The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Valve Cover Gasket Replacement

I've reassembled both rocker shafts with the new rear shaft and new rockers to replace the damaged ones. When reinstalling these shafts, what's the best procedure for the center studs in each shaft?

I figure I'll just take the two nuts lock them together and then use those to tighten each stud as tight as it can be into the head.

Are those blind holes? Do I need to get the oil out of them? Or do they go down into the engine?

Any other suggestions or tips when reinstalling these two shafts on the engine?

Once they're on I intend to adjust the four replacement rocker screws to the approximate position of the four I removed. Does that sound logical?

Then once everything's installed and torque to spec I'll do a valve adjustment.

And what do you do about the oil sprayer thing? Is it supposed to be in a particular position or does it just go on it obviously moves back and forth so it doesn't seem like it's a fixed position but just let me know I have not repaired the copper tube yet but I think I can reuse the part that came off and just use a coupling to reconnect it

Installing the two studs that hold the valve cover off can be done with the two nuts tightened together. No need to get the oil out of the holes (they are blind), it will leak out past the threads. Tighten the studs to the same torque spec as the rest of the bolts on the rockers.

You can do a cold adjustment of the valves. Just add a couple thousandths to the hot spec. Then you can run the engine to warm it up and recheck.

Otto - There should be two space filling tension springs and flat washers between the "oiler" and the rockers either side of it to help stabilize it from moving side to side too much.

See the rear shaft diagram from the shop manual below and note that the same needs to be on the forward shaft segment too.

Right. I have those. There was only one washer installed when I disassembled the shafts. I got another one with the replacement shafts and rockers that Kevin sent me.

Cool - Looking forward to hearing/seeing how things turn out.

Me too. This is causing me a lot of anxiety. I've never adjusted valves on any vehicle before in my life.

When I install the two rocker shaft assemblies, my plan is to position them loosely. The bronze oil squirter appears to be the thing that keeps the two shafts in alignment.

Once they're aligned and the balls are sitting in the pushrod sockets and rockers are resting on their respective valve stems, I'll torque everything down and then attach the copper oil tube.

I haven't yet fixed that. I have a compression coupling to reuse the old piece. Or I can use the oil hose I have that's rated for carrying oil under 50psi and at temps up to 250.

Whgat's the best way to install the rocker shaft assembly?

I thought I could loosely install the rear shaft and then install the valve cover stud for the front one as a locator and then slide the front assembly into position. Unfortunately, the oil spray tube can't be pushed far enough onto the front shaft to clear the rear shaft.

Do I have to remove the front valve cover stud and then just try to finagle the thing into place and pokew around with the stud and bolts to find their holes?

Otto - If you already have the rear shaft assembly in place, the forward end of the shaft should only fill about 1/2 of the oil feed tube assembly. Trying to picture in my head the steps you are using to reinstall.

If I'm understanding correctly, the answer to your last question is yes. It shouldn't be that difficult to get things in right vicinity and locate the support stud bolt hole in the the head. Please note that's not how I would do it though.

IIRC, you mentioned you were leaving the rocker adjusters as they were when you removed the assemblies. That will complicate your reinstallation as the rocker assemblies aren't going to rest in the proper spots on the head with the lifters/pushrods trying to open the valves in conjunction with where the cam lobes are when disassembled. That's going to make you need to use the mounting studs to draw down the rocker assemblies to sit properly, which can also coincidentally do damage to your oiler feed tube.

The better way to reinstall the rocker assemblies is to back off the adjusters so clearance from the valves exists to let the assemblies set properly. Before you do that, in tracking your previous mention about presetting the rocker adjusters to the approximate position they were before removed, you can do a thread count of the exposed adjuster threads above the lock nut and record that. Then after you've backed everything off and set the rocker assemblies, reset them to where they were originally. That would get you "in the ballpark" perhaps, to allow for engine restart and warm up to operating temp before full valve adjustments. Again, please note I'm not recommending this process.

OR (my recommended process) - You can use this "Legacy Tech Tip" on Valve Adjustment to get your rocker settings where needed for a restart after loosening all your rocker adjustments to re-install the rocker assemblies.

It's really easier than it seems.

I was basically planning on installing it in the reverse order that I took it apart.

I removed the front shaft first by loosening the center stud and the two attaching bolts removed that whole assembly and then did the same thing with the rear one.

I have the rear shaft loosely fitted and then installed the front shaft the same way that it came out.

I now have both shafts loosely installed with no torque on any of the four attaching bolts or two studs.

I didn't adjust any of the screws because I wanted it to at least run when I reassembled it before I did the valve adjustment but was planning on doing a preliminary cold adjustment before starting the engine. I'm not sure I understand the reason to loosen them all up.

In the picture you can see everything is installed and lined up but fit very loosely with gaps between the head and mounting pylons

Wouldn't I just tighten those six bolts and studs to torque?

Not sure I understand this.

