I stuck a borescope camera into the cylinder and cranked the fan to bring up the piston until it stopped moving then adjusted both rocker arm nuts, i slightly tighted but i allowed the rod to still twist in my fingers then did 1/4 of a turn more, that camera is just wonderful. I did this for all cylinders and it did not take too long about 45 minutes or so. I turned on the motor and it turned on on first key flip but ran hard and i heard a some of clatter i assume cylinders 1 or 2 were the issue. I noticed there was only fresh oil on cylinder 5 arm 1 so the lifters, all other arms are clogged. When i noticed improper oil flow i turned the motor off. I also noticed the engine was not maintaining idle and was losing rpms fast so i assume this is due to friction from lack of oil flow. I tried to turn the motor on again after slightly tightening the nut on cylinder 1 and it failed to turn on so i assume i have the valve open from 1/4 of a turn. I do not know why when I tested engine the second time it did not turn on.

My guess for a possible fix method:

Remove lifters, rods clean and replace with fresh hardware: I will have to remove the fuel pump, ignition coil, ignition timing to get access to the engine side panel and it seems ill need to pull off what looks like a air pump because its in the way. Then install clean lifters, rods and add break in fluid then readjust valves for new hardware, test engine.


I found what I did wrong....

I only did half the adjustments in that I only adjusted one valve I need to follow this procedure:

Start with cylinder #1
Turn the crank clockwise till the exhaust valve just begins to open and adjust the intake valve.
Then continue to turn the crank clockwise till the intake valve just closes and adjust the exhaust valve.

 

Did you know the cylinder comes up twice during a normal cycle? If you bring the piston to the top in the bore, there is no guarantee you are on the compression stroke, you might be on the exhaust stroke. Hopefully your new procedure will straighten that out.

 

If you have adjustable valve train and not one you just torque to spec and its set, it is very simple to set the valves. First if you need to know do you have 3/8" or 7/16" studs, these two have different thread pitches which translates into different amount of movement per turn of the nut. Once you know this you start with cylinder one. Once the intake valve just starts to close you set your exhaust. Turn the nut till the pushrod has no up and down play this is zero lash, from there crank your nut down to achieve 0.050" preload in general, if you know the piston travel in your lifter shoot for sitting the piston in the middle of the travel. I could not find the travel on my R302H roller lifters but everyone seems to recommend 0.020" - 0.060" preload so I went for 0.050" preload.

In this instance standard 3/8" rocker arm studs use a 3/8"-24 nut. That is 24 tpi which equates to 0.416" per turn of the nut. I upgraded with the AFR 7/16" rocker arm studs due to my high lift and high valve spring pressure for my roller cam and the 7/16 rocker arm upgrade which uses a 7/16"-20 nut. That is 20 tpi which equates to 0.500" per turn of the nut. I zero lashed mine and turned my nut 1 full turn to achieve 0.050" preload putting me on the edge of what everyone recommends for preload.

If you are using 3/8" studs 1 full turn after zero lash will get you close to 0.050" preload but not exact. Youll have to go between 1 1/8 turn and 1 1/4 turn to achieve close to 0.050" preload. If you are running lifters that has say 0.120" piston travel then you can go as high as 0.060" preload. I think OE Ford roller lifters are around 0.130" piston travel which I assume my R302H roller lifters are as they are just stock roller lifters with a improved piddle valve to stabilize the lifter at 6,500 rpm.

Once you get your exhaust set you then rotate the engine till the exhaust valve just starts to open then you set your intake valve.

Keep this in mind exhaust valve closes after intake valve opens to introduce a scavaging effect. Make sure you always adjust exhaust when intake valve is closing to ensure you are on the base circle on exhaust and always adjust intake when the exhaust valve is opening to ensure intake valve is on the base circle.

 

ok so i have done the steps described and took and marked the distributer cover to watch arm move here is proof of my work:


on cylinder 1 piston is tdc, distributer arm pointing to 9 o clock intake valve is closed

distributer points to 10 o clock intake valve starts to open (the second push rod from font of engine moves)

distributer points to 12 intake is now closed,

distributer points to 3 o clock (cylinder 1 power stroke) both valves closed, distributer arm is on cylinder firing contact for cylinder 1

distributer points to 4 o clock exhaust starts to open

distributer points to 6 exhaust is fully open

distributer points to 9 exhaust is closed cylinder tdc, intake starts to move

distributer points to 10 intake starts to open


ok when i put cylinder 1 tdc i did not know if i was on what cycle of that stroke so i turned the engine over a few times and just watched things move to get into sync.

exhaust 2
intake 1
engine front

with engine pointing front rod 1 is exhaust / rod 2 is intake, on intake stroke, start cycle piston tdc intake valve opens and piston moves down set exhaust valve using method described. the lobe will point to 12 (open) while its being set at 6 o clock (closed)


wait until nearly end of 4th cycle and when the exhaust starts to close, tighten intake nut here.

