Like I said above - no signs of spring bind. Travel also looks good. I would expect to see some damage to either the rocker or the pedestal if trave was an issue but I see niether. PLus .. the other 15 seem to be working fine.
Dan, I think that based on the circumstances you described, you have a bad bolt/stud situation this go-round. Get it fixed, put it back together, dirve it, then check it all over again.
dm- Not trying to sprinkle salt in your wounds but there is a lesson to be learned here. Never trust stock rocker studs with aftermarket cams and the use the engine is put to. The cost is already above what you would have invested in a screw-in stud installation (assuming you have stock studs in now). I would get another head and have the valves done and take the other one off and get the screw-in studs done so there is no further chance of it happening again. What is done for this is milling the stud bosses down an amount equal to the thickness of push rod guide plates, tapping the bosses and using water seal coating, install the studs. It is reccomended that hardened push rods be used with guide plates. In the old days, if a stud didn't break, they began pulling out of the bosses. The fix back then was to drill and pin the studs in place but that is seldom done any longer. Think about it a bit and do it right.
The thing is I already had a set of 289 heads on there with screw-in studs, guide plates and magnum rockers. had issues keeping the valves adjusted even with poly-locks so I gave up and went with late model heads with non-adjustable rockers. I believe the Ford crate engines with cast iron Gt-40 Heads used stock rockers with almost a .500 lift on them so I figured I'd be OK. Does anyone know if the cast iron GT-40 heads used 5/16 rocker arm bolts?
I am not sure on the bolt size but My roush 200 heads came with 7/16 studs but replaced them with ARP to be safe . The Custom length pushrods(crane cams) were .080 thick Much stouter than factory. I use harland sharp rollers. I adjust my valves typical twice a year. If you beat on them they tend to come loose even with those cool poly locks. It also typical to get a little chatter out of roller rockers. I am a fan of the hyd roller cams as well. No worry at break in and less wear and tear on valve train components under 6500 past that they are to heavy and give up. Great torque. Maybe a roller conversion eh?? Just realized this was my 320 post only a hundred to go till that elusive yet curious 420 everybody is always talkin about I hear you need these to hide the red eyes too much time spent reading and posting. What did you think I was talking about?
I was looking at a roller conversion ... the cam, lifters and pushrods were almost $800 ... that is quite a bit ... in the future if I ever replace the engine it will be a factory roller block. Here is the Ford Crate engine using stock rocker arms ... http://shop.store.yahoo.com/racingsuperstore/50l302270hpg.html
dan, you'er right . what you spent on your topend, redoing and doing again would have covered the whole thing. how long do they back these motors or do they?...frank...
Ford Racing has no warranty on their Crate engines .... better off having a local machine shop rebuild a late model roller and tweek the heads and valves. Atleast there would be a warranty ...
Good news .... machine shop said they would either fix or replace the head for the cost of shipping! That is customer service! Here is their info ... AMS 4221 Vogel Road Evansville, IN 47715 (866) 203-4191
That is good news. I'm running GT40P heads which have pedistals, Ford "Cobra" 1.7:1 roller rockers with the supplied 5/16" bolt, valve lift is .503/.473. No problems. I did notice you said you used Loc Tite on the bolts. Did some directions tell you to use that? I generally just use sealer there.
NO ... just my own ingenious thinking about the loctite .. I won't be doing that when I replace the OEM Grade 8's with ARP bolts .. Are the Ford roller rockers adjustable? From what I have seen Ford sold the roller rockers on the aluminum head engines and standard Rockers on the cast iron head engines ..
The rollers on my '89 stock iron heads are NOT adjustable. fwiw Loc-tite on the bolts may not have had anything to do with one breaking, ay? Maybe just a little too much 'certainty' when torquing it down (dont' we ALL do that!) ? Better luck on your re-install. R
Are the Ford roller rockers adjustable? Not in the usual sense. They did come with shims in case you needed to raise the rocker arm to get it adjusted right. The GT40P heads with Cobra roller rockers is the combination Ford put on the 5.0 Mustang Cobra engines one year. I've heard some of the Lightening trucks used that combo also. BTW, these rockers are made by Crane for Ford and they're over $100 a set cheaper if you buy them from Summit or Jegs instead of Ford. I got mine from Jegs. At that time Ford wanted $290 for them, Jeg's $159. When I got them they came in a Crane box but had the Ford oval script and Ford part number cast into them. I think Jegs/Summit now charge about $189 for them.
OK ... my engine is jinxed. UPS has officially lost the head I sent back to the machine shop. No trace of it ever being in the system. I work for UPS so have been in touch with the center manager as well as our OVERGOODS (undeliverable items) department. The local center recalls the head not having a shipping address on it (I know it did) and it was sent to an Atlanta area building that would have then forwarded it to Kansas City for a 30 day wait until it was either claimed or destroyed. Problem is nobody has seen it and records can't be found that it was even sent to OVERGOODS ... Told the machine shop my dilemma he can build a new one (and have to charge me of course) but without checking the original he does not recall all of the specs on the heads .... He is currently trying to see if the other guy that helped build the heads remembers all the specs .....
