Installing rocks, push rods not spinning?
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Road Captain
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 577
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From: Brampton, Ontario, Canada
Installing rocks, push rods not spinning?
Hi Guys,
I finally got my rockers powdered! first off I'm pissed because I didn't even need my 7/16" dogbone adapter (only 1 bolt) cost me 30 bucks, but whatever!
Anyway, I'm installing the support plate, and as I tighten, the push rods stop being able to spin freely? before I installed the rear rocker, I found TDC (at least I thought I did, used the straw method to find the highest point).
Is this normal? should I just tighten down it down to spec? 20ft lbs and just wait for it to bleed down, will this bend the rods? or should I just do it bit by bit, which feels like it would take forever!
thanks!
I finally got my rockers powdered! first off I'm pissed because I didn't even need my 7/16" dogbone adapter (only 1 bolt) cost me 30 bucks, but whatever!
Anyway, I'm installing the support plate, and as I tighten, the push rods stop being able to spin freely? before I installed the rear rocker, I found TDC (at least I thought I did, used the straw method to find the highest point).
Is this normal? should I just tighten down it down to spec? 20ft lbs and just wait for it to bleed down, will this bend the rods? or should I just do it bit by bit, which feels like it would take forever!
thanks!
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 2,289
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From: Beautiful Downtown Burbank
As long as the ball of the pushrod is in the socket in the rocker, torque it down and run it. Unless you swapped intake and exhaust pushrods, youre good to go. If memory serves me correctly, the black pushrod is the exhaust.
BTW, if the pushrod DID spin when the rocker arms were torqued, you got major problems.
BTW, if the pushrod DID spin when the rocker arms were torqued, you got major problems.
Thread Starter
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Road Captain
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 577
Likes: 2
From: Brampton, Ontario, Canada
As long as the ball of the pushrod is in the socket in the rocker, torque it down and run it. Unless you swapped intake and exhaust pushrods, youre good to go. If memory serves me correctly, the black pushrod is the exhaust.
BTW, if the pushrod DID spin when the rocker arms were torqued, you got major problems.
BTW, if the pushrod DID spin when the rocker arms were torqued, you got major problems.
I checked this morning to put on the final torque, they spin, but not as 'freely' as they did before any torque was applied at all (just enough for the threads to catch)
Last edited by Hickey; Apr 22, 2011 at 08:05 AM.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 7,736
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From: Coromandel Peninsula New Zealand
No! You don't do it like that! You tighten the rocker bolts evenly until the pushrods stop spinning, go take a dump or walk the dog or whatever for 10 mins and then come back and check, when you can rotate the pushrods (they won't be slack and will take bit of finger effort) you tighten a bit more and repeat the process, usually 4 -6 stages until the rocker box or platform (depending on model) touches down, then you torque it fully...put the rocker box on and then rotate motor to next TDC and start over again.
This prevents the valves touching the pistons while the lifters bleed.
OR you take the lifters apart and drain all the oil out before reassembly and then you don't need to tighten it down in stages...bike will sound like crap when you start it but its back to normal after 5 miles
This prevents the valves touching the pistons while the lifters bleed.
OR you take the lifters apart and drain all the oil out before reassembly and then you don't need to tighten it down in stages...bike will sound like crap when you start it but its back to normal after 5 miles
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 7,736
Likes: 1,524
From: Coromandel Peninsula New Zealand
As long as the ball of the pushrod is in the socket in the rocker, torque it down and run it. Unless you swapped intake and exhaust pushrods, youre good to go. If memory serves me correctly, the black pushrod is the exhaust.
BTW, if the pushrod DID spin when the rocker arms were torqued, you got major problems.
BTW, if the pushrod DID spin when the rocker arms were torqued, you got major problems.
You are right about the black pushrod but wrong about the spinning, they MUST turn or the valves won't shut.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 3,352
Likes: 4
From: Augusta, GA
Pretty interesting question and replies.
One thing I would have pointed out right away was the need to know what stroke the cylinder is on instead of just making sure the piston is TDC. You see The piston is @TDC twice but the cam is on base circle on only one of those times. You could very well be tightening the rockers down with one or both valves partially open which will damage the engine.
The proper procedure is to make sure the cylinder is at the top of the compression stroke and you can determine that by feeling the lifters with your fingers or watching the lifters to note when the intake valve closes and then turn the crank a bit more until the piston is At or very near TDC , a little either side of TDC is okay since you are coming into the power stroke where both valves are closed.
Then, torque the rockers down and wait - twenty minutes - and check the see you can turn both pushrods with your thumb and finger tip. IF you CAN NOT turn both pushrods freely, with zero lash (no vertical movement whatsoever) WAIT another five minutes and try again. If after twenty-five minutes you still can not turn the pushrods - WAIT - until you can.
Then rotate the engine, I usually do three or five turns, to make sure the valves and piston never meet and set the other cylinder up to repeat the procedure.
.......But that's just how I do it.
One thing I would have pointed out right away was the need to know what stroke the cylinder is on instead of just making sure the piston is TDC. You see The piston is @TDC twice but the cam is on base circle on only one of those times. You could very well be tightening the rockers down with one or both valves partially open which will damage the engine.
The proper procedure is to make sure the cylinder is at the top of the compression stroke and you can determine that by feeling the lifters with your fingers or watching the lifters to note when the intake valve closes and then turn the crank a bit more until the piston is At or very near TDC , a little either side of TDC is okay since you are coming into the power stroke where both valves are closed.
Then, torque the rockers down and wait - twenty minutes - and check the see you can turn both pushrods with your thumb and finger tip. IF you CAN NOT turn both pushrods freely, with zero lash (no vertical movement whatsoever) WAIT another five minutes and try again. If after twenty-five minutes you still can not turn the pushrods - WAIT - until you can.
Then rotate the engine, I usually do three or five turns, to make sure the valves and piston never meet and set the other cylinder up to repeat the procedure.
.......But that's just how I do it.
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