The Dodge Challenger Message Board

Not sure if you need longer pushrods with the Eddy heads or not? Maybe not.

According to Edelbrock all the factory valvetrain will bolt straight on, so I see no reason why they should be different. What I don't uinderstand however is the fact that the Crane Gold roller rockers I got don't just slide onto the rocker shaft. They won't even pull off the assembled shaft, see piccy. Are they pressed onto the end of the shaft? They all move freely inboard
I put a shaft in the freezer earlier and a rocker was close to going on, maybe I have to heat the rockers in the oven. Presumably some cam installation lube or similar is required here. I went to the Crane website to have a look at the installation instructions but there was no real description of actually putting the rockers on the shafts, any ideas

Adrian Worman wrote:According to Edelbrock all the factory valvetrain will bolt straight on, so I see no reason why they should be different.

Ha ha ha ha ha ha!

Yeah that's what 440 Source say about their heads too.
But a) the heads need grinding for pushrod clearence and b) the pushrods need to be longer due to the thicker deck face.

As far as i know the rockers should just slide on. You don't want a tight fit unless they have roller bearings in them?

They look exactly like the Indy rockers I used to use. I also hate the spring seperators on those and the steel shims. The shims are like bloody razors (Jeff Browns "Big Red and Loud" Coronet engine bay got covered in my blood) and the springs allow the rockers to shift sideways. I prefer large billet hold downs with tight clearences between the rockers for better oil pressure at the bearing surface and adjuster tip.

That pic that shows the rocker on the shaft demonstrates how far the rocker can be moved on the shaft, I can't get it past that point by hand. If I move it in a few milll it moves freely and smoothly, as do the rest. Def says Crane on the rocker, the shafts are unmarked tho, but they look identical. I will ask the guy I got 'em from, he should know ....I will mic' them to see if they are round, a rocker wiggled on the shat tip like it was slightly ovalled, that is where the hold down tabs go after all
I know what your saying about the heads Dave, nothings that simple is it? especially when it claims to be

As I thought, a quick squeeze in the press and a careful check with a Vernier and the shafts are round and true

Are those the Crane shafts or are they stock OEM? Are you saying the rocker bodies wont move laterally on the shaft? It looks like there are thin shims next to the rocker bodies? If so, sometimes the shims 'catch' on the shaft and prevent the rocker body from moving if you try and move them by hand. The shims are so thin, then just 'dig' into the shaft and prevent any movement. I agree with Dave, holdowns that are wide enough to prevent excess movement and spacers are much better than the spring deal! And I'm sure you already know this but needle bearing rockers must use hardened shafts. I dont think those Crane's are needle bearing types anyways. I would also polish the shafts with Med. then Fine emery cloth as best as you can and clean them thorougly with soap&water then solvent. The soap&water carries away the abrasive&metal particles that solvent cant.(Looks like some slight pitting on the shaft) I personally use Lubri-Plate assembly lube, it isnt a heavy grease, dissolves with engine oil instanly, contains Zinc, Phosphorous high-pressure additives.

Yes, they are Crane shafts Eddie. I have two sets or rockers, I used the lighter pattern Gold type, polisked the shafts with krokus cloth amd assembled 'em, see nice poccy
Bolted them down and started to set load, see what you mean sbout the lifter spring collapsing easily Eddie, I just took all the free play out of the rod until I felt a little tension and then gave one full turn. If I followed the Crane instructions I would have damaged something, they tell you to tighten the adjuster untill the rod can't turn and then one full turn again. When I tried that I actually saw the rocker arm load the valve spring

Nice job cleaning them up! Yeah, sometimes the instructions can get you into big trouble if you take their words literally. Glad to see it bolted together nicely.

The Crane instructions are to twist the pushrod in your fingers and tighten until you JUST feel resistance. That is zero lash. You then add a half to one full turn to give 20thou - 40thou preload.

You definitly DON'T tighten until you physically can't spin the pushrod.

Yeah, I dunno where I got that from
Heres the official line;
http://www.cranecams.com/uploads/instructions/209e.pdf

Installed, adjusted with the skill of a neurosurgeon, and taken out on the streets for a kicking.................................................result
Nicest its ever driven
Will check it all over again now its been run for half an hour, a little bit of oil smoke to start with from the left bank, that was the last one to lose a rocker so plausible, needed to reset the idle speed and a faint bit of pinking under light throttle, but otherwise sweet.
Happy Easter

It is nice when it all "just works" isn't it?

Seldom happens to me.

dave-r wrote:It is nice when it all "just works" isn't it?

Seldom happens to me.

Ha ha ha ha .............same here Daveman, quite frankly I'm always amazed when it comes good