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  • 1979 - 1995 (Fox, SN95.0, & 2.3L) -General/Talk-
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Crane 2031 problems- pushrod length, lifters, adjusting. please help!!!!

  • Thread starter Thread starter Dan95-5.0
  • Start date Start date Aug 7, 2006

Dan95-5.0

Active Member
Jun 14, 2003
1,110
0
36
Manitoba, Canada
Aug 7, 2006
#1
  • Aug 7, 2006
  • #1
ok, i installed a crane 2031 cam kit along with some ported e7's and reused my stock lifters.

when i tried to install my crane 1.7's, the rockers on the intake valves are fine. on the exhaust, the pushrods are too short. i cant get to zero lash. i can rock the rocker back and forth.

i tried putting on my stock rockers. 1.6's. turned the motor over till the exhaust valve opened and closed, then the intake valve opened and closed. right after it closed, i was on the base circle. i tightened the bolt till there was a slight drag on the push rod. then i torqued the bolts to 20 ft lbs. and got 1/4 to 3/4 on both intakes and exhaust.


after all the rockers were installed i noticed that i can push the plunger down in the lifter a little on half the rockers and the others are solid. this is with the valves closed.

is there something wrong here.

i'm getting really afraid about this stuff now and have that sick feeling in my stomach that something is wrong.

can anybody help me here?
 

Blk91stang

Member
Jan 3, 2003
607
0
16
North Brunswick, NJ
Aug 7, 2006
#2
  • Aug 7, 2006
  • #2
Jeez.. My new motor is gonna have a 2031 cam, ported stock heads, and crane 1.7 rockers. I'm useless for helping you unfortuantly but defiantly will watch this thread to see what advice your given!

TTT!
 

smittyb

Member
Oct 16, 2005
134
1
19
Marysville,wa
Aug 7, 2006
#3
  • Aug 7, 2006
  • #3
Were the heads milled? 2031 is a small base circle cam, so with stock heads, you would NORMALLY need longer pushrods. An adjustable pushrod would be helpful in this scenario.
 

Rick 91GT

Mustang Master
Nov 29, 1999
9,692
95
99
PA
Aug 8, 2006
#4
  • Aug 8, 2006
  • #4
Whats the contact pattern look like on the valve tip? Are you currently using any shims? Are you getting the proper preload (you can put a small piece of masking tape on the pushrod mark it at 0 and then mark it at your tq and see if your getting too much or too little)

As far as you being able to push down the plunger, yes they will move when they are not pumped up 100%, you can prime the motor to get more oil in them if needed.
 

Blk91stang

Member
Jan 3, 2003
607
0
16
North Brunswick, NJ
Aug 8, 2006
#5
  • Aug 8, 2006
  • #5
smittyb said:
Were the heads milled? 2031 is a small base circle cam, so with stock heads, you would NORMALLY need longer pushrods. An adjustable pushrod would be helpful in this scenario.
Click to expand...

Not to get off topic, but I had my heads milled to 58cc so wouldnt this help the need to get longer pushrods since I'm doing the same thing by shrinking the distance between the cam and rocker arm?

This might be of help to the original poster too.
 

smittyb

Member
Oct 16, 2005
134
1
19
Marysville,wa
Aug 8, 2006
#6
  • Aug 8, 2006
  • #6
Some of this wording is confusing me.
The original poster first says the p-rods are to short on the exh. Then he says
"after all the rockers were installed i noticed that i can push the plunger down in the lifter a little on half the rockers and the others are solid. this is with the valves closed."
So is this just the intakes? When the lifters are on the base circle for a certain cylinder those lifters should have some travel in them. You can check preload as Rick said by marking the p-rod un-torqued and torqued and measuring the distance between the marks. Shoot for somewhere between .020 and .050".
Also, I'm not sure what this means
"Not to get off topic, but I had my heads milled to 58cc so wouldnt this help the need to get longer pushrods since I'm doing the same thing by shrinking the distance between the cam and rocker arm?"
THe "help the need" part confuses me. Anyway, having the heads milled will require a slightly shorter p-rod, which I think is what you were getting at.
Remember that with the 2031, you would normally need longer p-rods, so depending on how much you milled the heads will effect how much longer.
 

Dan95-5.0

Active Member
Jun 14, 2003
1,110
0
36
Manitoba, Canada
Aug 8, 2006
#7
  • Aug 8, 2006
  • #7
well the heads were just resurfaced, not milled. only removed .006 off them. i am currently using no shims

the pushrods were too short when i used the 1.7 cobra rockers. with the 1.6's, i can torque them down and get 1/2 to 3/4 turn.

i'm gonna try again to see what kind of contact pattern i get. am i supposed to test it on a lifter where i can push the plunger down or a solid lifter?
 

