Well.. at the workshop at the moment. Couldn't get the lifter unstuck my pumping the pushrod... Got the rocker shaft out - on that note could someone confirm if the holes on the rocker shaft face the inside of the engine?I mean, holes face the pushrod side not valve side please? Manual doesn t show. Got a straight edge across the valves and they all sitting at same height. Got valve cover off the other side and on cylinders 2 4 6 8 all the rockers are fine with no play. Just taken everything off and now ready to take intake off...
What ever it was it looked similar to the coolant I use on the CNC mill at work. The point is it dried up and was causing the lifter to stick. On the 68-69 lifters I was installing the other day you could not push the plunger down until I soaked it for a while then when pushed down it would not come back up with out tapping it on a wood block. I cleaned them and applied a little clean oil and they work fine now. Ken
JP, Before you take intake off, maybe try installing a oil thru pushrod you have, and spray a small bit of WD40 or similar penetrating oil down the tube inside to hopefully free up that stuck lifter piston? Worth a try.....
Right.. still at workshop. This posting on my phone is quite cool for updates!! We got the intake off.. all good inside. The lifter looks fine and is not stuck at the bottom. And think we found the problem... The rocker tip that goes on the valve is shorter the the other tips. I measured them all and the one where I have play is shorter roughly the same amount that I have the play. All of them are roughly 0.54 to 0.56, measured from the top to bottom. The one where I have the slack is only 0.51 I have attached a photo I think.. not sure it works. So.. how to resolve this? Can I get just the tip?
There should be a hardened steel pad inserted into aluminum body. Look at all the others and compare them. Need a new rocker or possibly the hardened tip. Possibly build up the short tip maybe by welding up the thickness and grinding it similar to others.
Well now that its apart you can check for the plunger movement in lifter. Try to push it in. Also try to move another so you can feel what a lifter feels like when its filled with oil. Take a pic of lifter body after you clean it. I got to get back to work. 10+ blocks to clean....
I did think about That! Seems like a quick solution.. I can weld it up with the TIG and file down for sure.. Have to buy the entire rocker arm? But looking at your photos (thanks) I can buy just the tips? Mine are first generation rockers. Then I could buy a whole new set of tips and a friend from the US is coming over next month he could bring them. The welding the tip could just get me going for now.. The movement is good. I compared with another one, both filled with oil, and it's quite hard to push it down Lifter body is all good too. I've just put it all back and a load of blue paper on top to protect while I clean the gaskets surfaces.
You need the TA 1300T tip. TA recommends the second generation Stamped Steel rocker. Only a dollar and 65 cents difference.
So guys.. do you reckon I should buy a whole new set of tips? the 16 of them? I'm hoping TA can post quite cheap as in send it inside an envelope..... hopefully order it from TA tonight.
Take good pics of tips & post. They are as hard as a valve tip so can't believe they are all shot. You might just need the one and a spare or two. Request small package (envelope) from Tim @ TA, they should be able to do that.
I have left the workshop already, can't take more photos unfortunately.... I have these 2.. one I took to ask (someone to confirm) if I have put the rocker arms the correct way, if the hole on the shaft should face the pushrod side and the other photo was pointing at the one that measures shorter than all the others... The thing is the cast bit, over the tip is of different heights, depending on the rocker you pick. but when comparing with rockers that have the same height just on the casting, that measurement is still shorter on the pushrod that was knocking. see here how the casting on the one to the right of where I'm pointing looks taller? but the other 2 rockers at the end, the casting is the same height as the one I'm pointing, and the overall measurement, of casting+tip, is shorter. only 0.51 when comparing to 0.56
itching! so I've bought 4 of them, spoke with Tim on the phone. they are sending them over. this will get me going.. there's no play on any of the other rockers, so these tips should be enough and to keep as spare. do some miles on the engine and then check it all again. can get my friend to bring more if I need it.
For now, it they're available over there, a lash cap for the top of the valve should take the slack out until the new tips arrive? Would be a long shot because I'm not sure what else over there runs 3/8" valves except for the heavy duty sbc truck engines if there is any of those over there? Even if there is, its still a long shot if you'll be able to find 3/8" valve lash caps but worth a try before you start trying to weld the tip. Oh yeah, you have a lathe, you could make your own lash cap with some tool steel that can be oil hardened.(o1 or 07 tool steel would work great)
Or your can remove the rocker insert, get a best fit hardware store flat washer about .040- .050 thick, put it back on insert stem and it'll get you broken in and cruising down the road. Hopefully your rocker pushrod cup isn't damaged.
that's quite a good idea! however... I'd be thinking that washer would brake and end up inside the engine somewhere.... I think I'll wait for the tips to arrive. letter post is usually quite quick from the US and I have received stuff in 4 days. Rockauto are quite good for example, I know of people who got their parts within 3 days. For now I'll concentrate in other jobs, for example tonight I been down the workshop and been scraping all the gasket off the heads and intake and valley pan, it's all spotless. Took me ages as I was being extra careful with not dropping any dirt in the engine. I layd down layers of blue roll and had a vaccumm cleaner on as I was scrapping it... It's all clean now, ready to be assembled again. Now that I know all the lifters are good I can put it all back together and just leave the valve covers held by one bolt, ready for when the tips get here.
Will do next time I'm at the workshop. for now I have 3 tips coming over, although there's no slack on any other rocker, so I'll have 2 spares. My friend is coming from the US next month, so I'll probably buy a whole new set and sent to his house to bring over. then I can replace at a later date.
