Valve Adjustment on 304 Hydraulic Lifters?

[GL49]

My dad and I have been rebuilding a 74 CJ5 for the last five years (about a week away from completion ) and now we've gotten to the fine tuning portion of the build. We've rebuilt the top end, and replaced a few lifters. Is there any adjustments for the hydraulic lifters, or just torque the rocker arm nuts? I've been told that it's good practice to back off the nuts until the rocker arms start to clatter, then tighten until they stop, then another 1/2 to 3/4 turn. Is this true? I've also read that the nut should be torqued down ton 20-25ft lbs. What's the best way? This is what my stud/nut assembly looks like.

 

[grozam]

I always loosen until it ticks and then tighten a quarter turn.

 

[Purple77CJ7]

All of my manuals say to torque the rockers down. That is what I did on my 401 heads. They use the same rockers.

 

[Tinman22]

Early motors used a ball style like yours and adjustment is made by tightening to zero lash (pushrod stops turning) then 1/2-3/4 turn later models used a pedastal and bridge that you torque down . If you torque yours down you will bottom the lifter and hold the valve open. My old book shows both styles. Also amc shows ball seat till late 73 bridged after 73 sfor 304s and bridged for 360-401s from 74 on. And while we're at it they also used either steel or alluminium bridges.

 

[Tinman22]

Hopefully you didn't bend anything yet.

 

[CJim7]

There is no valve adjustment. As was pointed out, the pivots are torqued down to spec. AMC 258 i6 / 4.2l 's as well as AMC V8's have identical valvetranes, the only adjustment you can make is using longer or shorter pushrods.

 

[Tinman22]

Actually you are wrong look at the pic he does not have bridges he has ball seat rockers torquing them will not work!!!!! Late amcs as well as sixes had bridges and pedastal arrangements his do not. You can find the year breaks on most amc forums or old chiton books. There were two style rocker arm setups ball and stud like a small block Chevy and bridge and pedastal. His pic clearly showers he has ball seat as there are no pedastals or bridges.

 

[CJim7]

Actually you are wrong look at the pic he does not have bridges he has ball seat rockers torquing them will not work!!!!! Late amcs as well as sixes had bridges and pedastal arrangements his do not. You can find the year breaks on most amc forums or old chiton books. There were two style rocker arm setups ball and stud like a small block Chevy and bridge and pedastal. His pic clearly showers he has ball seat as there are no pedastals or bridges.

You're right. I guess I should have looked at the pic

 

[Tinman22]

I thought the same thing till I looked at his pic. I have never seen ball seat on a jeep either, but hey some of my parts aren't original anymore.

 

[CJim7]

I thought the same thing till I looked at his pic. I have never seen ball seat on a jeep either, but hey some of my parts aren't original anymore.

I get stuck in my 80's era jeep world...I sometimes forget people on here have older Jeeps...lol

 

[Tinman22]

I daughter just became aware that jeep were sold as complete vehicles how sad is that?

 

[CJ]

Early CJ (AMC) V8's used rocker studs (some were even screw in, not pressed) and not pivots. As was posted those heads require about 1/2 to 3/4 turn after you find zero lash. I prefer to adjust the rockers as light as possible as it allows a little more rpm. This really needs to done while the engine is idling so the lifters are fully pumped up. If you have an old set of valve covers, you can cut out the top to keep oil splash to a minimum.

 

[GL49]

Thank you everyone for the input! Since my last post, the Jeep been out on the road for the first time in probably 20 years (it was last registered in the early 90's) but now I've run into a different problem. Now I'm getting intermittent "puffs" out of the exhaust along with with what sounds like too much rocker arm clearance. I held a dollar bill up to the exhaust and it would suck it back in when it would make the "puff" sound, almost like the exhaust valve isn't closing sometimes and is causing an intermittent vacuum leak. I've readjusted all the pivot balls to about 1/2 a turn after they stop ticking (I didn't torque them), but the "puffing" and ticking remain no matter what I do. Could it possibly be a plugged oil passage in a lifter causing it not to fully pump up? I do not believe it is fuel related, because I have dual exhaust, and the "puffing" and valve ticking is much more prevalent in on the driver's side.

 

[GL49]

After looking at the valves closer, it looks like the valve ticking is caused by worn rocker arms and pivot balls. The pivot ball is bottoming out on the stud before I can get the 1/4 to 1/2 turn on the nut. This wouldn't cause the "puffing" sound out the exhaust would it?