Rocker arm question?

[ma67cpe]

I bought my 302 used and I got a great deal on it considering it already had a healthy cam and a couple other upgrades. Is been running fine but did have one feature that I never liked. The rocker arm were double nutted so I was always thinking "are these adjusted correctly". So I went and bought some self locking nuts made by crane cams. Now I tightened the first one down until it would not tighten anymore and my rocker is still really loose. What am i missing?


They are just standard stamped rocker arms. Nothing fancy.

[Downs]

If there is no pressure on the rocker arm from the push rod then it should be loose when the engine is cold. There should be a few thousands play in there which you will be able to feel. There has to be clearance for the valve to close all the way. If they don't close all the way you'd get a burnt valve and reduced performance.

[ma67cpe]

If there is no pressure on the rocker arm from the push rod then it should be loose when the engine is cold. There should be a few thousands play in there which you will be able to feel. There has to be clearance for the valve to close all the way. If they don't close all the way you'd get a burnt valve and reduced performance.

Well with the nut all the way down I can still lift the rocker off of the push rod? I thought that was a little much.

[Downs]

How far are we talking? Like enough for the arm to rotate off the push rod? Does this engine have hyd. lifters or solid lifters?

I did some engine rebuilding work while I was in High School for about a year and a half at a Machine shop and I remember Ford heads being more difficult to work on than Chevy heads as far as getting everything right.

[ma67cpe]

How far are we talking? Like enough for the arm to rotate off the push rod? Does this engine have hyd. lifters or solid lifters?

The motor has hydrolic lifters and yes I would think it would fall off. If not it would defiantly chatter a lot

[Downs]

Well the hyd. lifters should pump up when you first fire up the engine or put a oil pump drive adapter down the distributor hole and run the oil pump a little bit.

Try this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2Rny7FBK6M&feature=related

I was wrong on setting the valves properly. Sounds like you might be missing a part between the nut and the rocker arm. There should be a washer type thing under the nut. Should be flat on one side and conical (rounded) on the other. I'm trying to bring up info in my brain from 2001-2003 time frame so it's kinda dated and blurry lol.

[ma67cpe]

Well the hyd. lifters should pump up when you first fire up the engine or put a oil pump drive adapter down the distributor hole and run the oil pump a little bit.

Try this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2Rny7FBK6M&feature=related

I was wrong on setting the valves properly. Sounds like you might be missing a part between the nut and the rocker arm. There should be a washer type thing under the nut. Should be flat on one side and conical (rounded) on the other. I'm trying to bring up info in my brain from 2001-2003 time frame so it's kinda dated and blurry lol.

Thats kind of what I was thinking. I just didnt want to stick a washer in there if it was going to damage anything.

[80coupe]

Thats kind of what I was thinking. I just didnt want to stick a washer in there if it was going to damage anything.

i wouldn't , have you checked your push rod length?

[ma67cpe]

i wouldn't , have you checked your push rod length?

Well when it was double nutted it worked. The lock nuts are just about the same exact size.

[80coupe]

Well when it was double nutted it worked. The lock nuts are just about the same exact size.

oh i see[half asleep], imo i would buy new rockers before i stuck a washer in there.

[fordracer2]

I bought my 302 used and I got a great deal on it considering it already had a healthy cam and a couple other upgrades. Is been running fine but did have one feature that I never liked. The rocker arm were double nutted so I was always thinking "are these adjusted correctly". So I went and bought some self locking nuts made by crane cams. Now I tightened the first one down until it would not tighten anymore and my rocker is still really loose. What am i missing?


They are just standard stamped rocker arms. Nothing fancy.

The double nuts are just poor boy way of keeping the primary one from backing off. First make sure the push rod was even seated in the lifter .You need to spin the motor (by hand or ratchet on balancer bolt)to get the cam lobe on base circle and in the right position to set that valve and the same with the others. when the push rod of the lifter you are setting is down at its lowest point then set it and then so on. After you get the oil pressure in lifters and they pump up you can fine tune them. If they are nonadjustable then just set the nut to proper ftlbs 17-20 i believe. You can not just put the nut on there and tighten it down. If that dont work make sure the new nuts are fitting in the rocker arm with out contacting anything it should not. good luck hope this helps.