Roller Rocker Arm Situation

[Ronno6]

I take it your running roller lifters then?

Yessirree.
LT4 Hot Cam w/hyd. roller lifters.

 

[Ronno6]

Oh yeahhhhhhh I remember you now.

Kinda.

Vaguely. Seems like a long time ago?

Oh yeah! New guy.
So that begs the question about where did you get that pushrod part number? And is that s stock replacement number orrrr? Cuz I still don't think they appear long enough. The rocker looks to be over extending and rolling off the tip of the valve? It looks scary bad dude.
How tight are they in the pix?

http://www.compcams.com/Products/CC-'Pushrods'-1.aspx
Scroll downn to the Chevy section for SB w/factory roller cam.......

The rockers are adjusted to 1/2turn past zero play.

 

[Ronno6]

I have kinda backed myself into a corner here.
Ball stud roller tip rockers would resolve a few problems: valve cover height, valve cover mounting (I could use the stock valve covers...) and alternator rear bracket mounting. The tal valve cover interferes with that bracket and I will need to cut it short or dent the valve cover. (maybe not a bad idea at this point) It will still work for the ps pump, but not alternator.
But, in order to stay at 1.5 ratio and self aligning, I would pretty much need to go to 3/8" studs, as the selection of those in 7/16" is limited.
I just can't give up the full roller advantages,tho. S I guess I.m gonna soldier on........

 

[Rusty Nail]

Judging interference WITH the gaskets in place makes way better sense. Plus they make a thicker gasket OR I have heard of ppl doubling up but i've never done it.

There is a lot of guessing going on here Ronno. Nobody will be able to provide a definite answer to your dilemma without more/different/better information.
I am stopped at pushrod length but I can say with great certainty that this MSB has no resident engine building guru and everybody that follows my postings will have heard me say before that THIS is the end of this board's usefulness. They mostly know about trucks to their credit. I repeatedly come to THIS very same spot you are in. And in that respect, we are in it together.
To speak of soldering on - in the real world - means that you will have to find the answer yourself. I'm not talking **** or bein a smart ass dude i'm tellin you how it is. Nobody here knows. THIS is that engine building end of the road in this board. I've cussed them for it before and they all know it. I've been here almost five years Ronno it's now pointless to keep asking, it's on you now. Trust me.

The help I offer is pushrod length. Cylinder head to block mating surface height difference between the two heads. Machine work with changes in gasket thickness, etc. There are simply TOO MANY variables to continue guessing because that's what you're doing.
Spend the $13 and get a definite response to the pushrod legnth question.
that is the right tree to be barking up.

Good luck.

 

[Ronno6]

Thank you for your help.

 

[bucket]

I disagree Rusty, there's a lot of folks here that can continue helping in this subject. It's just more difficult over the internet. What seems to be happening here is simply a group of aftermarket parts that don't all agree with each other. The problem is figuring out the most cost-effective way of fixing it.

 

[Honky Kong jr]

I disagree Rusty, there's a lot of folks here that can continue helping in this subject. It's just more difficult over the internet. What seems to be happening here is simply a group of aftermarket parts that don't all agree with each other. The problem is figuring out the most cost-effective way of fixing it.

Big Block will fix it.

 

[Ronno6]

FWIW...I checked the contact patches of all valves on 1 head, using the prescribed method
of coloring the valve stem with a magic marker, installing the rocker arm to zero lash and rotating the engine thru 2 cycles.
6 out of 8 had contact patches about as dead center as they could be, 1 was slightly high, 1 slightly low.
By slightly, I mean less than half the width of the contact patch.
Don't know if I can get much better than that...........

 

[bucket]

What valve covers do you have?

 

[Ronno6]

You must be registered for see images attach

What valve covers do you have?

These 'uns:
https://kmjperformance.com/sbc-chev...ve-covers-w-oil-cap-hole-283-305-327-400.html

 

[bucket]

Looks like the options (other than different heads) are going to be either swap to a rocker that isn't so bulky, or run a set of fabricated sheet aluminum covers with more internal clearance.

 

[Rusty Nail]

If you have steel covers, Y U No clearance them with a ball-peen hammer or some ****? Whack it with a deep socket or somethin...

I guess the offending rocker(s) are the ones with bad contact patches? If you fix THAT ptoblem, will the valve cover issue not solve itself?
Did you try swapping out them rockers with other ones?
This is only one ONE cylinder head? Because you haven't got to the other one or because it aint broke?

Are you telling me this problem stems from 2 out of 16 rockers or 2 of 8?

 

[Ronno6]

If you have steel covers, Y U No clearance them with a ball-peen hammer or some ****? Whack it with a deep socket or somethin...

I guess the offending rocker(s) are the ones with bad contact patches? If you fix THAT ptoblem, will the valve cover issue not solve itself?
Did you try swapping out them rockers with other ones?
This is only one ONE cylinder head? Because you haven't got to the other one or because it aint broke?

Actually, the worst offending rocker arm had a perfectly centered contact patch...pushrod is the correct length.
I could solve a lot of problems with a ball peen hammer....it has been considered.
However, I am getting cast stainless rocker arms that are more traditionally shaped rather than boat-ass wide at the pushrod end.
They are self aligning, so the alignment problem will so away.
Rather than treating the symptom, I am addressing the problem.

The other head exhibits the same problem.
I just ain't got around to checking it yet........

Are you telling me this problrm stems from 2 out of 16 rockers or 2 of 8?

Neither nor, actually. I think they ALL are too close for comfort. IMO

 

[bucket]

It's just tollorance stacking with the combo of parts used.

 

[Ronno6]

It's just tollorance stacking with the combo of parts used.

good analysis.
Again, due to the non-parallel orientation of each pair of rockers, outer corners at the (square) pushrod end are closer to the valve covers than the centers. The round-back rockers should alleviate that condition, assuming that they are not too long to begin with.....

I could have just shaved a bit off those corners on each rocker arm, but that ould have undoubtedly voided the warranty..