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Old Jun 10, 2018 | 09:41 AM
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Rocker Arms

Yesterday I finally got around to investigating the "ticking" I was hearing from the passenger side valve cover. I opened it up & found a couple rockers that had a little side-to-side movement on their pedestal, & 1 that moved a good 2mm on either side. I checked the torque on the bolts & all were tightened to the max spec of 25 ft-lbs. Is there normally a little looseness in the rocker when the valve is completely closed? Should I go ahead & replace all my rockers, or is there a measureable spec I can check to determine if they're too worn?
 
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Old Jun 11, 2018 | 06:39 PM
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You need to check lifter preload if valves are ticking.
 
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Old Jun 11, 2018 | 10:22 PM
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What's the acceptable range of lifter preload? I searched & found a range of .020" - .060", but that wasn't specific to the 335 engines.
 
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Old Jun 12, 2018 | 11:59 AM
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There is no adjustment on 335 series engines. Torque down and your done. You can get longer/shorter push rods I believe. If the valve is closed or the lifter has bled down the rockers will seem loose. Heavier oil might help.
 
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Old Jun 12, 2018 | 09:34 PM
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I'm currently running 10W-40; I'd think that'd be thick enough. I checked the rockers after running the engine for a few minutes, so the lifters shouldn't have bled down yet. Is it normal to be able to slide the rocker side-to-side with the valve fully closed? The pushrod turns freely too.
 
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Old Jun 13, 2018 | 09:10 AM
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Only on cylinders that are at top dead center or so. You might have worn out lifters.
 
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Old Jun 15, 2018 | 06:53 PM
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I'll have to check the build sheet on my engine to be sure, but shouldn't a new cam have come with new lifters?
 
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Old Jul 6, 2018 | 09:51 AM
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Did verify that new lifters were installed with the cam, but original pushrods & rockers were re-used.
 
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Old Jul 6, 2018 | 11:31 AM
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Sometimes with head milling and valve work you can end up changes in the pushrod geometry and possibly worn rockers. I think I would look else where carefully. Things like exhaust leaks, noisy pulleys etc. I've even seen drive belts that clicked after someone used belt dressing on them. Do you have a larger cam Than stock?
 
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Old Jul 6, 2018 | 03:20 PM
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Set a cylinder that is ticking on tdc. Get a hold of the push rod and see if there is any up and down play. The rocker moving around isn't going to tell you if you have too much or too little preload. Your figures are right that you read. I always shoot for close to .030"
 
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Old Jul 7, 2018 | 08:25 AM
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I went back and looked at some of your old threads on the overheating problem. Seems you have a little over a year on your rebuild but have had problems form the start. Now that you are getting lifter noise along with the high temps you had. I have a suspicion you may be losing a lobe or two on your cam. Also there is a possibility that the cam was not degreed correctly or possibly not even ground correctly to start with. Which could cause overheating. I would pull the oil filter cut it at the crimp remove the pleated paper unfold it and see if it has metal in it.
 
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Old Jul 8, 2018 | 10:50 AM
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The machine shop installed a melling rv cam. they were supposed to degree it to 0 I think lift was something like .509/.496? I'm gonna take it into a shop & have it looked at; replacing the cam & valvetrain is a little over my head.
 
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Old Jul 8, 2018 | 12:02 PM
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I hope I'm totally wrong about a failed lobe on the cam. But if you remove the oil filter and cut it open you will know right away if anything is coming apart in there. There is another possibility and that is a bent pushrod that wouldn't cause overheating but it would cause some ticking. That is something you can check real easy just pull them out and roll them across something flat.
 
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Old Jul 9, 2018 | 09:52 AM
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Well, good news - I pulled the filter & cut it open and couldn't find any traces of metal filings, shavings, etc. If there was any premature wear on any of the mechanical components, it show up as metal particles in the filter media, right? FYI - Melling part number on my cam is MTF-2
 
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