- Valvetrain: Upgrading Your Roller Rockers -

Thanks to Kerry Totten (irocz28) for this project in how to upgrade your stock rollers.  Granted, roller rockers are nice and for those of us who are fortunate enough to have roller blocks, but there's always room for improvement.  Here you'll see exactly how to replace your rockers, or even if you're not replacing them, the following documentation can be very helpful in resetting your preload

	First thing is to find # 1 cyl on your distributor cap and mark it. As you can see I have all my wires numbered as well,very handy for other things besides this project.
	Next pop the cap off and notice where the rotor is pointing.Since now you know where # 1 cyl is, you can determine what cyl rotor is at by the firing order.In a clockwise direction the SBC and the BBC firing order is 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2. Remove drive belt to make it easier and with a 5/8" socket rotate crankshaft at pulley clockwise until rotor is pointing close to # 1 cyl.
	Now look at timing tab and rotate crankshaft until timing mark is EXACTLY at the "0" on the timing tab.With that done your engine is now at # 1 cyl TDC (top dead center).
	Now remove the following rocker arms ONLY: INTAKE: #1- #2- #5- #7 rocker arms. EXHAUST: #1- #3- #4- #8 rocker arms.
	Now you can install the new roller rockers in place of the ones you just removed and adjust the valve lash. You want to have what is called "ZERO LASH". These adjusting nuts make it much nicer because you can turn them with your fingers,  unlike the stock ones. Now just turn pushrod with your fingers and tighten nut down until you JUST feel resistance on pushrod. This is ZERO LASH. Now tighten nut down from 1/4 to 1 turn for preload. I personally go 3/4 of a turn from ZERO LASH.
	Torque adjusting nut allen set screws down. I torqued them to 12 lb. ft. Make sure not to turn adjusting nut when tightening set screw.
	Print or write down the sequence so you can make sure you are adjusting the correct valves. I do this to keep track of where I'm at.
	Now turn crankshaft ONE rotation clockwise and line timing mark to the zero on timing tab like earlier. You are now at # 6 cyl TDC. You can verify this by which terminal the rotor is pointing to in the cap. Now remove the rest of the rocker arms, and install the new ones.
	Now you can adjust the rocker arms you just installed : INTAKE: #3- #4- #6- #8 rocker arms. EXHAUST: #2- #5- #6- #7 rocker arms.
Before installing valve covers squirt or pour a little oil on new rocker arm for pre lube.

Kerry Totten

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