Adjustable rocker arms

[CAMDEN289]

Hi All,
I was wondering if there was any benefit to using adjustable rockers with a basically stock hydraulic cammed 200 six cylinder engine? I have the opportunity to buy a setup off of an early 170.I once heard this was a nice upgrade because they are tunable.If the answer is yes what is a good price for these and how hard is it to find the pushrods for these?I assume they are different?If that's the case are they available new(cost,etc?)? Once again I'm not looking to build a racecar but if it may add a couple of horses while still maintaining my stock look that would be great.Thanks in advance.

 

[CoupeBoy]

If you've already got them then by all means use them. If you've performed massive block decking or head milling then they could be beneficial as your stock pushrods could be on the 'short' side and compressing the lifter 'too much' or if you've swapped on a head with a thicker face your pushrods could be too short. With situations where the pushrods are too long of short the adjustability is very handy to take up or make slack for tolerances. You can buy new pushrods from parts stores or Mike at classicinlines.com they are different then the pushrods you have now. They will not give you any HP/TQ advantage over stock parts if you do not have any issues now.

IMHO, just not worth it.
-ron

 

[CAMDEN289]

Hey Ron,
Thanks for the input.Honestly my engine runs really well.I thought I read at some point that if you were to use them you could adjust them to gain a slight amount of lift without doing a cam swap.Keep in mind I wasn't looking for a big gain I figured if it was a small amount it might be worth it? Are they still worth picking up just in case? If so what is a good price? Thanks

 

[wallaka]

I thought I read at some point that if you were to use them you could adjust them to gain a slight amount of lift without doing a cam swap.

Nah, that would just hold the valves open. Not a good thing.

I don't know how much they are worth, but I see no reason to not get one. I have one stock on my early '65 200 w/hydraulic lifters.

 

[FalconSedanDelivery]

The Factory went to non adjustables as a less maintenence deal , but adjustables allow the proper preload to be set when things change compared to stock ( milled heads and block ) OR if you want to Maximize the effect of lifter preload settings, AND of course they are a Must if you run a solid , or roller cam

 

[james singleton]

While on this subject, could anyone tell me whether the pushrod length on a 170cid is the same length as those on a 200cid.??? Jim

 

[FalconSedanDelivery]

As long as your comparing stock non adjustable ( Ball, Ball ) to the same , or stock mechanical( Ball, Cup ) , although the factory made a few oversizes and undersizes available ( to correct for wear or milling)

 

[CoupeBoy]

I don't know what they'd be worth, there are people on here who buy whole heads for $25..if they you could get them for a price you felt good about paying they could be interesting to have around.

-ron

 

[wsa111]

If adjustable rocker are are in your budget, go with 1.6 ratio. It will increase your lift .025-.030" & increase your duration @ .050", advertised duration will remain the same.
You will need different pushrods for the adjustable rockers.
If you don't mind spending $400.00+ go with the 1.6 roller rocker arms which are available from Mike @ classic inlines. Otherwise he sells a stock type 1.6 adjustable set.
The 1.6 ratio will make your stock camshaft bigger giving you a couple more HP. Good luck Bill

 

[CZLN6]

Howdy Cam and all:

Some of the advantages of adjustible rockers have been addressed. The one remaining to be covered is lifter pre-load. With the stock non-adj rockers what you have is what you get. With adjustibles you can minimize the preload toward off lifter collapse and/or lifter pump-up, at higher rpms- neither are good for yoour engine. Staying in the 1/4 to 1/2 turn pre-load will for maximum cam function. In some cases, swapping from non-adj to adj is a noticeable difference.

They are a usefull tool in dealing with a noisy or stuck hydraulic lifter.

They also allow you to compensate for wear over time.

If the price is right I'd reccommend them. But, be sure to completely clean the assembly, inside and out. Don't miss the oil holes on each side of the barrel of the rocker. (See the sticky at the top)

That's my two cents, for what it's worth.

Adios, David

 

[james singleton]

While on the subject of adjustable rocker arms, I have a question: I am sure that many of you have seen the wear/grooves that have develop over time on the rocker arm shaft. My rocker arms were very difficult to get off of the shaft as a result of the grooves. What would any of you say to trying to smooth out these grooves by hand??? Is this a job that is best left to the machinist, or have any of you attempted this yourself?? Thanks, Jim

 

[Anonymous]

While on the subject of adjustable rocker arms, I have a question: I am sure that many of you have seen the wear/grooves that have develop over time on the rocker arm shaft. My rocker arms were very difficult to get off of the shaft as a result of the grooves. What would any of you say to trying to smooth out these grooves by hand??? Is this a job that is best left to the machinist, or have any of you attempted this yourself?? Thanks, Jim

While helping a friend rebuild his 200, we took apart the rocker assembly and had the difficulty you described. The pedestal mount were the worst to remove. I plan to get a new rocker arm shaft and replace a few grooved rocker arms and pedestals. Does anyone know a good place rocker arm pedestals? Or should I have the holes bored and proper bushings pressed in?

 

[addo]

I've run into similar hassles with a different motor. Went to see a "pro" with wide-ranging experience about this one. His opinion surprised me - a little wear, he reckoned, wasn't an issue. The method proposed, was to use P600 wet/dry with fine oil or kerosene, and wrap the paper around each shaft to sand in a cross-hatch pattern.

However - he was an advocate of replacing the lateral springs with tubular steel bushes floating about 5 thou per run.

Regards, Adam.

 

[CZLN6]

Howdy All:

The reason the shaft is galled is due to lack of oil getting to that rocker shaft. Once galling breaks through the hard chrome surface of the shaft there is little to do to repair it. A little wear is tolerable, but you'd best be on the lookout for a replacement. IF the hard surface of the shaft is showing wear, I'm betting the bushing is the rocker is worn too.

A newer, non-adjustible rocker shaft is a good replacement. IIRC I put my 144 rockers on a '78 shaft, used the later model pedistals with 250 ball and cup pushrods from Clifford on my 250 engine. The pushrods were the most expensive part. Classic Inline didn't exist then.

Adios, David