Rocker arm help please!!!!!

[terryd001]

ok heres the deal. I have a 85 lx with a 2000 explorer motor in it. i was driving home a week ago and the head gasket blew out. so i did new head gaskets on each head and after putting everything back together i have a lot of chatter (play) in the rocker arms. everything is put back together how it came off. everything tourqued to specs etc... please help!!!!!
gt40p heads w/factory rocker arms. tourqued tight!!!!

[91CoupeMike]

How long was it down? If the lifters went dry it could take a few minutes to get them pumped up again.

Did you change anything else? Did you torque them down while the corresponding piston was at tdc?

[91CoupeMike]

Verify you have oil pressure too.

[terryd001]

good oil pressure and i let it run for a good minute after put back together.

[terryd001]

its driving me crazy cause i put it all back together correctly!!!!

[91CoupeMike]

its driving me crazy cause i put it all back together correctly!!!!

How did you torque the rockers?

[91CoupeMike]

Did you ever remove the lifters?

[91CoupeMike]

Did you get different valve covers?

[Blackpony]

What head gaskets did you use? Could be they are thicker then the stock ones thus creating less preload on the lifter. How many turns of preload do the rockers have?

[91CoupeMike]

What head gaskets did you use? Could be they are thicker then the stock ones thus creating less preload on the lifter. How many turns of preload do the rockers have?

If its explorer heads it should be pedestal mount right? I thought you just torqued those down?

[terryd001]

correct its just the pedestal rockers tourqued hand tight pretty good!!!! and no different valve covers and no i never removed the lifters. and aren't all the head gaskets the same size for the 5.0's???

[terryd001]

i used the felpros autozones gaskets by the way.

[91CoupeMike]

Ok hand tight is where your problem is.

Get a torque wrench and get them to spec.

I'm not sure what it is but I'm thinkin 18/24 lbs ft

[terryd001]

there at about 32 ft lbs. i did them to specs and though maybe they needed a little tighter but still not it. i don't get it cause everything is exactly how the book says. only thing i can think of is the gasket is a different thickness. i ordered a head set off a 92 5.0 and my motor is a 2000

[91CoupeMike]

Doesn't matter. Same gasket can be used. Should be a 9333 pt1

When you tighten them down, did they have pressure on then from the springs?