Re-Installing Rocker Arms

Doug did pass the time by typing:

Camshaft>lifter>pushrod.

Guess which cylinder is either in exhaust or intake. :)

A: It's normal.

Reply to
DougW
Loading thread data ...

As some of you may know by now I am doing a 4.0L head conversion on a 258. I just put the new head on, bolted it down...everything went well. Now I'm re-installing the push rods and rocker arms. My question is:

I replaced all the pushrods in the same position they were in when I removed them, thay all seem level with one another except for one which seems to sit up about 1/8" - 1/4" higher than the others. This is noticeable, as when I torque the rocker arms to 22lbs ,as recommended in my Chilton's, the vlave spring is clearly lower than all the others. Should I be concernd about this or is this normal? I'm a rookie at all this. How do I know that the pushrods I replaced are seated correctly.? I pretty much just dropped them in the center of their holes and jiggled them until they seemed to set themselves.

The Engine is at TDC. There is no oil in the engine right now. Next steps are to replace valve cover and start on the MPI salvage.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Doug

Reply to
Doug

I take a flashlight and point it down into the lifter area to make sure the rod is in the lifter correctly. Can't go wrong that way.

As you tighten down all the rocker arms they should be different heights based on the lifters sitting on the crank shaft.

I would put oil in it now to give the lifters time to soak up some oil (others please correct me on this) while you're putting on the MPI kit. You could turn the crank a few times in between.

Bill

258. I just put the new head on, bolted it down...everything went well. Now I'm re-installing the push rods and rocker arms. My question is:

removed them, thay all seem level with one another except for one which seems to sit up about 1/8" - 1/4" higher than the others. This is noticeable, as when I torque the rocker arms to 22lbs ,as recommended in my Chilton's, the vlave spring is clearly lower than all the others. Should I be concernd about this or is this normal? I'm a rookie at all this. How do I know that the pushrods I replaced are seated correctly.? I pretty much just dropped them in the center of their holes and jiggled them until they seemed to set themselves.

steps are to replace valve cover and start on the MPI salvage.

Reply to
William Oliveri

Reply to
L.W.(ßill)

Thanks everyone. I will take all of you up on your suggestions. I also just replaced the timing chain so I have a lot of things going on. I was avoiding taking it out of TDC until I get the timing cover back on. I had the timing cover off as I wanted to make sure that I was on the compression stroke at TDC, and my understanding is that the only way to tell this is based on the position of the rocker arms. (Although right now they all look like they are in the same position except for the one) Logically, I was going to install the rocker arms see if I was on the compression stroke at TDC and then finalize the timing cover install. Does this make sense? Any suggestions on this? Should I juts lock up the timing cover or do you think I should run some tests prior to this?

Reply to
Doug

Woah now, back up a step or 3....

You can't just 'guess' at a timing chain install!

The gears have to be lined up correctly with a certain number of chain links between the dots on the gear wheels.

Trying to rely on the valves being closed on #1 just plain will not work.

You need to take a straight edge and hold it across the centers of the crank and cam shaft bolts. You then line up the dots on the gear wheels close to each other and in line with the straight edge.

Once the gear and chain set is on lined up this way, you turn them until the dot on the top big gear comes around to 1:00 position. You then count the links between that dot and the dot on the small gear. You must have 15 link pins between the dots.

I usually set them up on the bench and then carefully put the whole works on at once.

This is for a 258 block.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

Doug wrote:

replaced the timing chain so I have a lot of things going on. I was avoiding taking it out of TDC until I get the timing cover back on. I had the timing cover off as I wanted to make sure that I was on the compression stroke at TDC, and my understanding is that the only way to tell this is based on the position of the rocker arms. (Although right now they all look like they are in the same position except for the one) Logically, I was going to install the rocker arms see if I was on the compression stroke at TDC and then finalize the timing cover install. Does this make sense? Any suggestions on this? Should I juts lock up the timing cover or do you think I should run some tests prior to this?

Reply to
Mike Romain

replaced the timing chain so I have a lot of things going on. I was avoiding taking it out of TDC until I get the timing cover back on. I had the timing cover off as I wanted to make sure that I was on the compression stroke at TDC, and my understanding is that the only way to tell this is based on the position of the rocker arms. (Although right now they all look like they are in the same position except for the one) Logically, I was going to install the rocker arms see if I was on the compression stroke at TDC and then finalize the timing cover install. Does this make sense? Any suggestions on this? Should I juts lock up the timing cover or do you think I should run some tests prior to this?

Reply to
L.W.(ßill)

I understand the dot thing......but what is the 15 link pin thing that Mike is talking about???

Reply to
Carlo

Reply to
L.W.(ßill)

Mike I did the follow the steps you described and at the time both the #1 and #6 pistons were at the top of the cylinder. I guess my real question is if I installed the timing chain as you suggested and the #1 and #6 pistons were at the top of their respective cylinders will that be the proper installation? Someone threw me off when they said make sure you are on the compression stroke at TDC. Once I had the timing gears aligned and installed I cranked the timing chain around to a point where I could count the chain pins beteen the two timing marks and they were at 15. I followed the instructions I found on

formatting link
Carlo the link above will show you exactlywhat Mike is referring to. I think I did it right, but I'd hate to put the cover on and everything else and find out I did it wrong. I'll double check. Thanks for the help once again.

Reply to
Doug

Who knows?

Reply to
bllsht

Reply to
L.W.(ßill)

Thanks Mike, Bill and Carlo. Everything checked out well. Bill thanks for the diagram. That was helpful.

Doug

Reply to
Doug

When #1 is on the compression stroke, #6 is about to intake I think.

Basically you hold your finger in the spark plug hole and turn the crank with a wrench so it comes up to the timing mark. If #1 is on the compression stroke you will feel it, if it is on exhaust, no pressure under your finger.

If you do screw it up, the distributor cap can just be reclocked. You put #1 wire into #6 hole in the distributor cap and start the firing order from there.

Mike

Doug wrote:

#6 pistons were at the top of the cylinder. I guess my real question is if I installed the timing chain as you suggested and the #1 and #6 pistons were at the top of their respective cylinders will that be the proper installation? Someone threw me off when they said make sure you are on the compression stroke at TDC. Once I had the timing gears aligned and installed I cranked the timing chain around to a point where I could count the chain pins beteen the two timing marks and they were at 15. I followed the instructions I found on

formatting link
Carlo the link above will show you exactlywhat Mike is referring to.>

and find out I did it wrong. I'll double check. Thanks for the help once again.

Reply to
Mike Romain

Actually working on Jeeps bllsht, the basic timing setup, something you just bllsht about... ;-)

Mike

Reply to
Mike Romain

Ouch!

Reply to
bllsht

Reply to
L.W.(ßill)

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.