Hello again Recently I replaced the left hand valve cover gasket on 72 Lesabre. When I took off the valve cover I dicovered a small round (button like) object knocking around in the area. The rod that the lifters? are attached to have a similar object in place. There were two missing, but I only found one in there. There was some debree in there. I beleive it was other button like object. I hope the pictures will assist in a helpfull conclusion. I circled in yellow the left hand piece that seems to be intact and on the right is where the pieces seem to have broken off. Thank you.
rocker arm parts.... You are right, it ain't good, but not fatal at this point. Those pieces are used to keep the rocker arms aligned on the shaft. They have a small post underneath the head that when pushed into the hole locks it into the rocker shaft. The good part is the head is usually too large to get out of the head, so they are easy to find when one breaks off. Make sure you remove the broken pieces before you re-install the valve covers. The small post usually ends up stuck in the rocker shaft between the bolts, or in the bottom of the oil pan. Sometimes they break from old age, sometimes from too many rpm with stock valve springs. I had a buddy that had a late 70's 231 V6 Sunbird that we put an isky cam and springs in during a rebuild, along with a larger than stock 2bbl carb. Within weeks his wife complained about the engine running badly. I took a look inside the valve covers, and 3 of the buttons were broken off and 1 pushrod was completely out of the rocker. We replaced them, but the same problem arose 2 weeks later. Somewhat baffled by the buttons breaking (all were new at the time of the rebuild) I went ahead and replaced them again. Within two weeks it happened again. It was then that I found out the guys wife had gotten 2 tickets for spinning the tires downtown. It turns out she was having a little too much fun with the new found power in the rebuilt V6. Her husband had me rig a throttle stop onto the carburetor linkage, and the problem disappeared! We never told her, and I doubt she ever figured it out, as she was a little distracted by her court ordered "Driving School"! Just get some new buttons, make sure the rockers & pushrods are lined up together properly, and install the new buttons in the holes in the shaft.
Thanks Hey ramkat2 Thanks for the info and can you tell me if I need to replace the whole rocker arm assembly? Im kinda new at this.
Very unlikely that you need anything more than to replace those nylon buttons! Very common ordeal, happens all the time... Bring one good one with you to the auto parts store, Have heard of cheap repros being a little undersized..
Get new ones from T/A performance so you know you are getting the right ones! Also when you put them in find a piece of metal or old socket the just fits the head or a little smaller and try and give it one quick blow with hammer to seat it all the way.
Thanks HEY I have looked at the problem more closely and you guys are right! These are only nylon buttons that plug in there. I have never noticed these before. I am already replacing them, Thanks again.
Hi , does those "buttons" have a specific name ? And how to know that one (or more) is broken ... irregular idle or something ?
they are called rocker arm retainers and i think the only palce that will have them is napa other thank that you will have to order then year one has them im not sure who else though
Make sure you pull the pushrods out and check them. The broken buttons let the pushrods rub against the heads and will wear right through if not fixed. :Smarty:
