It’s hell to get old. Rocker clearance

-
pittsburghracer

pittsburghracer

FABO Gold Member
FABO Gold Member
Joined
Apr 20, 2016
Messages
15,573
Reaction score
35,631
Location
Freeport, PA.
Well I was finally moving forward on my new 408 and got all the exhaust and intake pushrod holes clearances and the heads on the shortblock. I went to tighten down the Harland Sharp rockers and the intake rockers wouldn’t pivot. Then it hit me. I opened these up for 1.560 roller cam springs so the rockers needed opened up to. When I ordered these custom rockers ( .550 offset 1.6’s) I didn’t have the heads opened up for the bigger springs so I forgot to mention it to them so they could clearance them during production. They went a step further in the wrong direction by making them smaller than their stock rockers. So apart they come so I can clearance 16 rockers. I did this for my other set of rockers (1.5’s) that are on my other set of 2.08 valve heads. I originally ordered .350 offset rockers and they opened them up bigger than this set. Ohhh well time to get the grinder grinding. Or race season started last week and I have a ton of work left yet. Look how small the notch is on the .550 offset silver rockers.
86C8C38C-CA08-4808-898B-0A9EC92B7EB3.jpeg
FB06502E-E700-4F46-8C1F-9AE6C614B1E9.jpeg
A576DD6E-CD65-4E4F-BD39-85BA6C33C82C.jpeg
541C127B-950B-4933-AB70-0606FA03E002.jpeg
 
Milling machine, fly cutter, and a fixture and you'd be done in about 15 minutes and couldn't tell from factory. Stop putting it off, get the mill. Even one of the little bench top deals would be great for stuff like this.
 
gzig5 said:
Milling machine, fly cutter, and a fixture and you'd be done in about 15 minutes and couldn't tell from factory. Stop putting it off, get the mill. Even one of the little bench top deals would be great for stuff like this.
Click to expand...


To old for major upgrades. I’m still debating over getting the valve seat machine for 1500 dollars. I would have at least 2200 in it switching to single phase and tooling. Heck I just got a bid for 4000.00 to remove three trees leaning towards my shop.
 
Just hug um up against the bench grinder a while. They'll be fine. lol
 
pittsburghracer said:
Well I was finally moving forward on my new 408 and got all the exhaust and intake pushrod holes clearances and the heads on the shortblock. I went to tighten down the Harland Sharp rockers and the intake rockers wouldn’t pivot. Then it hit me. I opened these up for 1.560 roller cam springs so the rockers needed opened up to. When I ordered these custom rockers ( .550 offset 1.6’s) I didn’t have the heads opened up for the bigger springs so I forgot to mention it to them so they could clearance them during production. They went a step further in the wrong direction by making them smaller than their stock rockers. So apart they come so I can clearance 16 rockers. I did this for my other set of rockers (1.5’s) that are on my other set of 2.08 valve heads. I originally ordered .350 offset rockers and they opened them up bigger than this set. Ohhh well time to get the grinder grinding. Or race season started last week and I have a ton of work left yet. Look how small the notch is on the .550 offset silver rockers. View attachment 1715740638View attachment 1715740639View attachment 1715740640View attachment 1715740641
Click to expand...
That's alot of grinding to do.
I hope you have a steady hand.
 
brian6pac said:
Hey pittsburgh, All you need is a phase inverter. I have got 6 of these running my and my buddy's shop 3 in mine and 3 in his and he is buying more to get rid of his noisy Rotophase. You can get them up to 10HP maybe more.


2.2KW 3hp 220v Variable Frequency Drive Inverter CNC VFD VSD Single To 3 Phase | eBay
Click to expand...


Ya I had my eye on those. Most of the money would be needed for updated tooling. At 65 I just don’t enjoy this as much as I used to so I’m trying to talk myself out of buying it. My shoemaker ways have gotten me this far. Lol. I know one of these days I’ll walk away and not look back. It’s been a good run.
 
Truth be told, all you need is a separate three phase motor to act as the converter if you are willing to pull start it manually. Can usually find a 3-5 hp used one for $100 or so. Another $50-100 and you can make it start with a button. The cheap vfd’s are hard to resist too
 
gzig5 said:
Truth be told, all you need is a separate three phase motor to act as the converter if you are willing to pull start it manually. Can usually find a 3-5 hp used one for $100 or so. Another $50-100 and you can make it start with a button. The cheap vfd’s are hard to resist too
Click to expand...

