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daves66valiant

daves66valiant

68 Dart 340/727:66 Signet Vert 340/5spd: 68 D100
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I was working on the 340 yesterday measuring for pushrods with new locking adjusting nuts from Crane Cams. Well two of the mother#%>?>>>!ers broke at the Allen head. See the little cracks. WTF!!! Really bad. Very little pressure while tightening into my 273 rockers. The rockers already had threads chased and were very clean. No issues with originals.

Hoping this is not an ongoing quality issue with these locking nuts. Plus they sent one that was the wrong sized ball end. SMH!!!

Going to call Mancini Racing and see if they will send a new set. I don’t trust the one I got.

What do you guys think?
 
daves66valiant said:
View attachment 1715219802 View attachment 1715219803 View attachment 1715219804 I was working on the 340 yesterday measuring for pushrods with new locking adjusting nuts from Crane Cams. Well two of the mother#%>?>>>!ers broke at the Allen head. See the little cracks. WTF!!! Really bad. Very little pressure while tightening into my 273 rockers. The rockers already had threads chased and were very clean. No issues with originals.

Hoping this is not an ongoing quality issue with these locking nuts. Plus they sent one that was the wrong sized ball end. SMH!!!

Going to call Mancini Racing and see if they will send a new set. I don’t trust the one I got.

What do you guys think?
Click to expand...
Do those have a locking nut? If so you’re supposed to run a tap through the rocker to clean the threads up. If not, poor quality.

Jake
 
Interesting...I was thinking of.doing same with my rockers going in the 340. Ouch! Threads on factory rockers are "interference" threads, could that be the issue?
 
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Bad heat treatment. Probably improperly tempered or maybe the hex broach created stress risers. Either way I'd return the full set for replacement. You don't know which is next.
 
xLURKxDOGx said:
Do those have a locking nut? If so you’re supposed to run a tap through the rocker to clean the threads up. If not, poor quality.

Jake
Click to expand...
Yes they are the 12 point locking nuts.
I did post that the rocker threads were chased and cleaned up before hand. Plus I oiled them as well.
 
daves66valiant said:
View attachment 1715219802 View attachment 1715219803 View attachment 1715219804 I was working on the 340 yesterday measuring for pushrods with new locking adjusting nuts from Crane Cams. Well two of the mother#%>?>>>!ers broke at the Allen head. See the little cracks. WTF!!! Really bad. Very little pressure while tightening into my 273 rockers. The rockers already had threads chased and were very clean. No issues with originals.

Hoping this is not an ongoing quality issue with these locking nuts. Plus they sent one that was the wrong sized ball end. SMH!!!

Going to call Mancini Racing and see if they will send a new set. I don’t trust the one I got.

What do you guys think?
Click to expand...

You need to machine the top of the rocker for the nut to set on, the rockers are never flat and it f**ks up the threads when you tighten the nuts tight. As said in other post you need to run a tap through it.
 
My thought was tempering as well. They broke so quickly. Very brittle. Would hate for one to snap off under a load. The other 13 nuts went in without issues. Never had an issue before using the same style on my other 340 in my valiant.
 
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daves66valiant said:
Yes they are the 12 point locking nuts.
I did post that the rocker threads were chased and cleaned up before hand. Plus I oiled them as well.
Click to expand...
Sorry, my lazy eyes must have missed that part.

Jake
 
I broke one from tightening it up because of the rocker was not flat at all and it snapped the adjuster in half. Now I machine all the rockers and the tips so they are flat and they hit the valve straight across, haven't had a problem sense.
 
brian6pac said:
You need to machine the top of the rocker for the nut to set on, the rockers are never flat and it f**ks up the threads when you tighten the nuts tight. As said in other post you need to run a tap through it.
Click to expand...

Yes I tapped them without issue. I didn’t lock any of them down tight. I mainly just wanted check my pushrod length and make sure they all threaded in easily. Well. That didn’t go so well.

