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NixVegaGT
Nicolas Wiederhold
Minneapolis, MN
(659 posts)

Registered:
10/16/2007 05:30AM

Main British Car:
'73 Vega GT 4.9L Rover/Buick Stroker

authors avatar
ROCKER SHAFT BOLTS!!! AAAAAAHHHHHH!!!
Posted by: NixVegaGT
Date: October 06, 2009 01:09PM

Seriously! I spend 3 hrs. taking my rocker shafts on and off to fix the next stripped bolt hole. My favorite part is I would get them all in and be torquing them down for the last time and the LAST one, with out fail, would strip out. AAAAAAHHH!!!!!

OK If you are about to swap out anything on the rockershafts and you have to take them off. Save yourself a crapload of time and just go ahead and drill out and heli-coil them all right away. GEEZ!!!

I swear! It's like screwing a bolt into icecream or candle wax!!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/06/2009 01:11PM by NixVegaGT.


hoffbug
Tony Hoffer
Minnesota
(323 posts)

Registered:
10/15/2007 05:25PM

Main British Car:
Olds 215 EFI

Re: ROCKER SHAFT BOLTS!!! AAAAAAHHHHHH!!!
Posted by: hoffbug
Date: October 06, 2009 01:15PM

I wonder if a stud setup wouldnt be better.. I sure ARP has something that would work.


NixVegaGT
Nicolas Wiederhold
Minneapolis, MN
(659 posts)

Registered:
10/16/2007 05:30AM

Main British Car:
'73 Vega GT 4.9L Rover/Buick Stroker

authors avatar
Re: ROCKER SHAFT BOLTS!!! AAAAAAHHHHHH!!!
Posted by: NixVegaGT
Date: October 06, 2009 01:56PM

There is little doubt in my mind that it would. I think it's the shear forces combined with the stress and out they come. I used some altra-slick assembly lube. That may have helped the last couple times in... 4 of the 8 holes are helicoils now. I know the helicoils make a stronger threaded hole so it's the other holes that are a problem now.


Moderator
Curtis Jacobson
Portland Oregon
(4576 posts)

Registered:
10/12/2007 02:16AM

Main British Car:
71 MGBGT, Buick 215

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Re: ROCKER SHAFT BOLTS!!! AAAAAAHHHHHH!!!
Posted by: Moderator
Date: October 06, 2009 04:29PM

Studs would definitely be better. The bolts haven't given me trouble personally, but I understand that one of these bolts tore loose on Jerry Richards' MGB GT V8 racecar at V.I.R. in June, and it ended his weekend early and in extreme frustration. (I think it was the rearmost bolt hole, by cylinder 7, and that the rocker shaft was damaged when it happened.)


BlownMGB-V8
Jim Blackwood
9406 Gunpowder Rd., Florence, KY 41042
(6468 posts)

Registered:
10/23/2007 12:59PM

Main British Car:
1971 MGB Blown,Injected,Intercooled Buick 340/AA80E/JagIRS

authors avatar
Re: ROCKER SHAFT BOLTS!!! AAAAAAHHHHHH!!!
Posted by: BlownMGB-V8
Date: October 06, 2009 06:12PM

Yep, that's about the most frustrating thing about these engines, and it's not just the rocker bolts either.

Jim


hoffbug
Tony Hoffer
Minnesota
(323 posts)

Registered:
10/15/2007 05:25PM

Main British Car:
Olds 215 EFI

Re: ROCKER SHAFT BOLTS!!! AAAAAAHHHHHH!!!
Posted by: hoffbug
Date: October 06, 2009 06:28PM

The T&D shaft rocker setup Im using on the Chevelle has a stud setup.. My springs are 530 Lbs open. so yeah I can definitely see the need for studs... ARP has a full line of fasteners.. Im sure it wouldnt take long to come up with the necessary part numbers to create a stud set for just about anything.


roverman
Art Gertz
Winchester, CA.
(3188 posts)

Registered:
04/24/2009 11:02AM

Main British Car:
74' Jensen Healy, 79 Huff. GT 1, 74 MGB Lotus 907,2L

Re: ROCKER SHAFT BOLTS!!! AAAAAAHHHHHH!!!
Posted by: roverman
Date: October 07, 2009 07:41PM

Nic, Helicoils are only, slightly stronger than virgin threads. I suggest peeping "Timeserts",webbsite.In my mind their the best. Are you using the Volvo shafts and rockers? Studs, always best, when you add-up the "poundage" your compressing with minimal thread engagement, using bolts. I'm thinkin a"lip" on pushrod side of stand/bottom, might help. Good Luck, roverman.



NixVegaGT
Nicolas Wiederhold
Minneapolis, MN
(659 posts)

Registered:
10/16/2007 05:30AM

Main British Car:
'73 Vega GT 4.9L Rover/Buick Stroker

authors avatar
Re: ROCKER SHAFT BOLTS!!! AAAAAAHHHHHH!!!
Posted by: NixVegaGT
Date: October 07, 2009 08:53PM

Geez. Now I'm nervous. Maybe I'll look into studs. Hmmm.


nalle
Bjorn Nilsson

(21 posts)

Registered:
09/29/2009 12:03AM

Main British Car:


Re: ROCKER SHAFT BOLTS!!! AAAAAAHHHHHH!!!
Posted by: nalle
Date: October 08, 2009 11:49AM

How is lubrication to the rockers solved with using studs instead of shafts? Is it like the traditional way through the push rod?


BlownMGB-V8
Jim Blackwood
9406 Gunpowder Rd., Florence, KY 41042
(6468 posts)

Registered:
10/23/2007 12:59PM

Main British Car:
1971 MGB Blown,Injected,Intercooled Buick 340/AA80E/JagIRS

authors avatar
Re: ROCKER SHAFT BOLTS!!! AAAAAAHHHHHH!!!
Posted by: BlownMGB-V8
Date: October 08, 2009 04:15PM

The oil goes around the bolts or studs.

Jim


NixVegaGT
Nicolas Wiederhold
Minneapolis, MN
(659 posts)

Registered:
10/16/2007 05:30AM

Main British Car:
'73 Vega GT 4.9L Rover/Buick Stroker

authors avatar
Re: ROCKER SHAFT BOLTS!!! AAAAAAHHHHHH!!!
Posted by: NixVegaGT
Date: October 08, 2009 06:25PM

I'm blocking off the oiling through the rocker shaft and oiling through the push rods instead. I had to shim up the rocker shafts and I used the shims to block the oil passage. This engine over oils the rocker shafts anyway so that will leave more for the mains!


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