Why won't the rocker assemblies rest in the proper spot? How will the oil tube be damaged?

What position is the oil spray thing supposed to be aimed? Should it be rocked all the way to the passenger side with the nozzle down in the hole to the pushrods?

I guess that's sort of held in place by the tube itself depending on the bends you put in it down in the pushrod gallery?

I guess another question is, how do you get the rocker arms aligned on the valves properly? How can you tell?

The way I install the rocker assembly is to have the two studs on place, then put the oiler between the two shafts and hold them together while setting them on the studs. Align the pushrods and start the 4 bolts. Tighten them all gradually while making sure the pushrod stay on the rocker screws and the drain tube on the oiler lines up with the hole in the head. The rockers will align with the valves as long as they’re in the right sequence on the shafts. Some of the valves will open as you get the bolts tight and the pedestals contact the head. The last thing to connect is the oil line.

After talking to Kevin on the phone, I got my confusion cleared up and now have both shafts installed torqued to 30 foot pounds on all four bolts and the two valve cover studs.

I installed a compression coupling on the 3/16 inch tube. I cut 1/8 inch off of the short piece with the captive feral in order to get a nice flat seat in the compression fitting. I installed that in first then stuck it through the hole and attached it to the long part from the oil pump. Then pushed it up and threaded the captive feral nut to the bronze oil tube

Now I guess I need to do a cold valve adjustment. I won't install the side cover or the spark plugs until everything's done.

I assume I'll be able to rotate the engine by turning the fan, hopefully.

At first I thought maybe I better turn it over and make sure that my oil tube repair works but I don't see any need for that since the entire rocker assembly was full of fresh oil and leaking out of the valve cover prior to disassembly, which obviously indicates that the oil tube was functioning as it should. It just wasn't getting enough oil up there to service the rear of the rocker shaft.

But correct me if I'm wrong if there is another passageway that oil makes it into the rocker shaft area. Doesn't look like there is.

You could pre-oil the rocker shafts by removing the distributor, noting the position of the rotor first, then using a big flat blade screwdriver and a 1/2" drill, turn the oil pump until you get oil out of the rocker bleed holes, then reinstall the distributor (don't turn the engine after removing the distributor.) Or you can just use a pump type oil can and squirt oil into each of the rocker bleed holes. The second method is way easier and will get enough oil to the rockers to protect them until oil reaches them thru that tube you repaired.
You're almost there.

Yeah I already took some 50 weight oil and put it in all the Little rocker holes

Now I have to see if I even have feeler gauges that will work for the valve adjustment. Will a spark plug gauge work. I've got to look at those things and see if they even have the right tolerance

Looks like you've managed to get past the point I was trying to make. Glad you found your solutions and things are moving along.

As far as your question on if using a spark plug gauge will work, the answer is - not really. Even the smallest gap gauge used for setting plugs (that use round wire to check) is too big for valve adjustment settings. You should be able to easily find a flat feeler gauge at any local Flaps.

Even Harbor Freight has an inexpensive one that will suffice.

Yes, I have some of the flat feeler gauges that would work within the ranges specified in the manual but I went over to Auto Zone anyway to pick up one of those angled kind.

HRL set the clearance at 8 for intakes and 12 for exhaust on a cold initial adjustment on a rebuilt engine. Should I do the same thing on this well worn in engine?

I just finished adjusting the rocker arms. I used Jerry's suggestion in his video of 008 for the intake and 012 for the exhaust.

And of course I'm still nervous about what will happen when I start the truck up but it'll probably be okay.

My next course of action is to install the side cover and glue the valve cover gasket into position on the head.

Then I'll install the spark plugs wires rotor and whatever else I removed prior to starting it up and looking for leaks in the side cover.

I'll then get the vehicle to operating temperature and check all of the valve adjustments while hot. And set them according to the shop manual.

Does this sound like a proper plan?

I'm tempted to go through the engine again and recheck my work on the valves but I think I'm just being OCD.

Only one set of rockers needed no adjustment. Number for was right on with 008 and 012

The engine side cover has a bead that runs directly down the center of the surface that the gasket lays on. That seems less than ideal to get a flat mating surface on the gasket.

What is the best installation method for this? I had intended on using permatex super 300 on both the valve cover and the side cover.

Should I glue the gasket to the first? And then should I install the side cover after the gasket dries in place? Or would it make more sense to glue the gasket to the cover?

I'm going to install the cork rings around the spark plug holes on the cover with gasket cement of whatever kind I end up using.

As for the valve cover, I intend to glue the stacked gasket to the Head and then just use thin coat of Grease on the valve cover itself where it mates with the gasket.

Glue the side cover to the block and the valve cover to the head. No sealant on the sheet metal. You can thank me later the next time you remove either cover.
If your side cover and valve cover have been checked for straightness on the engine with a feeler gauge without the gasket in place, you shouldn't have any leaks, and you will be able to remove the sheet metal without having to replace the gaskets.