All Small Six Help! Did I just screw up my new build?

[pmuller9]

Do you have a dial indicator?

 

[WillingnessLimp]

No i meant the rest of the valve lift, some 6mm of it? Lifters not full of oil?

You are right, lifters were not full with oil. The car has been sitting for a week. I can pump oil with power drill, but not sure if that’s enough.
Might just wait for the parts to come in and try everything assembled.

The valve lift should be .420"
Check the lift at another cylinder.

I put pushrods to 3 intake and 3 exhaust valves on different cylinders, all of them are close to be the same.
Yes, I do have dial indicator that I used to degree the cam.
@aussie7mains is right, I didn't think of collapsing lifters under load.

Because my pushrods are slightly bent, I assume I should order new ones after measuring the lengths

 

[pmuller9]

Put the dial indicator on the pushrods without the rocker arms in the way and check the actual lobe lift.
The lobe lift should be .280”

 

[drag-200stang]

I would not buy new pushrods yet.

 

[WillingnessLimp]

Put the dial indicator on the pushrods without the rocker arms in the way and check the actual lobe lift.
The lobe lift should be .280”

I get 0.270” - 0.272”, when I measure just the pushrod movement. Checked all 12 of them

 

[pmuller9]

I get 0.270” - 0.272”, when I measure just the pushrod movement. Checked all 12 of them

Ok, the camshaft appears to be good without any lobe failures.

 

[WillingnessLimp]

Side questions, does this adjustable rocker arm looks like worth $100 and shipping (probably about $140 total)

 

[DON]

You can buy new adjusters. Which I would recommend, sometimes they turn too easy because of wear causing adjustment problems. Shafts can be replaced too. You just have to watch out for wear on the valve ends. The picture of the one doesn’t look bad but they don’t necessarily wear evenly. I would assume the pads are hardened so just machining them smooth again might not be a good option. If you put them on an occasional driver you would probably be ok, but the more miles you put on it the bigger risk you are taking

 

[WillingnessLimp]

Ok, the camshaft appears to be good without any lobe failures.

Got my compression checked. Dry and wet - same numbers pretty much. The compressor tester I’ve borrowed, doesn’t stay stick to the max for some reason, so numbers are as close as I could catch them. But everything looks pretty solid, as I understand.

1: 175-180 psi
2: 170-180 psi
3: 175-180 psi
4: 190psi
5: 180 psi
6: 180 psi

Got the rocker arm yesterday and will fire it up again soon without valve cover to make sure that everything is oiling there.

 

[aussie7mains]

Got my compression checked. Dry and wet - same numbers pretty much. The compressor tester I’ve borrowed, doesn’t stay stick to the max for some reason, so numbers are as close as I could catch them. But everything looks pretty solid, as I understand.

1: 175-180 psi
2: 170-180 psi
3: 175-180 psi
4: 190psi
5: 180 psi
6: 180 psi

Got the rocker arm yesterday and will fire it up again soon without valve cover to make sure that everything is oiling there.

All good, no worries there!

 

[frozenrabbit]

Factory Ford manual calls for a valve lash of 0.067-0.200". Shoot for 0.13-0.14" , in the middle. That's with factory lifters, maybe a little different with aftermarket.

This is measured between the rocker, and the valve stem tip, WITH the lifter held collapsed.

I think Ford made a tool to hold the lifter collapsed for adjustment, not 100% sure. No tool part number in my manual. I use a close fit size phillips screw driver down in the lifter screw to collapse the lifters.

 

[awasson]

Side questions, does this adjustable rocker arm looks like worth $100 and shipping (probably about $140 total)

Does it come with pushrods? The adjustable rockers use a ball and cup pushrod and won't work with the regular ones. I think it might be a good idea to grab that set and rebuild it as necessary. It will give you the ability to dial in the valve lash more effectively than the fixed rocker arms and that might be a good thing since todays head gaskets are much thicker than the ones these engines shipped with. Also, if you do decide to shave the head to bump up compression, you'll need the ability to adjust the valve-lash in the other direction.

 

[Jmustang_65]

Does it come with pushrods? The adjustable rockers use a ball and cup pushrod and won't work with the regular ones. I think it might be a good idea to grab that set and rebuild it as necessary. It will give you the ability to dial in the valve lash more effectively than the fixed rocker arms and that might be a good thing since todays head gaskets are much thicker than the ones these engines shipped with. Also, if you do decide to shave the head to bump up compression, you'll need the ability to adjust the valve-lash in the other direction.

Rockerarms unlimited in Redding, CA will rebuild it.