The problem with that is you are running another motor $, they don't run for free. Also the noise factor they are loud. The VFD is quiet, you can very the speed, the motor runs cool, you can just push a button and it will stop and change direction, they are all programmable.
 
pittsburghracer said:
Ya I had my eye on those. Most of the money would be needed for updated tooling. At 65 I just don’t enjoy this as much as I used to so I’m trying to talk myself out of buying it. My shoemaker ways have gotten me this far. Lol. I know one of these days I’ll walk away and not look back. It’s been a good run.
Click to expand...

You can say that but you really can't do it when it's in your blood.
 
gzig5 said:
Truth be told, all you need is a separate three phase motor to act as the converter if you are willing to pull start it manually. Can usually find a 3-5 hp used one for $100 or so. Another $50-100 and you can make it start with a button. The cheap vfd’s are hard to resist too
Click to expand...


I bought this years ago for another unfinished project I thought I needed. Lol.
FF478EE5-A9CF-4523-A5B0-9C8CA6D9A98E.jpeg
 
brian6pac said:
The problem with that is you are running another motor $, they don't run for free. Also the noise factor they are loud. The VFD is quiet, you can very the speed, the motor runs cool, you can just push a button and it will stop and change direction, they are all programmable.
Click to expand...
Come on, if the cost of running an electric motor for an hour or so makes or breaks the budget, you need to re-think what you are doing. I will admit, they aren't silent but you can put a doghouse over them to knock down the noise. I'd take VFD over RPC in most cases, but not all. My company makes hundreds of thousands of VFDs and servo drives every year, so I'm quite familiar with them. But I still put together 5hp and 3hp rotary converters for about $100 total that run all the equipment in my garage and basement shops. I'd need at least half a dozen vfds.
 
Ohhh well I did four rockers and figured I’d give it a try. Pushrods must still be hitting the damn heads. Time for a few days off and possibly stripping these heads down and using my other set of stock location pushrod heads.
 
gzig5 said:
Come on, if the cost of running an electric motor for an hour or so makes or breaks the budget, you need to re-think what you are doing. I will admit, they aren't silent but you can put a doghouse over them to knock down the noise. I'd take VFD over RPC in most cases, but not all. My company makes hundreds of thousands of VFDs and servo drives every year, so I'm quite familiar with them. But I still put together 5hp and 3hp rotary converters for about $100 total that run all the equipment in my garage and basement shops. I'd need at least half a dozen vfds.
Click to expand...

I know I get it but it makes me happy not giving the electric co. more $ than they I should. All cheap LED lights vs florescent made the biggest difference in my electric bill. I also installed on demand hot water heater. All of this saved me about $50-$70 a month.
 
pittsburghracer said:
To old for major upgrades. I’m still debating over getting the valve seat machine for 1500 dollars. I would have at least 2200 in it switching to single phase and tooling. Heck I just got a bid for 4000.00 to remove three trees leaning towards my shop.
Click to expand...
Screw the 3 phase. Get an $80.00 VFD on ebay and do it...
 
Krooser said:
Screw the 3 phase. Get an $80.00 VFD on ebay and do it...
Click to expand...


Kinda made up my mind today. I’m going to pass on buying it. Probably another project I wouldn’t finish, the money I would never recover, the trouble of getting it here, and honestly I’m burnt out. 2200.00 saved. Lol.
 
pittsburghracer said:
Kinda made up my mind today. I’m going to pass on buying it. Probably another project I wouldn’t finish, the money I would never recover, the trouble of getting it here, and honestly I’m burnt out. 2200.00 saved. Lol.
Click to expand...


Unless it’s rigid enough to do valve jobs with it’s not really worth it. What machine were you looking at??
 
I had to clearance a set of Hughes rockers years ago, tedious work but had to be done.
 
justinp61 said:
I had to clearance a set of Hughes rockers years ago, tedious work but had to be done.
Click to expand...

rockers are nothing but if you would see the clearancing I’ve had to do for the pushrods because I moved them over you would shake your head. The 1.6 rockers aren’t helping any. I got another shortblock sitting hear that I should just put a set of speedmaster heads on. With 5 years on my 422 I won’t race it again. Those R3 blocks are to hard to find.
 
I saved pictures of another one I saw for sale just in case I did buy it and had to take it apart to move it. I wasn’t sure it came apart.
B1690990-3BB0-4E7A-B547-6F97AB224CD2.jpeg
DF23F311-A466-45D7-966A-1A82B5EB0A3E.jpeg
AE4D69A7-80BF-41EE-8715-004823CD13F6.jpeg
F226DF87-ED43-438C-A406-015FFB4793AF.jpeg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top