My recently assembled 355 vortec head engine is making a heck of a racket and the noise is coming from the valve cover area, the springs are good for 550 lift and the cam is the voodoo 268/ 489-504 hydraluic. the rockers are the stamped steel roller type 1.5 ratio, the noise sounds like all the valves are loose, even though I adjusted them till I felt resistance at the push rod while turning it, and then 1/2 turn down, could a clearance problem, spring to rocker arm clearance be the culprit, also tried alum full roller rocker arms 1.6 ratio and the noise got worse but these showed marks where the spring retainer was hitting the lifter, also note that the poly locks on the steel rockers could only be turned a couple of threads down and then they bottomed out on the stud? comments suggestions thanks XYZMAN

 

You should check your valve train geometry, the pushrod length, and the rocker stud clearance to the bottom of the rocker.
Reading these threads will help:
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and learning how to use the little blue thing shown below:

Your pushrods are probably too short.

 

Are you using self aligning rocker arms?

 

The valve springs may be good for .550" valve lift but did you machine the valve guide boss shorter to allow max lift +.060" betweent he retainer bottom and the valve seal top? stock vortecs only accomodate around .470" a the max without modication. Did ya check after machining? Even machinists goof up. Hopfully all you did was mash the valve seals and bend the pushrods.

 

yes