Dan95-5.0

Active Member
Jun 14, 2003
1,110
0
36
Manitoba, Canada
Aug 11, 2006
#8
  • Aug 11, 2006
  • #8
found out what i needed for a pushrod.

6.350's

i have to wait for them to come in tho which probably wont be till monday

would it be stupid for me to go ahead and install my lower intake so i can get more done on the car and then put the pushrods in when i get it?
 
E

emagdnim

Active Member
Feb 5, 2003
391
15
28
Aug 11, 2006
#9
  • Aug 11, 2006
  • #9
Rick 91GT said:
Whats the contact pattern look like on the valve tip? Are you currently using any shims? Are you getting the proper preload (you can put a small piece of masking tape on the pushrod mark it at 0 and then mark it at your tq and see if your getting too much or too little)

As far as you being able to push down the plunger, yes they will move when they are not pumped up 100%, you can prime the motor to get more oil in them if needed.
Click to expand...

Can you give more details on that masking tape thing please?
 

nosmatt

Founding Member
Oct 13, 2000
1,356
0
37
Bass Lake, Ca
Aug 11, 2006
#10
  • Aug 11, 2006
  • #10
Dan95-5.0 said:
found out what i needed for a pushrod.

6.350's
Click to expand...


not to be an ass, but can you describe how you found that out?
 

Dan95-5.0

Active Member
Jun 14, 2003
1,110
0
36
Manitoba, Canada
Aug 11, 2006
#11
  • Aug 11, 2006
  • #11
well its not the exact size i needed. i would need custom size pushrods for my combo. 6.350 was the closest that i needed being on the high side. shims will bring me back down to where i need to be.

i borrowed a pushrod length checker

why you ask?
 

nosmatt

Founding Member
Oct 13, 2000
1,356
0
37
Bass Lake, Ca
Aug 11, 2006
#12
  • Aug 11, 2006
  • #12
Dan95-5.0 said:
found out what i needed for a pushrod.

6.350's

i have to wait for them to come in tho which probably wont be till monday

would it be stupid for me to go ahead and install my lower intake so i can get more done on the car and then put the pushrods in when i get it?
Click to expand...

i was worried you may have just read a post where that size was needed....... glad to hear you did it correctly........assuming you used checking springs in place of the stockers, or a solid lifter.......
 

sweet03cobra

New Member
Dec 27, 2004
46
0
0
Anchorage, Alaska
Aug 29, 2006
#13
  • Aug 29, 2006
  • #13
which pushrod checker did you use, I see them for sale. I see trick flows, comps, all kinds? Do all these work?
 

nosmatt

Founding Member
Oct 13, 2000
1,356
0
37
Bass Lake, Ca
Aug 29, 2006
#14
  • Aug 29, 2006
  • #14
I have a trick flow unit. summit brand is the exact same one.

good luck
 
R

R2D2

Aug 29, 2006
#15
  • Aug 29, 2006
  • #15
whats your reasoning behind using a small base circle cam?
 

Blk91stang

Member
Jan 3, 2003
607
0
16
North Brunswick, NJ
Oct 2, 2006
#16
  • Oct 2, 2006
  • #16
Sorry to bring this thread back up but I got my motor all together and everything installed perfectly without any shims on the rockers or longer pushrods. My combo consists of:

Crane 2031 cam
Stock Lifters
0 Decked Block
stock heads shaved to 58cc
Crane 1.7 Rockers

Got a nice contact patch on both the intake and the exhaust.
 

Dan95-5.0

Active Member
Jun 14, 2003
1,110
0
36
Manitoba, Canada
Oct 2, 2006
#17
  • Oct 2, 2006
  • #17
Blk91stang said:
Sorry to bring this thread back up but I got my motor all together and everything installed perfectly without any shims on the rockers or longer pushrods. My combo consists of:

Crane 2031 cam
Stock Lifters
0 Decked Block
stock heads shaved to 58cc
Crane 1.7 Rockers

Got a nice contact patch on both the intake and the exhaust.
Click to expand...

right on man.

how much preload do you have on your lifters?
 

ninety15.0

New Member
Mar 10, 2004
1,336
0
0
Oct 3, 2006
#18
  • Oct 3, 2006
  • #18
i dont understand why people dont set valvetrain when the lifters are collapsed? there is a very simple proceedure to check the valve stem clearence with feeler gages. Its seems more precise than thise ".5 - .75" turns past 0 lash. Thats how i adjusted mine and it came out perfect! check all-data or your chiltons book.
 
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