stud mount rocker adjustment

1991vert

10 Year Member
Feb 27, 2004
1,103
7
69
Ludlow, MA
i heard it's a real PITA to adjust stud rockers... does the rocker have to be all the way up? or all the way down when tightening? this will be my first time doing this, so all input is more than welcome. :hail2:
 
make sure the rocker your adjusting is fully closed, valve closed, meaning base circle. i had problems at first making them too tight and then too loose. the way me and my buddy did it was we made sure the other rocker in the same cylinder is open at full lift, then the other valve will be fully closed, rotate-spin the pushrod with your fingers and slowly tighten the adjusting nut until the pushrod will not spin with your finger anymore. this is zero lash. the take a open end or a socket and give the adjusting nut 1/2 to 3/4 turn and then tighten the lock nut. it seems to be different the 1/2 to 3/4 turn on different brands, it was a 3/4 turn on steel crower 1.7s i had and it was 1/2 on 1.6 harland sharps. roller rockers will be a little noisier than stock, but if you hear a lot of ticking they are too loose. if they are too tight the valve will not close all the way and the car will run like crap. do a compresion test afterwards, will make sure all valves are closed. it took me a few times to get it right, but it seems to work well, havent had to re adjust all year and i was spinning my 306 over 7000.
 
This is for stud-mounted heads (aftermarket)...

1. Remove the valve covers, and pick a cylinder you are going to set the pre-load on. Only do one cylinder at a time.

2. Rotate the engine in its normal direction of rotation (clockwise) and watch the exhaust valve on that particular cylinder. When the exhaust valve begins to open, stop and adjust that cylinder's intake rocker arm.

3. To adjust, back off the intake rocker arm adjusting nut and remove any tension from the push rod. Wait a minute or two for that hydraulic lifter to return to a neutral position. The spring inside the lifter will move the push rod seat up against the retaining lock, if you give it time to do so.

4. Twist the intake push rod with your fingers while tightening down the rocker arm. When you feel a slight resistance to the turning of the push rod, you are at "Zero Lash". Turn the adjusting nut down one half to three-quarters of a turn from that point for street applications. Use 1/8 to 1/4 turn for race applications. Lock the adjuster into position. The intake is now adjusted properly.

5. Continue to turn the engine, watching that same intake valve/rocker you just set. It will go to full open and then begin to close. When it is almost closed, stop and adjust the exhaust rocker arm on that particular cylinder. Loosen the exhaust rocker arm and follow the same procedure described before in steps 3 and 4 to adjust this rocker arm.

6. Both valves on this cylinder are now adjusted, and you can move on to your next cylinder and follow the same procedure again.

There may be some initial valvetrain noise when the engine is first fired up but once oil pressure has stabilized and the engine heats up, it should quiet right down to a normal level.

Remember that some racier camshafts will have a mechanical sound to them and will not be a silent as factory units.

I got the above from the www.flowtechinduction.com website...

I followed the above format and I think it is easy to adjust them personally and I had never did them before...

And by the way on my car I tightened the rockers with 1/2 turn once I found "zero lash"...(no gap between rocker/pushrod)...it is where you can still lightly turn the pushrod with your fingers...

Good Luck with it...

The above method assures your on the base circle of the cam (where you want to adjust it)...Use the above method... :nice:
 
1991vert said:
i heard it's a real PITA to adjust stud rockers... does the rocker have to be all the way up? or all the way down when tightening? this will be my first time doing this, so all input is more than welcome. :hail2:

Does your vert have the stock heads? If so you don't have stud mount rockers they are pedestal mount which are installed differently.

Pedestal mount rocker install from Crane Cams
 
red93fox said:
no he is getting the edelbrock performer heads. some websites have them as stud rockers and some as pedestal. do these heads accept both stud and pedestal?

Nope...you have to buy them with a specified rocker mount which will either be the stud mounted or pedestal mounted...I have the stud mounted...I think the rumour is that they are stronger?
 
ya i changed my mind, im getting the edelbrocks and have heard either or on the pedestal/stud. which ones are they?! they dont give an ordering option on pedestal vs stud. should i just order over the phone? or are they pedestal by default?