Economical replacement rocker arm set?

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You keep mentioning break in residue. Time to look. best way is to pull the intake like said. Continuing to run it is only going to do more damage if it's eating itself.
 
Failing cam lobes throw debris onto the cylinder walls. It then gets dragged up the cylinders by the piston skirts and scores the cylinders and pistons. Not to mention what happens if your oil filter bypasses and lets some debris into the bearings. It is your engine anx your dime. If it were mine the i take would be off for examination of the lifters for propper preload and came wear.
 
d55dave said:
I have been there and wiped a cam by using synthetic oil. They are mostly formated for modern engines with roller cams.
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Not really; synthetics like Mobil 1 appeared in the early 70's long before rollers showed up in production engines. I first used it in 1976 and have never wiped out a cam lobe, even in my rally engines. They have been used with flat tappet cams for a long time.

The issue is not synthetic or non-synthetics at all; it is just the level of ZDDP versus the tappet to lobe pressure. If you wipe a cam lobe with synthetic oil, it just did not have the correct level of ZDDP.

The ZDDP levels have been dropped in all the multigrade oil weights 30 and under per EPA mandates for all non-racing oil types. Check out the Mobil 1 chart via the link provided; you will find lower and higher ZDDP levels available and the determining item is generally the oil weight.
 
Yes, you will be able to see the cam to some degree from underneath; you may need a mirror to see all the lobes, and the crank will have to be rotated a couple of times to see all the lobes.

So if you used Mobil 1 synthetic, then it does not have the ZDDP levels usually required. (Check out the chart linked...)

I can't find the exact ZDDP levels of the AMSOil Zrod 10-30, but all their literature indicates that it has adequate ZDDP lifters for flat tappet cams.

BTW, just for edification..... Mobil 1 IS petroleum oil. It is very highly refined petroleum oil; IIRC, it is refined to get highly consistent molecule sizes. That gives it its particular properties. So changing from Mobil 1 to a 'typical' dino oil is not changing TO a petroleum oil; you already have it.
 
nm9stheham said:
Yes, you will be able to see the cam to some degree from underneath; you may need a mirror to see all the lobes, and the crank will have to be rotated a couple of times to see all the lobes.

So if you used Mobil 1 synthetic, then it does not have the ZDDP levels usually required. (Check out the chart linked...)

I can't find the exact ZDDP levels of the AMSOil Zrod 10-30, but all their literature indicates that it has adequate ZDDP lifters for flat tappet cams.

BTW, just for edification..... Mobil 1 IS petroleum oil. It is very highly refined petroleum oil; IIRC, it is refined to get highly consistent molecule sizes. That gives it its particular properties. So changing from Mobil 1 to a 'typical' dino oil is not changing TO a petroleum oil; you already have it.
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I was using the Mobile 1 Synthetic just as a flush oil since ZRod is so expensive.

Update, I was warming up the car this morning to take it into the mechanic and decided that I would listen under the vehicle. The sound from down there is much more pronounced and very mechanical in nature. Also, you can tell that it doesn't keep a constant/specific rhythm as I imagine a lifter would at a constant RPM. Unfortunately, I wasn't thinking and didn't get a recording to share. I will see if I can swing by the mechanic to get a recording.
 
Check torque converter bolts if you're hearing it louder from underneath. One may have backed out and be hitting.
 
I changed my oil again, checked the filter. No signs of anything. Also, the residue that I was speaking about is gone. I am going to do a oil sample test just to be safe.

Question, when I changed my cam from what was supposedly a 285 to a 268 should I have also changed the push rods due to different lifts? I have the old cam so I can measure it with a pair of calipers to compare against the XE 268. I am thinking that things are just loose with the rockers.
 
WSUTARD said:
I changed my oil again, checked the filter. No signs of anything. Also, the residue that I was speaking about is gone. I am going to do a oil sample test just to be safe.

Question, when I changed my cam from what was supposedly a 285 to a 268 should I have also changed the push rods due to different lifts? I have the old cam so I can measure it with a pair of calipers to compare against the XE 268. I am thinking that things are just loose with the rockers.
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the lift is irrelevant. it's the difference in base circles. reread the earlier posts. If you are going to compare base cicles, check at least several on each cam.
 
Ok. What should I measure and take pics of?
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I would say it all looks good. The rockers have a little wear but no ridges. The shaft isn't worn but does have some surface rust on #5 section. The push rods look good. The #7 rod does have a very very slight flattening on the rocker contact portion.

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WSUTARD said:
Or I could go pick these up locally. Mopar Small Block Heads w/Adjustable Rockers
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it may be advisable to inspect the the shafts and/ or rockers. If there were any issues they would be noticeable on the bottom of the shafts, where the oiling holes are, and on the bottom of the inside bore of the rockers. Look for galling due to lack of lube. You can also put a wrench on the adjusters and make sure they are still tight.
 
Do you see any reason why the wear on the rockers, rods or shaft would cause the ticking?
 
WSUTARD said:
Do you see any reason why the wear on the rockers, rods or shaft would cause the ticking?
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I can tell you I have seen guys who are using used stuff and mixing parts get into issues with ticking. The problem is they have too much clearance between the rockers and they move back and forth and make a sound like a lifter ticking. Shimming the rockers and centering the rocker over the valve stem can help.
 
yellow rose said:
I can tell you I have seen guys who are using used stuff and mixing parts get into issues with ticking. The problem is they have too much clearance between the rockers and they move back and forth and make a sound like a lifter ticking. Shimming the rockers and centering the rocker over the valve stem can help.
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This is what my gut says is the problem. The tone of clicking the rockers together it almost identical to the tone of the tick.
 
WSUTARD said:
Or I could go pick these up locally. Mopar Small Block Heads w/Adjustable Rockers
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Yes on this too. If he is selling the heads with the rockers for $200.00 USD you could pick those up and sell the heads and make most of your money back.

I would suggest converting the adjusters to the ones with lock nuts.

I think jpar posted a thread on how to do it. It's pretty simple.
 
WSUTARD said:
Do you see any reason why the wear on the rockers, rods or shaft would cause the ticking?
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not really. pictures don't show enough to tell me anything, really. I don't understand why you would not lightly sand the rust off the shafts before installation, but I don't know that that's a deal breaker.
I like the idea of the 273 style rockers, it's easier to more exactly control the preload, especially when you are dealing with non stock parts.
 
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