My valve-train seems noisy, I have not opened up my valve cover to take a look but I have a pic of a set I have laying around. My assumption is that this is worn out, as to how oval it is. When I look at my rockers on the engine and if I find something like this, I assume time for new ones. If this is the case, what brand do you guys recommend?
Noisy valve train
- Thread starter jake
- Start date
C Body Bob
Old Man with a Hat
Stay with factory style. Rare they wear out. Are they getting enough oil
65sporty
Old Man with a Hat
If yours look like the pic you have some work to do, like Bob said you need to check oil to the top end.
pomonamissel
Senior Member
today oil sucks , add some zinc treatment to the oil . ,and how may of those are like that ? i've got a 5 gal pale full of them , and bars to . there used but still in good shape from tear downs .
That's the way they look. The oval shape is normal and new rockers will be the same.
The arm only touches the shaft on one side. The valve spring and pushrod holds it up against the shaft. I found a pic on the web that shows this. Note the light shining through between the rocker arm and the shaft.
If you hold the arm and look at the "bearing" area, it should be smooth and not galled or scratched deeply. Same for the end that wears against the valve stem. You may see a groove where the stem has rubbed against the valve stem and if you do, replace them.
The arm only touches the shaft on one side. The valve spring and pushrod holds it up against the shaft. I found a pic on the web that shows this. Note the light shining through between the rocker arm and the shaft.
If you hold the arm and look at the "bearing" area, it should be smooth and not galled or scratched deeply. Same for the end that wears against the valve stem. You may see a groove where the stem has rubbed against the valve stem and if you do, replace them.
As noted above, check the oil flow to the rockers. Push rods should spit oil and lube the rockers as the cam forces the lifter upwards. If yours are not spitting, you either have a low oil pressure condition or collapsed lifters. If you are not seeing significant spitting from most of the ports, you probably have an oil pressure issue which will destroy the rest of the engine. I would suggest putting an after-market oil gauge on the sending unit port to see what your oil pressure actually is. You need 15 lbs at idle and at least 35 lbs at a run condition. If you are not getting this, your engine is on borrowed time. If you have adequate oil pressure, start checking for a flat camshaft or defective lifters. Also check the rockers for clogged oil ports and the shafts for the same. If yours is a hollow push rod engine check for clogged push rods.
Dave
Dave
You are thinking of the hollow push rods like in a SBC. The Mopar push rods are solid and oil doesn't flow through them.
The oil does puddle on the top of the rocker and seep down through the hole to lubricate the top of the push rod.
Minimum oil pressure usually runs a little higher in the Mopars too. 20 PSI at idle and 50-60 running.
70bigblockdodge
Old Man with a Hat
Years ago when I took my 383 apart, every exhaust rocker arm was streched noticably compared to intake rockers. I have no explanation other than quality control or materials. Mine did not make noise continuously but any extra crank on a hot start the valve train would clatter badly.
65sporty
Old Man with a Hat
I learned something from John again, I didn't know that the arms had a oval shape.
pomonamissel
Senior Member
well there is no push rod oiling here , it comes up through the head to the rocker shaft hold down bolt and fills the shafts that then wets the rockers and slashes oil around and it drips though oiling holes . so oil should come up the top through the castings themselves . i've never that to check , but there is only two places that it comes up to the shafts . same place on both heads one on either end , driver side front second bolt in , passenger side second bolt from the rear . those two bolts should have been wet with oil when you removed the shafts and rockers . and with the shafts removed the valves are stationary . to spin the engine over you'll have too remove the spark plugs . and wheel the motor round with the starter . it should get oil up there with in a short time . can't hurt to get an oil press gauge on the cam plugs were your light sender is screwed in at . and yes mopar stamped steel rockers are loose fitting on the shafts . and rule of thumb for oil presser is 10 psi for every 1000 rpm . so some may not have a lot at warm idle .
LOL!!
If you've got valve train noise on a Chrysler, it's either low oil pressure, a bad set of lifters, or extreme valve guide wear. Reason? Chrysler B/RB oils the "top side first", with the crank second in line of the oil flow. Opposite of a small block Chevy. With the Chevy, low oil pressure will make the mains "thump", Chrysler owners typically could hear a ticking lifter FIRST and ask somebody to check their oil.
The race manual details how to modify the B/RB oil flow to prioritize oiling the bottom side first.
CBODY67
The race manual details how to modify the B/RB oil flow to prioritize oiling the bottom side first.
CBODY67
75LandYacht
Yank Tank
Let me jump in on this conversation, might be related to a concern and I have with my 440 or might not be.. I have "valve clatter" under hard acceleration when my air conditioning is on. Doesn't happen when the AC is off, i've been told it could be due to low octane gas or that my timing might be off a little. I'm fairly confident that it's not oil related. Back in the day I remember hearing it on other model cars that I've had, but once I changed to a better fuel and higher octane fuel it went away, bad gas related.. could I be experiencing the same issue here?, Low octane fuel for timing? Again, it only happens under hard acceleration, i.e. climbing a hill or passing scenarios. Thoughts?
When John talks, I listen, he always has sound advice and spits solid knowledge.
70bigblockdodge
Old Man with a Hat
Actually the lifters are the first oiled.
You should never restrict the oil to the valve train unless you have changed the style of rockers, oiling through the pushrods, or have passage eliminated or #4 cam bearing grooved.
Ripinator
Old Man with a Hat
One more thing: Make sure the rocker arm shafts are installed correctly. I forget how you check this, but if the shafts are backwards, oil will not flow to / thru them.
65sporty
Old Man with a Hat
This sounds like spark knock, check your timing and the vacuum advance.
I believe the old race manual says to only do this (restrict oil to the top) with solid lifters, not hydraulics. Of course, removing the lower restriction to the crankshaft oiling could accomplish some of the same thing.
CBODY67
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