I didn’t get far enough to see where to machine/flatten the rockers as seen in other posts.
 
daves66valiant said:
View attachment 1715219802 View attachment 1715219803 View attachment 1715219804 I was working on the 340 yesterday measuring for pushrods with new locking adjusting nuts from Crane Cams. Well two of the mother#%>?>>>!ers broke at the Allen head. See the little cracks. WTF!!! Really bad. Very little pressure while tightening into my 273 rockers. The rockers already had threads chased and were very clean. No issues with originals.

Hoping this is not an ongoing quality issue with these locking nuts. Plus they sent one that was the wrong sized ball end. SMH!!!

Going to call Mancini Racing and see if they will send a new set. I don’t trust the one I got.

What do you guys think?
Click to expand...



Save yourself the effort and call Smith Brothers and get their adjusters. That's a heat treat issue. Mancini doesn't make the stuff, they are just a reseller.
 
Yes Mancini sells Crane’s junk. Hoping they will refund my $$$

I will check out Smith Brothers’ adjusters. I’ve ordered pushrods from them before.
 
I wonder if that's one of the really old ones they had issues with (Crane - not Mancini...)?
 
If one doesn't match, the rest doesn't matter. Send those bitches back.
 
The date of production on the box was 2016. Will be returning them when I can get time.
 
Look at the silver lining. At least you found it now, rather than after they caused a major engine failure.
 
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Easy to see one source of stress risers...those nice, sharp Vice Grip teeth will cut stress risers as soon as they are gripped on to the threads. With the allen socket; that area is always going to be weak. When they are sent back, be prepared if you get some flack over it.

In future, try locking a couple of nuts together onto the adjusters and use that to turn them in.
 
nm9stheham said:
Easy to see one source of stress risers...those nice, sharp Vice Grip teeth will cut stress risers as soon as they are gripped on to the threads. With the allen socket; that area is always going to be weak. When they are sent back, be prepared if you get some flack over it.

In future, try locking a couple of nuts together onto the adjusters and use that to turn them in.
Click to expand...

Vise-grips were to back fuckers out after they broke The Allen key hole was stress cracked. No way to back them out with an Allen wrench when it spins. Those nice vise-grip could have stayed in the toolbox if the product wasn’t flawed.
 
daves66valiant said:
View attachment 1715219802 View attachment 1715219803 View attachment 1715219804 I was working on the 340 yesterday measuring for pushrods with new locking adjusting nuts from Crane Cams. Well two of the mother#%>?>>>!ers broke at the Allen head. See the little cracks. WTF!!! Really bad. Very little pressure while tightening into my 273 rockers. The rockers already had threads chased and were very clean. No issues with originals.

Hoping this is not an ongoing quality issue with these locking nuts. Plus they sent one that was the wrong sized ball end. SMH!!!

Going to call Mancini Racing and see if they will send a new set. I don’t trust the one I got.

What do you guys think?
Click to expand...
Here's what I know , not what I think...crane has a very bad reputation for adjusters breaking. This was supposed to be a thing of the past... I don't chance it though, I buy Harland sharp Adjusters and have 0 problems. I suggest you do the same, after returning those pieces of ****.
 
crane had their rocker adjusters made off shore. we've found brittle, and soft. smith bros has the best setup. LMAO, the vise grips were the reason they failed??
 
I’m putting a call into Smith brothers here shortly. Their adjusters are $113 to my door. More than double the price but in this instance you get what you pay for. Thought Crane was reputable......uh.....not.

May as well have them make my pushrods too.
 
daves66valiant said:
I’m putting a call into Smith brothers here shortly. Their adjusters are $113 to my door. More than double the price but in this instance you get what you pay for. Thought Crane was reputable......uh.....not.

May as well have them make my pushrods too.
Click to expand...
Harlands are 90.00

Make your decision on a geometry kit now because if you buy pushrods and then decide on a kit later you'll also be buying new longer pushrods, again.
 
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