Gotta good one for ya guys, and I hope you can help! So I have roller rockers but don't know the brand(in a built 406). I don't know if they're hydraulic or solid First off, how do I determine the difference? And second what do I adjust the valves to!? I have this thing in and ready to go but it runs really rough and I had taken the heads off (before) and adjusted the valves to lash. Anything will be much appreciated and thank you in advance!

 

If they are hydraulic, I adjust them to 0 plus 1/4 turn for preload. If they're solid, you need to know what lash is for the cam. A good starting point on a solid cam is about .007 on intake and .010 on exhaust with engine cold. To tell hydraulic lifters from solid, you really need to be able to see the lifter as you turn the poly lock dowh to zero and watch for the lifter piston to compress if it's hydraulic. If there is no give in the lifter, it's solid.

 

Hey bud! My neighbor in poopy ole OR. Haha, thanks bud your a true boss I will check that out tomorrow. Even harder yet, what if I don't know the cam specs? (Dumb I know)

 

Like I said, .007 on intake and .010 on exhaust is generally safe if you don't know. Didn't you build this engine? If you can't remember what cam you put in it, you may need to cut back on that Oregon medical marijuana there buddy. LOL!. Just teasing.

I can't wait to get to Woodburn dragstrip this year. I hear the Alcohol cars running every weekend from my house. I took a little spin in my beasty last weekend and had the neighbors line up to chew my @$$ for the noise and tire smoke. I politely apologized, put her back in the garage, and covered her back up. Darnit.

 

Lifters are solid or hydrualic, rockers arent. You need to adjust valve lash based on what type of lifters you have.

 

[QUOTE=ASE doc;4887732]Like I said, .007 on intake and .010 on exhaust is generally safe if you don't know. Didn't you build this engine? If you can't remember what cam you put in it, you may need to cut back on that Oregon medical marijuana there buddy. LOL!. Just teasing.

I can't wait to get to Woodburn dragstrip this year. I hear the Alcohol cars running every weekend from my house. I took a little spin in my beasty last weekend and had the neighbors line up to chew my @$$ for the noise and tire smoke. I politely apologized, put her back in the garage, and covered her back up. Darnit.[/QUOTE

A Chevy guy told me I have to take off the intake to get an accurate reading. Is this true? Or just use the feeler gauges to set it? Sorry I'm still new and kind of learning still. Thanks again bud.

 

I can't wait to get to Woodburn dragstrip this year. I hear the Alcohol cars running every weekend from my house. I took a little spin in my beasty last weekend and had the neighbors line up to chew my @$$ for the noise and tire smoke. I politely apologized, put her back in the garage, and covered her back up. Darnit.[/QUOTE]

Haha! Sweet. Yeah I've actually never been to the strip belive it or not. This year for sure though!

 

So are you saying you have roller rockers? Or roller lifters that you cant remember if theyre hydraulic or solid?

 

Ok, problem is I don't know what kind. That's why its tough!

 

Pretty much the only way to tell without knowing is to pop off the intake and pull a lifter and look at it. New gaskets arent very expensive.

 

Ok, how do I tell the difference? I do know what they look like.

 

Attached pic shows the difference. One on the right is solid, left is hydraulic.

They look pretty much the same with the exception of the pushrod seat.

 

You really do need to pull the intake so that you can see the lifters.

 

Ok, sweet! Now I'm getting somewhere! Thanks man, I'm pretty sure they're. Hydraulic then but the have a small metal piece connecting the two. They are like sping loaded I guess. So that would be hydaulic and hydraulic is easier to ajdust without the specs I take it. Thanks again bud!

 

The pics I posted are flat tappet lifters. If you have a bar connecting 2 lifters then you have roller lifters. Doesnt make much difference in determaining if its solid or not though...

 

Agh, ok. So I'm back to trying to figure out what kind they are? At least I know they're roller rockers and roller lifters.

 

Go back to post#2. I told you there how to tell the difference. Hydraulic will compress, solid won't.

 

The only differnce between what you got and whats in the pic I posted would be the bottom of the lifter, the top should look the same and is what you need to look at to determine what type it is.

 

They do have spring to them. Ok, I will adjust them per your instructions. Thanks Doc and Travis, preciate ya guys.

 

They're solid! FML! And I don't know the cam specs...

 

I see now exactly what you guys are talking about. Sorry I was at work earlier and scatter brained. So my uncle talked to his in-law that is a huge Chevy guy and is running a huge cam with solid roller lifters and he said to put the lash to .25 and go from there. I started, got to the third one and the set screw was stuck. I finally got it out and like before the piece the set screw goes into doesn't have enough threads the get it to lash when the valve is decompressed. Ugh, last time we ran into that we tapped threads into that piece. I can do it again on this one but don't really know why I need to just to get it to lash. Anyway I will try to get them all to .25 and go from there. Thanks again guys.

 

He must mean .025. That will be noisy, which is why I recommend .007 for intake and .11 for exhaust. If you're worried about that being to tight, you can go to .11 on intake and .15 on exhaust. Exhaust always gets more lash than intake because the exhaust valve expands more due to heat and the exhaust valve seat is more likely to wear, taking up lash. Unless he just means .25 turn out from zero. .25 is 1/4 inch.

 

Ok, thanks Doc.

 

Just looking at TPIS and they want us to set their tight lash solid roller cams at .015. Just now realized I was telling you .11 and .15. I hope you realize I meant .011 and .015. See? Old and senile. But you don't need to worry anyway since yours is hydraulic. Just go zero plus a 1/4 turn in. Careful finding zero. The hydraulics will compress and loosen up without oil pressure and can make true zero hard to judge. You need to be watching the lifter piston as you slowly turn the poly lock. When you see the piston begin to move away from the snap ring, thats zero lash.

Don't be concerned when you go back and find that the valves you did first are now loose. That is normal with no oil pressure. For best results, forget the manufacturer's recommended adjustment procedure and simply start at #1 TDC and work your way through the firing order, turning the crank 90 degrees after each cylinder.

 

Ok, but I don't have hydaulic. They are solid.

 

I thought you said they had spring to them. It's not nice confusing an old man. Okay then, they are solid. Start with #1 at TDC and set #1 valves. Then work your way through the firing order turning the crank 90degrees between cylinders. Did I already say that?

 

Haha! Sorry bud, there is a spring on top and that confused me. Well I drove her today! Its been a month! Have an idle and brake issue though so I started a new thread so I can hopefully be drivin her tomorrow night!

Thanks again Doc!