Date: Thu, 5 Dec 1996 02:15:15 -0800
From: Mike West <mwest@CDSNET.NET>
Subject: Rocker Arm rebuild. . by an old woman

There's a saying in my world, where some guys nitpicking some job.

Finally the other guy or whatever will say "God, !! you're as bad
as an old woman!!".

I was playing both roles so we won't concern ourself with "political
correctness".

I was re-building a set of rather low-mileage rocker arms.

I really do envy you guys who can grab a set of these and slosh them
off in some solvent, wiggle them a bit and look them over and then
slam them back in a car.

 I can't do that. I'm "worse than an old woman".

I cleaned them in parts cleaner and then brought them in the house
and put them in the sink and washed the assemblies in hot soapy
water. Rinsed with hot and dried.

Then I dis-assembled and layed the parts out in a neat little row
and began to inspect them.

 I took the shafts which showed very little wear as said, and turned
them end for end and up-side down. Just to start a whole new wear
sequence.

 Since I'd washed as an assembly, they were still somewhat grungy
inside so the shafts went back to the soapy water and I scrubbed
some more and polished with the scrotch-brite pad.

Paper towels, probably the most expendable item in my house.
I go thru a lot of them.

All the other little bits are still dirty inside etc. so they all
got another turn thru the sink and dried.

Back in the neat little rows.

Thought I'd put them all back the way they came off.

I pick up the first rocker and inspect and deburr all the sharp
edges and wipe it out, went over and got the assembly grease out of
the fridge and opened it up and spread a dab on the part and a bit
more on the shaft.

Those greases and adhesives and sealers and hand cleaners keep better
in the vegie fresher of the fridge. I also know right where they are.

 Re-installed on the shaft, found some burrs on the flat washers,
stoned those off, re-washed to get the grit and dried.

Then a bit of grease and slide'er on. The wavy washer showed a little
wear but it's alright.

Looked at all the wavy washers and a couple were bad.

Bad is, they are getting close too a sharp edge there on the raised
wave part.

Made some calls to flaps. A buck apiece local or I can drive thirty
miles and get them for half that. They're both a couple bandits.

Told 'em so.  :-)

I'm putting the last rocker on and wiping out the cavity where the
pushrod goes, do a little stone.

Rockers, those casting looking things, are hard ,hard ,hard.

I suddenly notice the little oil hole there and its mate inside the
bearing.

Didn't check if they were clean and clear. At least have to blow the
water out.

Well crap! Take it all apart again and blow them all out, re-assemble.

I'm doing these one at a time to keep from assembling backwards or
some other equally logical dumb thing.  :-)

Wiggle etc.. . I don't like the way they feel. Nag, nag nag

The first one on the end even goes clunk on the stand.

Take them clear apart again, "damned old woman!"

Now I REALLY look at the wear patterns. It's not cool.

Everything gets reversed, the ends go in the middle and middle goes
on the end. Wear goes to non-wear and vice versa.

Polishing and stoning, flattening the washers if concaved, reversing
them too and polishing everthing with the "scotch-brite" pad.

Look at the spring clips, turn them over or move them so the wear is
on the the non-wear side.

Re-assemble with grease and try the "feel" again.

Now I've got an assembly that's snug and as smooth as the action off
a Mauser.

Took about an hour each, but I have some "killer rocker arms".  :-)

I apologise if this was long and dreary, it is, it's also worth it.

The parts anyway.

 Still have to put the new adjusting screws and nuts on them.

 I have done my last "rounded off nut and wallowed out screw-head
for adjusting tappets.

Still have to be checked against the valve stems and shimmed if need.

 west