440 Rocker adjustment (not valve lash)

[66Coronet400]

I am helping a buddy with a stock 440, I noticed the rocker shaft hold downs have tabs that appear to be tight against the rocker arm.
Changing the spacer between the rocker arms would move the rocker off center from the valve.
What's the proper way to check and adjust the side clearance?

Thanks!!

 

[eldubb440]

remove some material from the tab, I would assume

 

[Orig69]

By using a feeler guage you can swap the hold down that is the tightest with another hold down that has the most play.

 

[PurpleBeeper]

The very crude way I did it was to look at how well centered the rocker is over the valve. Then, I ground off material from those tabs/spacers you mention and/or the rocker arm bar pedastles (sp?). There is a side clearance spec out there somewhere. Swapping the tabs/spacers as appropriate is a good idea (as mentioned) if that works. Also, add spacers as required too

 

[#41]

I just bend the tabs in/out if I can't find a good match. In-ward, of course, is very easy with a 3lb mallet and an anvil or vice. It also helps to have about 100 extras in plastic bin!

 

[khryslerkid]

This is a little more extreme using adjustable rockers but the idea is the same. I opted to use spacers and not springs. Took a little longer to do but I won't have to worry about them moving. I think it was .005 clearance between the rockers. Had to trim the hold downs too to center the rockers just right.

 

[gkent]

Stock rockers ... don't waste your time. Guaranteed there will be nothing to gain from the effort. Chrysler build hundreds of thousands of those motors - all had the same holddowns, spacers and rockers and clocked millions of miles without associated issues.

 

[66Coronet400]

I just bend the tabs in/out if I can't find a good match. In-ward, of course, is very easy with a 3lb mallet and an anvil or vice. It also helps to have about 100 extras in plastic bin!

Stock rockers ... don't waste your time. Guaranteed there will be nothing to gain from the effort. Chrysler build hundreds of thousands of those motors - all had the same holddowns, spacers and rockers and clocked millions of miles without associated issues.

No trying to gain anything, just overthinking (?) a potential problem.

 

[#41]

Call it shade-tree blue-printing

The factory also did not balance short-block rotating assemblies very carefully. Almost nobody skips the opportunity to balance a rotating assembly at rebuild.

 

[gkent]

Apples and oranges !!!

 

[RemCharger]

To be more specific, that's why they have an overly wide pad on them. So it's one size fits all at assembly time