- Joined
- Sep 21, 2007
- Messages
- 1,420
- Reaction score
- 656
- Points
- 113
- Location
- Wa, Bremerton 98310
- Vehicle Year
- 1987
- Make / Model
- Ford
- Engine Size
- 87Ranger Endrigo 2.9l, 87BII Endrigo 4.0l
- 2WD / 4WD
- 4WD
- Total Lift
- Ranger 5" (2" suspension), BII 4" suspension
- Total Drop
- Ranger 5sp, BII A4LD
- Tire Size
- Ranger 33"/4:10LS, BII 29"/3:73LS
- My credo
- Deengineer until it is how Blue Oval should have sold it!!
To: alwaysFIOoReD, 8thton, Paulos and adsm08
The end all secret to adjusting the rocker arms correctly, causing them to operate as one would expect or as is a newly delivered vehicle is to adjust them when the engine is completely warmed and with a full understanding of the hydraulic lifter's operation.
Your engine temp will rise until your Tstat opens, allowing the temp to drop a visible amount on your temp gauge; once this happens shut it down and get to it. Because of this, I could only do one bank @ a time, then warm up the engine again. This is not the trick part.
What shall be difficult is my attempt to explain hydraulic lifter's operation, so this may take awhile.
The hydraulic lifter's is just a simple hyd pump. When the push rods impacts the lower end, it hits a piston within the hyd lifter. Since we know that the fluid can not be compressed the movement is changed into vertical energy, which once the piston begins it's STROKE or upward movement will engage the rocker. To elaborate, the lifter's piston performs actual compression and retract strokes, and it is the beginning of the compression stroke that is the thrust of this PROCEEDURE. You will be able to feel the piston start to move. It is difficult to gauge how fir the piston has traveled until I see the rocker behind to move. It is between the point that lifter plunger starts to move and the rocker arm starts to move that is the "MONEY SHOT".
Please ask questions if my explanation does makes sense to you. Another GREAT way to gain perfect understanding of this simple system is to actually compress the lifter until the piton begins it's stroke in a vice or anyway that you as the mechanic can feel it happen and see why they weren't adjusted correctly.
Prior to performing the following PROCEEDURE it is prudent to verify the torque on you rocker arm pedestals.
THE SOLUTION:
So, now I will proceed as though I am speaking to a group of people who completely understand how the hyd lifter performs.
It doesn't matter where you start but I always start driver's side forward cylinder, work to the back, the from the front on passenger side. You may only get one done per engine warm up; that is better than not, so do cylinder@ a time if necessary.
The desired cylinder must be @ the base circle on the cam (open up the rocker lock nuts in advance to save time). To find the base circle rotate the crank by hand until the desired cylinder in on the base circle (the part of the cam with no lift).
Loosen the rocker adjusting stud until you have a visible gap, then slowly start tightening until you impact the the lifter and feel the piston but keep going until it begins it's stroke, approximately ⅓ into the stroke is what I am shooting for. Between the point where the adjusting stud impacts the lifter and where the rocker starts to move is the area of concern. After that, perform the final torque as directed in the service manual .)
Though it will take a while to get them all adjusted while the engine is warm, and it may take a couple tries to hit that magic point in the lifter piston's stroke, you will know it immediately once you fire up your previously named typewriter.
It took me 3 tried on the driver's side bank to get it right but once I did I had no dought.
There you go, the secret it too adjust the rocker lash one third of the way into the lifter piston's stroke, prior to final torque. Having been an electronic hydraulic technician for years the principal's all made sense to me when, after an in depth conversation with my engineer buddy about how the hydraulic lifter's operates (because I was uncertain if I needed to replace them or not for my rebuild) that I "accidentally" learned how it should be adjusted to work most efficiently. Just so happens...it does this perfectly quiet???
The end all secret to adjusting the rocker arms correctly, causing them to operate as one would expect or as is a newly delivered vehicle is to adjust them when the engine is completely warmed and with a full understanding of the hydraulic lifter's operation.
Your engine temp will rise until your Tstat opens, allowing the temp to drop a visible amount on your temp gauge; once this happens shut it down and get to it. Because of this, I could only do one bank @ a time, then warm up the engine again. This is not the trick part.
What shall be difficult is my attempt to explain hydraulic lifter's operation, so this may take awhile.
The hydraulic lifter's is just a simple hyd pump. When the push rods impacts the lower end, it hits a piston within the hyd lifter. Since we know that the fluid can not be compressed the movement is changed into vertical energy, which once the piston begins it's STROKE or upward movement will engage the rocker. To elaborate, the lifter's piston performs actual compression and retract strokes, and it is the beginning of the compression stroke that is the thrust of this PROCEEDURE. You will be able to feel the piston start to move. It is difficult to gauge how fir the piston has traveled until I see the rocker behind to move. It is between the point that lifter plunger starts to move and the rocker arm starts to move that is the "MONEY SHOT".
Please ask questions if my explanation does makes sense to you. Another GREAT way to gain perfect understanding of this simple system is to actually compress the lifter until the piton begins it's stroke in a vice or anyway that you as the mechanic can feel it happen and see why they weren't adjusted correctly.
Prior to performing the following PROCEEDURE it is prudent to verify the torque on you rocker arm pedestals.
THE SOLUTION:
So, now I will proceed as though I am speaking to a group of people who completely understand how the hyd lifter performs.
It doesn't matter where you start but I always start driver's side forward cylinder, work to the back, the from the front on passenger side. You may only get one done per engine warm up; that is better than not, so do cylinder@ a time if necessary.
The desired cylinder must be @ the base circle on the cam (open up the rocker lock nuts in advance to save time). To find the base circle rotate the crank by hand until the desired cylinder in on the base circle (the part of the cam with no lift).
Loosen the rocker adjusting stud until you have a visible gap, then slowly start tightening until you impact the the lifter and feel the piston but keep going until it begins it's stroke, approximately ⅓ into the stroke is what I am shooting for. Between the point where the adjusting stud impacts the lifter and where the rocker starts to move is the area of concern. After that, perform the final torque as directed in the service manual .)
Though it will take a while to get them all adjusted while the engine is warm, and it may take a couple tries to hit that magic point in the lifter piston's stroke, you will know it immediately once you fire up your previously named typewriter.
It took me 3 tried on the driver's side bank to get it right but once I did I had no dought.
There you go, the secret it too adjust the rocker lash one third of the way into the lifter piston's stroke, prior to final torque. Having been an electronic hydraulic technician for years the principal's all made sense to me when, after an in depth conversation with my engineer buddy about how the hydraulic lifter's operates (because I was uncertain if I needed to replace them or not for my rebuild) that I "accidentally" learned how it should be adjusted to work most efficiently. Just so happens...it does this perfectly quiet???
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