 

Best way to know what you are on stroke wise watch the rocker arms from cylinder 1. Front most valve is intake. Valve opens piston is on its down stroke for intake. Piston starts to move up and valve closes this is your power stroke. This is where you put the cylinder to TDC as this is the compression stroke. Your distributor rotor should be pointing to cylinder 1 terminal on your distributor cap.

 

Will this help you adjust the valves.

https://www.bing.com/search?q=how+to...091d83a8303828

 

Have you looked at your rocker arm studs to see if they are old style straight 3/8 studs, which are adjustable? Or are they the newer (1978-1984) studs with a 5/16 base that you just torque down the rocker arm nut and call it good.

 

the arms look like this:



its just a pic i found but it matches

ill go check what size nut but i did 1-5 and it took about 30 minutes with that tiny camera watching the valves inside and i would watch the push rods outside it takes the guess work out.

so on #6 I went to check things out and... the nut just spins and spins and spins. Now i do have a propane mini torch and i have used heat to remove nuts before but this is an engine with gasoline no way will i get a torch near the engine. so ill have to get a nut cracker.

I was so close to getting all the cylinders done wow luck huh.

i use a 9/16 socket so would this nut work:

https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/c...rd-f-150?pos=0

 

From your link...Material: Carbon SteelThread Size: 5/16-24 InchType: Open HexColor/Finish: Silver

I thought they were 3/8 studs?
Measure the top and the base of the stud.
Look for a change in diameter and a shoulder under the threads.

 

Hard to say if it would fit. A 9/16 socket usually fits a 3/8 nut, the one in your link is 5/16. But the auto guys sometimes use weird nuts. Are these nuts hard to turn when you are moving them? If they are they may stay where you put them, but if they turn fairly easy they are probably the type you turn down fully till they stop. If you try to adjust the type that are too loose, they will not stay in adjustment if you do not tighten them down because they are not designed for it.

They do make conversion nut kits to make them adjustable for v8's. This is for 5/16 studs. https://www.compcams.com/adjusting-k...5-16-stud.html

 

thanks for all the replies

ill grab a nut splitter and take a picture of my motor and upload.

yes i have difficulty doing 1/4 of a turn no way i can do a full turn, it made me question if i was even doing the procedure correctly.

i tried to use some penetrating oil on the nut then i tried a hacksaw and because its on the 6th cylinder there is no room to get the blade on the nut.

I do expect because my truck is so old there will be a lot of nuts that are just solid on it but i do have a oxy acetylene torch if i need to melt anything + the set ill grab off amazon.

 

When you say the nut is just spinning are you sure it is just the nut and not the full stud?
The studs are pressed into the head and have been known to pull out when you tighten them.
I wonder if the stud is spinning, can you get a wrench on the nut and turn it and see if the stud turns too.

Being this is inside the motor with oil and what not you should not have any issues removing or tightening a rocker nut / bolt.
Dave ----

 

Ok dont panic but most of the time I have no idea what im doing.

Somehow I got the motor back together.

I have a few vacuum hoses missing but that is another problem for another thread LOLOLOLOL.

I took one of the nuts off and then got 12 new ones. So ill have to redo all the valve adjustments.

Ya.... Its no where as clean as the trucks on this forum but keep in mind im winging it lolololol but it is maintained and it drives fine.

(I do need to redo the front suspension but other then that no issues.)

 

From the manual. Eyeball the way the stud is made like they describe below.

Some early models are equipped with adjustable rockers whereas the later models are equipped with positive stop type rocker mounting studs. Positive stop equipped rockers are adjusted by turning the adjusting nut down until it stops. You can identify a positive stop mounting stud by determining whether or not the shank portion of the stud that is exposed just above the cylinder head is the same diameter as the threaded portion at the top of the stud, to which the rocker arm retaining nut attaches. If the shank portion is larger than the threaded area, it is a positive stop mounting stud. Use the procedure given below for adjusting the valve lash on positive stop type mounting stud equipped vehicles.

 

Ill take another picture with the nut off of the bolt just be be sure because im in unknown territory. But from your description it might be the same diameter, ill need to check tomorrow and update this post.

thanks for the replies