Rocker Geometry

[chrisflstf]

I read Brian E’s tip about setting rocker geo using an angle app with a smart phone, so I made my own version. It’s a big cap dist drive shaft with a rocker adjust jam nut welded to it and screws onto the rocker adjust screw plus a small Klein Digital Angle Finder. $30, Rock steady and repeatable so finding the balance between half lift, open and close is easy, no looking at it trying to decide. Numbers don’t lie. Just measure the valve cover mounting angle first to get the valve angle in the head (9.5 degrees), Measure open closed and half – do the math, make adjustments. Only takes minutes this way

[mark tucker]

I see many issues with this set up.

[chrisflstf]

[mark tucker]

no I dont but if you had a clue you would know that those rocker shims you have are no slip vsi shims.... what does no slip mean?? dont you want your rockers to move????? smart ass. as for the other issues...it wouldent make any differance since you apparently know everything and dont intend this to ever run since your trying to keep the rockers from rotating as they normaly doo.and those are not even hardened shims so they will wear out from the extra fricksion they create so you gain more rocker side play and fill the opil with steel shavings.....but thats ok.I dont mind. perhaps instead of dismissing somebodys reply you should think on it first...then use your fingers and remove all doubt. sorry....sort of. no not really. as long as your angle of your dangle looks good to you it must be the bees knees. I say go for it!!!!

[chrisflstf]

Im not done shuffling shims Sherlock, so dont get your panties in a knot

[mark tucker]

ya right. next time I wont let you knoe...shylock. then we can just sit back

[vdubrookie]

Please forgive me for highjacking an old thread but Max, if the spring is fully up wouldn't the valve be closed? And mharney, why can't you 'Zero' the dial indicator & crank the engine to the point of max lift or in this case the spring retainer is at it's lowest point actuated by pushrod & rocker & half that reading to get half lift? Not trying to muddy the waters, just trying to get this straight in my mind. If I'm all wet on this ,please let me know.

[jim martin]

always love to see so much input .
let me through my 2 cents into it , you don't need to way over think this .
performed this the same way for as long as i can remember and it always seems pretty dam close every time and i have never had to worry about it after setting it and never had a issue .
i have a photo or 2 from something i was just setting up and if you want more l details let me know .
im sure you will get what im talking about .

- 1st mount head in a supporting fixture with check springs .

- 2nd calculate potential valve lift .
im running a 1.4 rocker and .406" lift at cam
so 1.4=.568" lift / 1.45=5.887" lift and 1.5 = .609 lift
we all know without failure seems we are always over what is advertised , so in my case i targeted 1.45= .5887" lift zone .
what i do next is simply add shims ,i have a mixture of plastic and metal shims and i place them over the valve stem between valve guide and retainer so when i push down fully on valve it pushes down that calculated .5887" amount . in this case i was lucky and 2 plastic shims netted me .580"
yes im checkig with a dial indicator.

- 3rd with a finger smidge of grease on lash cap install rocker assembly and just move from zero to full lift and inspect contact point . i was way below centre . grabbed a .060" rocker shim and bingo done .lucky !
got lucky but its that easy . done on the bench no issues . and sometimes it takes a few tries .
and so much easier to make changes and check contact pattern on the bench .

-4th just install your cam and 2 lifters , 1 cylinder and the head ,dont forget to remove your shims and mount your dial indicator and now actual check .
well i was a tad off my actual valve lift with comp eliminator heads and pauter 1.4's = .595" lift , wow

end result is make it easy on yourself if you follow this its real quick.
and say if after when you check as above and your real lift is different than calculated - 6 nuts between rockers and head studs and heads back on head stands and re-shim and make adjustments again .
ill say at my .452" lift / half way it was so close to pushrod and adjuster in line i would not change a thing .
hope that makes sense.
jim
_________________
B.C's fastest street legal vw , June 2006 Hot VW's feature car 9.81 sec at 145.26mph.
Sponsored by :
LUCAS OIL PRODUCTS http://www.lucasoil.com
KROC head porting services
Dialedinperformance.com
Airspeedparts.com topic http://airspeedparts.com/forums/index.php?topic=914.0

[boxer74]

[boxer74]

Wondering what coupling nut and threaded rod was used here:

I can find M8-1.0 rod but not coupling nuts, they seems readily available in M8-1.25.
_________________
74 Super
84 Westy

[chrisflstf]

[mark tucker]

I get coupling nuts to machine for shouldered sump nuts for inside the sump. but you have to center them up by the thread so the outside hex is nowhere neer on center...unless you want them to be excentrick nuts...like me.

[onehappykombi]

Very instructional thread, here’s my result at half lift:

_________________
'56 Early Split & '69 Early Bay

Overlanding the USA
Camper special engine build

[noH2o666]

Guess it's my turn to be dumb... I have a 2095cc I'm building, all SCAT internals it has a C35 cam I have an older set of CB 44's and CB1.25:1 rockers with the adjuster over the valve. with my adjustable pushrod at its shortest length the rockers won't even set on the rocker pads, I was assuming some shimming would be required but this seems extreme they set about a 1/4" from the pad. I've read through the majority of this thread and watched every video I can find on the interwebs and nothing has helped. I can't figure out how to post any pictures but I'm hoping somebody has the secret sauce I'm desperately needing.

[modok]

hanging up on the pushrods? try it with shorter pushrod, or no pushrods
Is it hitting the head studs? Don't overlook that!

Some people make ADJUSTABLE pushrods, but I just have a handful of different lengths of pushrods.
You can take the ends out and shorten them or put little washers under the tip to make them longer.
Temporarily......or, not so temporarily.
It's been described so many times how to take the tips out by hammering around the perimeter, but somebody make a youtube vid because that's the hip thing these days.

I at one time had a whole box of pushrods, maybe 6-8 sets, and I've used them for all kinds of things, drifts, tools, RC car parts, magnet sticks, but now I kinda wish I had used them for just engines, because from what I hear a lot of you guys somehow ran out.

not sure how long an adjustable pushrod is exactly but you would think it would fit, if it doesen't fit maybe the heads are milled DEEP? Might need 40horse pushrod tubes?

[noH2o666]

I’ve only got the one adjustable pushrod in place, no pushrod tubes and at it’s shortest length it isn’t long enough to complete the stroke. With no pushrod in place it will sit on the pads but I kind of need them… I’ve tried it with the swivel foot adjusters and elephant foot but from what I’ve read I have to use the swivel I’ve backed them all the way out and nothing seems to work. When I put the dial indicator on with my pushrod at its longest length possible I barely read .400 lift and that doesn’t make sense either.

[boxer74]

[Wreck]

After reading through this thread and getting some valuable info I made this simple little tool , the pointer sits at the centre of the swivel ball on the adjuster . I chose the 1/2 lift as the centre point on the shaft .
then just use a valve reversed into the top of another guide to sight down against an tube extension off the adjuster to adjust the pushrod length .
it made life very simple .

[boxer74]

Is that an old pushrod on top of adjuster?
_________________
74 Super
84 Westy

[chrisflstf]