Adjustable Rocker Arms -Have you checked yours?

[Clois Harlan]

Here is some friendly advise for all of you guys running solid lifters and adjustable rocker arms. If you haven't pulled your valve covers off yet and adjusted your valve lash on your well rested engines then I would strongly suggest you do it sooner than later.

Yes, I was going to adjust mine but I was warming the engine up with a short drive and of course I was tempted to put my foot into a bit nothing stupid but a little more than 3000 rpms Well I noticed that after a brief run thru the gears my power was down so I went home to check things out.

I pulled my valve covers and as I expected I had an intake push rod that had lost it's cup and was resting off center. Had I kept driving things might have gotten a lot worse and more expensive. As it was I had a replacement push rod and a set of gaskets at the house and pulled the intake to make sure noting had gotten into my rotating assembly. All is well and most of my gaps were within a couple thousands but there were a couple roller rockers that were far enough out of tolerance that a prolonged thrashing at the track could have been disasterous.

So the moral of the story is adjust your valves and live to play another day! By the way I am running Sig Erson Alum Roller Rockers, Moran Push Rods now, Comp Cams 607/610 lift 276/272 dur and Comp cams dog bone solid lifters on a little ole 427 FE.


Clois Harlan

[Rick Parker]

I have seen the roller tip axle fulcrum back out of the bore, with semi catastophic results. Personally I think Aluminum Rocker arms should be checked real often for various reasons. There are different expansion rates for the 6061 T-6 aluminum and the hardened steel cup insert, and with all the pounding and heat stress it is inevitable that somthing is going to move.

[Jerry Clayton]

I really believe that you have a push rod problem, not a rocker arm problem----if you broke or lost a cup, the others that were made in the same batch/time frame from that manufacture would be suspect also

were they welded ends? or did the end piece fit inside a tube? check where the failure occurred to determine what failed--the heat treating necessary for push rod ends can alter the stength factor at the highly loaded rocker tip end

[Bobcat]

Hey Clois ... per Jerry , I also think you may have a push rod problem , or more precisely , a clearance/fit issue . My other toy is a 427 Galaxie and I lost a push rod several years ago . The cup broke and the push rod did exactly what yours did. To make a long story short ... I had a high lift cam and at full lift , the outside edge of the cup contacted the rocker ball . You might look at the other rockers for any signs of contact . Also , make sure the ball on the rocker exactly matches the cup on the push rod . That was the problem on mine as all the wear was on the outside edges of the cup .... which eventually caused the cup to break . I caught the others in time .... and these parts were supposed to work together .

Bob