[olddog]

I don't want to get into a name calling, pissing match, that may cause harm to a business that doesn't deserve it. People who do not deserve to be in business usually fail on their own, although they do cause damage to their customers before failure.

That said, so your sure the lash isn't correct. Is that an opinion, or did you measure it? It is very cut and dried. You measure it. There is a spec for that cam. Either the numbers you get are in spec, or they are not. It is pointless for you and the builder to be spouting opinions, when this can be settled in an hour or two at most. Check them together. If your wrong, you pay him for wasting his time, with your opinion. If your right, he corrects it for free in front of you and apologizes. He should buy lunch for your trouble.

I do question why the builder did not properly shim the rockers, as part of the build. I am suspecting that perhaps he did not want to use those rockers or wanted to fix them and you directed him to reuse them against his advise. Is there more to this story than you are leveling with us about? This does not add up, to me. It seems stupid for the builder to blame the valve noise on the rockers being sloppy on the shaft. He is the builder. Why did he assemble it that way, and then blame that as the problem, if it is his fault for doing so? That make no sense. It does make sense, if he was directed to do so, against his advice.

Sorry to be a dick, but your tone set off some flags in my head. I hope I am wrong.