So I am a complete newbie when it comes to engine building. Here is my dilemma. Ford 460. I put this motor in with stock cam and it ran GREAT! Then i disassembled it and put in the cam kit listed below. Clearly after assembling it with new cam kit, my pushrods are too short. I have top end noise and about 4 of the nuts on my rocker studs completely bottomed out before getting the pushrods tight. Also after running, one of the pushrods popped out. They are 5/16 pushrods i think and my local motor shop had two sizes in stock. The stock size and a slightly longer one. I bought the longer ones and they helped (if i remember right they were 8.55", but that was like a year ago so i could be wrong). That helped but a few are still loose. I understand the concept from what i have read of tightening the nut until the pushrod doesn't spin and then like 3/4 of a turn more. I went out and bought an adjustable pushrod also to check them.

But i can't find detailed instructions on how to check for the proper length. every article i found says to check for proper length, but doesnt lay out how to do it.

I took a couple pics of the setup if anyone wants to see them. I assembled this motor a year and a half ago and really want to finish this! Thanks in advance!

Specs:
mid 80's carbed block and lower end-stock unsure of #'s
dove-c heads
COMP CAMS 278 XTREME 4x4 FLAT TAPPET HYDRAULIC CAMSHAFT K-KIT FOR FORD 429-460 ENGINES 1968-1995.
weiland stealth intake
L&L fenderwell headers
c6
edelbrock 1411 carb

pushrod checker 7703-1 (7.800 to 8.800) comp cams 7703-1
COMP Cams: Hi-Tech Checking Pushrod 7.800"-8.800"

A couple questions
1) how do i determine the proper length?
2) Do I have to check each individual pushrod or should they all pretty much be the same?
3) i see guideplates mentioned in some of the articles, do i need those with this setup?
4) is this the setup where I just tighten until the pushrod is tight and then another 1/2 or 3/4 turn or is that a different system? I am confused on this whole process. do i turn the motor to do each one? So lost....

 

One of the issues is I don't know the basic terminology to understand some of the articles, any input appreciated

 

here is a pic

 

Ok, here is what i think I should do, if anyone cares to guide me great. The push rods I have in there now are 8.616". So i will unscrew the adjustable pushrod to the next size pushrod available which is 8.650 by starting at 7.8 and unscrewing it 17 times. At .05 per turn that should put me at 8.65 according to my calculation. then mark the entire top of the valve stem with a sharpie and reassemble it to a 1/2 turn past the pushrod being tight on the number one cylinder with it at TDC. then remove the rocker arm and look at the top of the valve and see where the sharpie is wore off. It should start towards the manifold at TDC and then move across the center of the valve and then return to the original point. I'll try this for 8.65 and 8.7 and see which one looks the closest to centered on the valve spring. I'll try one intake valves and one of the exhaust valves.

Questions:
1) if i am trying to do this with the lifters full of oil, what type of time window do i have before they bleed down? a minute? 5 min? half hour?

 

without the engine running and oil pressure up they will begin to collapse some immediately when you start putting spring pressure against them. When checking pushrod length that way you pretty much have to replace the lifters with a solid lifter to make it work

some of your other questions, it appears those are a slotted rocker over the top of the valve? is so then no guideplates needed.

for precision in a race motor yes check each pushrod although usually they are all close enough to the same that you don't buy individual pushrods to get it any closer.

 

again, pardon my ignorance, but how do i know if a lifter is solid or hydraulic? I have the stock lifters, are those likely to be solid?

 

stock are hyd.

if it can be pushed down at all it's hyd, solid is just that solid and you have to adjust them with a lash amount (lash = how loose the lifters are, checked with a feeler gauge between rocker and valve stem I.E. ones in my race engine were .021) You don't set lash on hyd, you set preload.

 

ok thanks, so i guess i have to order a solid lifter then. good to know. i was going to try it without it, as is, thanks for the heads up

 

will the height automatically be the same or do i need to research the height of the lifter to exactly match the comp cam 832-16's i have in the engine?

 

I would question how you put your rocker arms back on. On the hydraulic cams, you are supposed to put the engine at TDC on the compression stroke and tighten 8 of them to the proper torque (18-25 according to my book). Then rotate the crank 360 degress so it is at TDC on the exhaust stroke and tighten the other 8 to spec.

There is a specific 8 do to on each step:

1 I & E
3 I
8 E
7 I
5 E
8 I
4 E
on the first step

2 I&E
4 I
3 E
5 I
6 I&E
7 E
on the second step.

The way you did it....if the cam lobe is up and you tighten the way you did...when the lobe rotates down, there's nothing there to hold it.

 

Thank you, i am learning so much today

 

Based on your initial post, the cam you put in is a hydrualic.

 

You don't want to put a solid lifter in there

 

you been talking to the Chevy guys?? If memory serves me, which it don't always, the way you did it is the way the BB Chevy's are done.

 

Not even just to check the length as Monster said? use the lifters already in there?