F-Body Europe

Okay gurus
I put the RR on the drivers side, and have a few concerns. I did it like the haynes manual said, but can someone define "wiggle" to me. I'm supposed to tighten the rocker until they quit wiggleing. If your wondering why only the driver side, well there is a 1/4 drain plug? on the front of the heads, (I cant get them out of the old heads, and I cant put the passenger side on until I have the plug ).

Also, exactly what are my chances of getting the timing cover to seal on the first shot, and are there any quick tips?

Lastly, I laid one of the valve covers on the head, and that should give you an idea of what this is gonna look like when done, these valve covers are a real piece of work. The plug access doesnt look to bad with the FLP's (atleast on driver side) except for the #5 cyl.




Later guys
Rob

Wiggle is sloppy... The side to side play should be within tolerences...

Auto Parts Stores carry a tool to align the timing cover to ensure it seals up first time..Good luck..

Those are some nice looking valve covers! Wiggle...technically there shouldn't be know whatsoever but some will wiggle depending on the stroke. As long as it's not way outta wack. Mine wiggle but I've never had any problems.
Nice pics Rob sure like those plug on the FLP's too!

you have two of 'em in the mail.

Rob I just did my rockers not to long ago. This is the way to do them. You have to rotate your engine till the number one cylinder is at top dead center (just look at the timing chain marks until they aline. Or use your valve spring compression tool and see how far down the valve falls. Don't worry about it falling into the engine bay because the seals will hold it from going all the way.) The way I did mine was the way Comp recomended tighten them until there is no play on the pushrods and then tighten them 3/4 of a turn more. There is a special order you have to tighten them and then you have to rotate the engine 360 degrees and tighten the rest. The tightning sequense should be in the haynes manual that's were I found it. I wouldn't recommend the tighten it till it wiggles because not all of them will wiggle the same way and you might end up over tightning and fry the cam lobes and rollers. Let me know if you need the sequence and I'll post it.

Almost forgot If you have your oil pan on forget trying to get the timeing chain cover on. You need to losten all the front bolts on the pan and let it hang a bit. As far as getting the cover to seal the first time I wouldn't worry to much since it has these Post that stick out of the engine that holds the gasket in place. I used a little RTV and I had no problems what so ever with leacking. This biggest problem I had was dropping the pan to get the bottom of the cover to seat properly. Same thing for the rear main seal housing if you ever change it. Good luck hope this helps you out a little bit. Fire it up and feel nervouse for the first 500 miles i know I did.

I put the #1 to TDC then put the head on, so I'm sure that was correct. Then tightend the #1 int/exh and #3exh, #5 and #7 int, then rotated the crank 360deg and did the remaining per the Haynes manual.

Only thing I was worried about was, do I tighten until I can turn the pushrods, or until there is no movement (even alittle side to side).

....thanks for the pan info, I might try dropping the front down alittle.

On the rocker arms tighten them till the pushrods are hard to move up and down. When you tighten them if you grab the push rod there will be just a little bit of play just a little. Don't grab them tight looking for play just grab them with moderate tension. That is when your at the point to where you need to give them another 1/2 to 3/4 of a turn depends on what rockers you have. From the looks in your picture your using the Crane 1.6 rockers those if i'm not mistaken are a 1/2 turn. I spent a long time tightening mine because i'm like you on this one you want somthing that says it's good. If you run them a little loose it's not a bad thing but if you over tighten them you can call comp and order a new cam. I know your pain on this!

As far as the oil pan just take out the first five bolts on both sides and losten the rest. And this should give you enough clearance to install the timing chain.


??? When you installed the timing chain and rotated the engine to where the marks lined up was the #1 piston at top dead center. I'm just wondering because I've been wondering how reliable those marks really are.

Almost forgot when tightening the rockers some will wiggle were others won't due to the way the rotating assembly is. You don't have to tighten them till they all wiggle or until they all don't wiggle. Just do them in order and you'll be fine. Good luck and if you have any questions I'm on leave so I'll check it on a regular basis.

thanks alot, that was the more "Rocker adjustment for dummies" that I needed.

Yes they are Crane 1.6's, just have stamped bowties on them because they were in the Hotcam kit. And by what you said, I had them tightened way to tight. I just got the 1/2 pipe plug I needed for the front of the head so I'm gonna go put the passenger side on.

Thanks again
pictures coming up soon

BTW the timing marks seem to be pretty spot on. I'm using a LT4 extreme (cloyes single roller) set with a oversized crank pulley. Now the stock one had about 1/4 of play on each side so I doubt it was to accurate.(never checked it though)

Later
Rob

[/quote] Now the stock one had about 1/4 of play on each side so I doubt it was to accurate.(never checked it though)[/quote]


Well this makes me feel better in some aspects. I think we may have just discovered another GM design flaw. My stock timing chain was the same way when I took it off and the #1 cylinder wasn't at complet top dead center. I'm glad I had the valve spring commressing tool this is how I got my engine at TDS. Good luck and let me know how it turns out.

What about degreeing the cam? IAW cam card with NOS you may want a slight retard degreed in if it is a NOS cam it should be ground in. If you have hydrulic roller lifters I am sure you do fill them with oil before prevents panic but it may slap a little actually the first couple minutes of a engines life is the most critical.OIL is you friend!!! I would also reccomed primeing your oiling system I used to use a drill with a special extension through the distributer hole but LT1 do not have it? Option 2 crank it without fireing the engine for at least 2 full minutes then check the oil again before you fire it. If it squels or knocks that is bad!!! The slight wiggle is without oil pressure is exactly what you want. When she fires the lifters get pressurized taking the wiggle out of the valve train. To loose is better than to tight. Loose rockers are harmless- possible bending push rods. Good luck

I thought about priming the engine with oil because its been sitting awhile. Thanks for the crank engine without spark idea.
There is no way to degree the cam. With the cloyes I could degree a very small bit, but with the LT4 sprokets, there is no way.
BTW I got the heads and headers put on now, just have to make the block off's for the EGR out of some tin I bought, and it will be all slapped togethor.

On a side note, I tried to fit the FLP's to the flowmaster..........HHHaaaaaaaaaaaaahaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaahhaaahhhaaaaaaaaahhhhhhahhhahahahhahhahah!
There is now way in 3 hells it will ever line up, so its off to the muffler shop with open headers!:)

Rob Just going off of when we installed johns and the out come of having open long tube Flp headers be carful it doesn't melt your fuel lines.

Now wouldnt that be pleasant!!!!!! I think I will attach the cats also, for 2 reasons. To extend the pipes alittle further back, and because the shop I use gets all squimish when you bring a non granolo eating, sandal wearing, tree hugging car into the shop.

Rob DON"T DO THIS!!! It'll place your cats RIGHT next to the fuel lines. Or put a heat shield on those lines. I guarantee you'll go up in flames if you don't.
If you go open w/ no cats you might make it to the shop but I wouldn't chance that either.

You best bet even though costly is put that thing on the back of someone's pickup and have em tow you.

hehehe I wonder if the insurance company would bail me out to include mods??? Hmmmmmmmm;)

Got time to work this out, but damn towed by a pickup???!!! There just has to be another way.

Seriously though, I think we got the same kit. You got the Y pipe with it also, right? If I assemble it as far back as I have pieces, it looks like it will exit just past the front of the DS. That shouldnt cause any problems on a 3mile drive I wouldnt think. Or, I can just cut the flow intermediate and jimmy the two pieces togethor for the drive. The dont miss each other by much in alignment, its just the added 3ft of length from the LT's.