Has anyone used the summit brand 1.6 roller rockers? I just installed a set on my brand new motor and it sounds like a badly adjusted solid cam!! This is a new gm shortblock, trickflow heads, origional STOCK L98 camshaft out of the first motor (which was quiet) and a brand new gm roller lifter kit. I've gone down the pass side twice (back off until noisy, tighten till quiet and one full turn after) and it sounds like s--t! Both sides. Good oil pressure and oil at all rockers. Am I missing something here? Has anyone else had this issue with these?

 

i've got a set on a motor i'm about to fire up very soon.... I hope they're not a bad piece....

 

This is really frustrating.....didn't cheap out on anything for this motor.....I bought these because they looked like a good piece for a decent price.... A solid lifter cam sounding small block does not suit this car!

 

you should turn the motor over a little at a time and look around the bush rods wear they go threw the head some times they will hit with 1.6 rockers.
If you remove the push rods look for contact marks on them. also make sure you have clearance around the springs and retainers. If you do not have any interfeerance problems. try lashing them like solid lifters (intake most of the way open do exht. exht starts to open do intake) then one full turn after 0 lash. you can spin the push rod with you fingers to find 0 lash. Hope this helps

 

Tried that running......back it off till it clacks then tighten till noise is gone...then a FULL turn (which I think is to much) and still rattles like hell....Thanks though

 

One full turn is way too much. Ask any cam manufacturer and they'll tell you 1/4 to 1/2 turn is all you need.

 

Yup, adjust the valves right and you'll be good to go. Zero lash plus 1/4 turn. Unless you've got aftermarket lifters. If you've got Comp R's get rid of them.

 

The origional set-up on the engine build had them a 0 plus a half and they sounded brutal. I set them at a full turn each (on the pass side only) in an effort to see if it would change the sound at all. It didn't. I think I'm going to install my old steel factory 1.5's and see if the noise is gone. I'm getting pissed here. This thing is going on the power tour in 3 weeks! I shouldn't be having problems like this.

 

make sure that the rockers aren't hitting the valve springs.this happens sometimes with oversized springs

 

yep......not an issue as these heads have the .480 lift springs (1.25 dia.) in them, seeing as I new I was running the stock cam w/ 1.6 rr's which equals approx. .450 lift. Thanks though. I'm starting to think that since these are an extruded aluminum rocker they are transfering alot of the valvetrain noise to my ears. The better quality (comp?) steel rockers probably don't make as much noise. Thoughts anyone?

 

Don’t wont to start any thing just trying to help.
If you look at crane /comp. Or most any lifter man. Instructions they will tell you to adjust them 1/2 to 1 turn after 0 lash. I know a lot of guys try to set lash with the engine running but that is not the correct way to do it! If you unjust until you get no noise with the motor running and then the noise comes back it is possible your lifters are collapsing from too much valve spring presser or possible low oil presser. or even studs pulling A sb chevy oils from back to front so you should try taking a reading at the front of the block most sb's have a plug between the timing cover and the intake. Did you install new springs/lifters/cam bearings ect.? I have heard of similar problems (mostly at higher rpm.) from bad cam bearings. Try your old rockers if fixes it cool! You might look at the fulcrum point to make sure they are not hitting the studs. I dont proclaime my self to be an exspert however I do make cams and lifters for a living! If you wont to see the real race stuff this is wear I work. LSMENG.COM I run the cam department. Scot
.

 

maby the noise is not as bad as I thout you were describing?
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I should have read your fist post beter sounds like you have new every think DAAAA.

 

If you went from 1/2 turn to 1 full turn then you went the wrong way. You need to adjust them to 1/4 to 1/2, MAX! Any more and you'll be preloading the lifter too much. Too loose and they'll rattle/clank around. Too tight and you'll hold the valves open and it will run like a$$.

Also check for rockers hitting the valve covers, rocker bodies hitting the spring retainers and bent pushrods.

 

If one turn is way too much ,why does the My GM manual say one turn after zero lash?

 

Apparently it isn't right if you tried it and it didn't work. I've never had to tighten ANY hyd roller lifter more than 1/2 turn. Get the lifter on the base circle, tighten until you feel drag on the pushrod then give it another 1/4 turn and lock it in. If you need to go more than 1/2 turn then you've got problems with your geometry or your lifters are toast.

 

Yah the consensus on lash setting is how the motor was set up when we put it together. Once the motor was fired the valvetrain noise became evidant. Re adjusting and adjusting more than 1/2 (or overtightening) didn't change the noise at all. The big word there is "change". If it was a lash issue it should have at least altered the sound. IMO I am right now installing the stock steel 1.5's. If the noise is gone we'll know. I let you guys know. Thanks for the info

 

I set my valves according to Gm spec with 1.6 roller tip rockers and it works fine!

 

Well........at the end of the day it looks like I got what I paid for. Not saying there garbage but I'm sure if I had sprung for the GMPP rr's or the comp steel rr's I wouldn't be hearing ALL the noise I am right now. It Scot I think you have a point. The origional L98 was a steel headed, stock rockered motor. This motor is an aluminum headed,aluminum roller rockered piece. I believe that the alloy heads and rockers will not absorb the valvetrain noise as a steel headed motor will plus, I have gone from a steel rocker to a rr which will make more noise than a stock rocker. Add to that I fired the motor without the hood on it. I am just going to have to accept that this valvetrain will be noisy OR cough up for the better quality rr's in which case I will STILL get SOME valvetrain noise, just not as much. Thanks for all your tips and suggestions. Myth busters says......cheap rr's are noisy.....fact! The sound just doesn't suit the car!

 

Rob,

The aluminum headed TPI in my Monte makes a fair bit of noise too, but in my case it's the injectors making most of the noise (loud tick-tick noise, very noticable if you put your finger on an injector). I have the stamped steel rockers (ZZ3 heads).

EdB

 

Yes but that is a roller tip rocker which will make less noise then a full rr... They are also a little more prone to failure, but with the size of cam I am running, probably would have been acceptable. They aren't much cheaper than the summit rr's though.
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The first L98 motor in this car was quiet and the only ticking you heard was, as you say, the injectors. The alloy in the heads and rr's on the new motor don't dampen the valvetrain noise as well and this is where the noise is coming from.....that and I cheaped out on the quality of the rr's.

 

Hello,I think the summit roller rockers are the same as the SLP roller rockers for are cars.What do you think look at picks.They could be made by CompCams.

 

I've also heard the name "scorpion" used about them.