robert21122

Hey guys, i just finished my cam swap and i got the car to start but it sounds bad. i made sure everything was tdc before putting it back together. i have a loud ticking sound coming from the valve covers. so i think my rocker arms are loose. yes i did forget to put lock tight on them and are my 7.400 push rods to long for a 225/229-580/590 cam?
another question i installed a high pressure old pump and well at idle its between 10-15 and moving its at 25-35 is this normal?

dblerman

Did you actually measure with a pushrod length checker to make sure you had the proper length push rods for your setup? Did you properly set your pre-load for each rocker assembly? To me it sounds like you don't have a service manual and/or you didn't follow the proper procedure for installing your rocker arms.
10-15psi at idle and 25-35psi moving is NOT norrmal, especially for a high pressure pump. Did you make sure the pick up tube o-ring didn't get pinched when you installed it?

robert21122

yeah i torqued them to 15, rotated twice, then to 22ft/lbs but i forgot the lock tight. No i didnt check the push rod length thought the 7.400 would work. i have prc .650 dual springs. i thought about changing back to the 7.350's. The oil pump i did gently put the tube back in then i tightened slowly, the kit came with a black, green and red o ring. i used the black one, because my stock one on my 97 was black. i did notice one of my intake manifold bolts was very loose and leaking some oil, maybe some blow by. ill check after i fix the lifter problem just to make sure its not that.

RonSSNova

Thread sealer on the rocker arm bolts, not loctite. At 22ft lbs, they won't come loose.

Size matters on the O-ring, not necessarily color. Still have the old one? See how it compares to the 2 you have left over.
What was the oil pressure before you did the work? What pump did you install?

7.4" pushrods are typically too short with an aftermarket cam.
Who made the cam?

dblerman

Where did you read to do this? This is not the proper procedure for installing rocker arms. I GUARANTEE your valve train noise is due to improper preload, wrong pushrod length, or both.

Paul 75 L82

yaknow

my cam is a 226/230 .598/6.09 113LSA +3 --- w/ TEA .660 Dual springs, recommended pushrod was 7.4 which was to long went with a 7.25 w/ no problems

robert21122

thanks yaknow, i used the ls1howto it says
"Insert all 16 pushrods (7.400" is probably needed unless you have highly milled heads or a small cam, in which 7.350" might be needed), place pedestal back on the head, apply locktite to all the rocker center bolts and reinstall all the rockers. Torque the rockers to 22lbft.
Now, using your 24mm socket wrench, turn the motor over by hand (should be difficult as you are now building compression) and make sure the motor turns over by hand a full 720 degrees, then turn it another 360 (doesnt have to be exact or anything).
Go over all the rockers again with your wrench just to make sure they are all at 22-24'ish lbft."

im switching back to my stock pushrods they are smaller then the comp 7.4's. the rocker arms weren't loose and they lined up pretty good from what i could see. now how do i rotate the motor with the steering rack back in? could i try turning the car over, of course unpluging spark plugs with the covers off. i dont think it could hurt anything and should i plug harness back in or just clear the codes after?

dblerman

Not the correct procedure. Use the proper procedure from the service manual.

Just a suggestion, spend the $20 and get the push rod length checker.

That doesn't mean they were installed properly.

"rotate the motor" to properly install the rockers per the service manual? Pull the spark plus, and either get an offset wrench on the crank bolt or remove your belts and put a strap wrench on the crank pulley.