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| | | | Joined: Mar 2004 Posts: 6,236 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Mar 2004 Posts: 6,236 | I've got a rocker arm or something hitting the inside of my finned aluminum valve covers. The covers are used and I believe they are from the late 60's or early 70's. They have the black plactic cross flag emblem on the passenger side and the oil fill cap on the rear of the drivers side. At first I thought the rocker was hitting the sheet metal baffle at the pcv valve, but I don't see any sign of that. The PO has ground down some of the casting tabs that line up with the rockers...could this be where some of the others are hitting? My engine is a late 90's 350 Target Master crate motor with nothing altered...any suggestions? Mike B  | | | | | Joined: Jun 2004 Posts: 8,597 Riding in the Passing Lane | | Riding in the Passing Lane Joined: Jun 2004 Posts: 8,597 | It doesn't seem like with a stock engine it would hit the top of the cover. If that's the case an extra thick gasket would probably solve it.
They say money can't buy happiness. It can buy old Chevy trucks though. Same thing. 1972 Chevy c10 Cheyenne SuperIn the Gallery Forum | | | | | Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 29,885 Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) | | Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 29,885 | Try doubling up on the gaskets temporarily to see if the noise goes away. That won't be a permanent fix, but it will help in diagnosing the problem. Older Oldsmobile engines used to have the same problem when a high lift cam was installed with stock valve covers. There was a set of valve cover spacers available for those engines, but I'm not aware of anything similar for small block Chevy engines.
If you want to keep those valve covers instead of installing a set with more clearance, you might try a slightly shorter pushrod to drop the pushrod end of the rocker down a little. About a -.060" length pushrod could be installed without severely affecting the geometry of the valve system. That's just under 1/16", but it will make a noticeable difference in the rocker arm/valve cover clearance.
Jerry
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| | | | | Joined: Jul 2008 Posts: 326 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jul 2008 Posts: 326 | If double gaskets work then you can use valve cover spacers. They make them for the SBC. See fleabay for examples SBC valve cover spacers. SimS | | | | | Joined: Mar 2004 Posts: 6,236 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Mar 2004 Posts: 6,236 | Thanks for the suggestions. It's only doing it on the drivers side. I took the cover off the other day, put the PCV baffle in a vise, squeezed it together a little and thought that had fixed it, but the tap came back. It sounds like one rocker is hitting. Maybe I just need to let it hit long enough to make a mark on the cover... I don't have room for taller covers, they will hit the fire wall (stock 1956 3100 fire wall). Thanks again, I'll let you know what I find. Mike B | | |
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