A couple of weeks ago i noticed that one of my rockerarm nuts kept coming loose. This was one of the original rockerarm nuts.

So somone told me i could buy rockerarm nuts that i can lock "dont know what this is called in english" so i did that.

But now when i fixed the valve lash and has driven the car lets say a day it starts to tick again.

What am i doin wrong? My car runs beautiful when i have adjusted the rockerarm nuts but then the next day when i strat it its TICK TICK TICK TICK.

Engine spec: Chevy SB 305 4bbl
Car: Pontiac firebird 1987

Excuse my bad english and i hope you guys can help me

 

Are you sure it's not pulling a stud? If it is, you may need to pull the rocker, drive the stud back in, then pin it in place. From there, just a "new" replacement rocker nut might be enough, without having to invest in poly locks.

 

Hmm not sure what you mean by pulling a stud.

Do you mean i take the nut of, then take the stud up and then re-insert it?
And if this is what you men how do i do it? is it just to pull it up or do i need some wrench or something?

I already bought poly locks.

 

Those studs are not threaded into the heads.
The next time you pull the valve cover, see if the problem stud now seems to be taller than the other 7. If so, you're pulling a stud.

 

Ok i will check this later

Thanks for now

 

No stud is taller than the others.

I have no clue why it behaves like it does

 

Still it does sound like a pulling stud - it may have only come out a mm or two, but that's enough to lose the lifter preload.

Have a good look at the base of the stud where it enters the boss - can you see a thin circle of cleaner or different coloured metal around the bottom, thats been exposed?

Set the rocker preload, and put a dab of white paint on the top of the nut and another next to it on the top of the stud. Let it dry, drive it, and when it lets go again, you'll see if it's really the nut that's undoing.

Or swap nuts with another valve, see if the problem moves.

 

Ok will check this out.

Maybe i adjust them wrong?
When i adjust valves i do it with the engine running like many others.
My problem here is that everywhere on the internet people say loosen nut until it start to clap and then tighten it so it stops clapping and then turn1/4 or 1/2

I cant turn that much cause when i do the car dies on me.
1/4 is the most i can tighten it. why is this?

Ive tried two versions of this.
1. One side at the time
2. Adjusted them at firing order

Any ideas?

 

Your method is fine as far as I'm concerned. When you finish it runs fine and acts fine and doesnt make noise, therefore it's adequate.

The problem is that where you're setting it, the setting is moving after you run it.

This could either be 1 of 4 things:

1. You're pulling a stud out of the heads
2. Your lock nut is loosening itself on its own
3. Your cam/lifter is damaged and grinding down on the cam lobe. The cam lobe is getting smaller, and your lash is opening up.
4. Or perhaps your lifter is just going bad.

Mark the base of the stud and the nut at the top to see which one is moving. If neither is moving you have a cam/lifter issue.

 

I would agree, but it being an '87, it should have roller lifters. That removes this #3.

 

Ok

Will do some markings tomorrow or later in the week

Thanks for the help for now

 

Don't forget no. 5 & 6 - bent pushrod or cracked rocker.

 

A little update

I haven had time to mark anything yet but i noticed its never the same nut/rockerarm that claps.

Yesterday i started the car and it start to tick from the passenger side so i opened the valve cover and adjusted a nut on the 6th cylinder.

Started the car this morning and everything is fine "runs perfect" drove it a couple of miles and then parked it.

Now in the evening i went to the garage and started the car and TICK TICK now from the driverside. opened the valve cover and adjusted nut on the 5th cylinder. And then she runs beautiful again.

Will update on tuesday again and see if its another nut/rockerarm that argues with me.

 

That's good news. Two down, 14 to go, yeah?

 

Roller cams can still be damaged... it's less likely, and definitely less likely that it would happen and not make any horrendous racket, but I wouldn't completely rule it out.


To the OP... is this a factory engine with a factory camshaft? Or did you put a new cam in it?

Smallblock chevy valve lash for hydraulic lifters is generally set at the factory, and it can be left alone until the engine goes to the great engine bay in the sky. It's not normal for the lash to be opening up and changing, especially on multiple rockers, even more especially with a hydraulic roller lifter. These are "set and forget" type parts.

 

Its the factory engine "atleast i think it is" but i do not know if there has been any changes to it.

I do not know if the cam has ben changed.

 

Has anything occurred recently before this started happening?

 

Nope ive been driving the car all summer and then one day i heard tick tick tick.
Pulled the valve cover and adjusted the nuts.

Then i thought it was time to replace the nuts just to be sure.
So i went to my speedshop and bought poly locks.

Will se tomorrow when i start her up if its still the 6th and 5th cylinder that argues with me or a new one.

 

Little update

Havent been able to go to the garage the whole weekend but today i went there.
Started the car and no ticking what so ever. This is weird because i drove the crap out of it last sunday.
The only thing i did last sunday was adjusting the nut on the 5th cylinder like i posted above.

I keep my fingers crossed now that maybe the problem is gone.

I just need some luck today hahaha locked my car keys inside the car this morning but with little help i got them out haha

 

my car is doing the same but localized to the number 5 exhaust, but i think its a bad lifter and just not holding the pressure....