Best Way to Get the Carbon Build-up Out of My Engine?

You need new plastic pieces, unless there's metal or otherwise more-durable upgrades I don't know about.

Last time I went looking for the plastic buttons, they were scarce except from the specialty dealers, or as part of a complete rocker shaft assembly.

 

Found one on RockAuto, bailing me out as usual. Thanks for the help!!

 

Install new nylon button.
Don’t wig out on the rockers, they flip, flop, slop, and slide and wiggle around when not running and the lifter/s have bled down.

 

An older thread but - I seem to remember that you must remove the shaft to get out the old buttons/retainers? I read somewhere that the best retainers are available from TA?
Any correct advice/process?

 

Pull the shafts so you can knock out the broken stubs of the old buttons (and keep them out of the oil pan)
Buy twice the amount of buttons as you'll actually need, yes TA has them but so does Napa or wherever (in the Dorman line..they're pretty much all the same)
Heat the buttons in hot water before you try to knock them in
1 straight hard knock to install - dont try to gently tap them in

 

Yep, one quick wack with a 4” 3/8’s extension using the female end of the extension.

 

Any tricks to reinstalling the shafts/rockers? Do I just bolt them in and torque down?

 

I do a little at a time alternating bolts to prevent snapping or bending shaft.

 

Ha - I was watching Engine Masters last night and Steve Dulcich was swapping a cam in a 440. He talked about the shaft rockers - he set a long rod (welding) across the top of the head to hold the push rods up so they would go into the rockers easily. Then he talked about tightening the shaft down slowly so it would not bend - just what you said John!