGHT. THE 302 FIRED UP GREAT. I HAD TWO VALVES REALLY LOOSE BEFORE I USED YOUR METHOD. THANKS AGAIN FOR THE HELP, I HAD THE 302 BALANCED, THEN TOOK 351W HEADS AND RPM PERFORMER INTAKE TO ENGINE BUILDER FOR FINAL ASSEMBLY. HE DID NOT ADJUST THE VALVES, BUT I ASKED HIM TO. THE MAIN REASON I WANTED HIM TO ASSEMBLE, 1- NO FINGER POINTING IF I HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE ENGINE. 2- I HAVE NEVER RAN FORD HEADS WITH ADJUSTABLE VALVE TRAIN BEFORE. NEXT TIME I WILL SAVE THE MONEY AND DO MY OWN LONG BLOCK ASSEMBLY.

IF YOU ARE EVER NEAR CHARLOTTE, NC DROP ME A LINE AND I WILL BUY YOU A BEER.
THANKS AGAIN,
MIKE