This has been a pretty hot topic lately, and there are other threads...but this directly effects me in this case, so I just wanted to share my experience
with this topic.

First order of business...I noticed a few weeks ago...after pulling the valve cover on the 88 that there was a bad rocker in addition to the broken guide. I didnt really look too much...well I should of.

Today...I pulled the valve cover again to take another look before the timing chain install.
Well the bad rocker has a buddy. Both rockers on 4 are bad. Cam is toast.

Here is my first question....the two rockers in the picture are both very dark...not a burned up rocker dark...they do not look like the rest of the rockers color wise. Are they after market rockers
that went bad? Do aftermarket rockers have the same basic casting? Or am I crazy and these both just went bad...and are dark from heat.

Everything is coated in oil...doesnt smell like burned up oil in the head...everything looks pretty good...except the color of those 2 bad rockers.

I do not know if the rockers have been replaced or not.











and a vid

http://s935.photobucket.com/albums/a...t=100_2370.mp4

 

Looks like someone overtightened the valves or the valves seats took a crap.

James

 

Valve seats are fine. got 160'ish on compression test on all 4 cylinders. Just curious whether those are oem rockers that died from never being adjusted...or aftermarket failures...more and more I look....im thinking they are oem. And failed due to neglecting adjustment.

 

How do you know the seats are fine? You can still have good compression and still have seats that are bad. The rockers are most likely original. That lack of adjustment would not cause the problem you are having but overtightened valves would. Another possibility is that the oil galleries are plugged to those rocker arms.

James

 

I just measured the spring heights and the match all the rest of the springs....quit making me paranoid!!

Imma pull the rocker assembly off...pop a used cam and rocker assembly on...then proceed with my timing chain install.

 

Those look to me like all factory parts.

He is right you could have an issue with the seat or valve. But I would slightly doubt that due to the fact that you have two that failed. But it is a valid point.

You need to pull the head off to change the cam and rockers. That is a great time to check the head out. If you are also doing a timing chain set it will make that a lot easier as well.

When doing this much work I personally would pull the engine, so I can easily clean and inspect everything properly. But again I have pulled many of these and can get them out in about 45 minutes.

 

Im going a different route on this one...Im leaving the head on. I know its skeet...but Im willing to risk it.

So I will be pulling the rocker assembly...installing a used oem cam and rocker assembly from the same engine...thanks mightymouse. WHILE LEAVING THE HEAD ON. SCARY

Once I wrap that up...Ill do the timing chain...then drop the pan and clean it out. This motor has great compression. I am confident there are no "beat"
valve seats.

I dont feel like tearing it all apart just yet...I know there is a chance Im risking the head gasket...but if
it works ill save HOURS and HOURS of work.

If Im wrong then Ill accept the idiot of the year award. I know its been done before....

 

I am contimplating doing the rocker swap without removing the head. did it end up working out for you? i heard it should go alright as long as the motor is really cold and you are nice and easy on it when lifting out the rocker assembly and camshaft. it risky business though!

 

Was your valve cover in contact with your rocker? I see some fresh alluminium on your #3 exhaust rocker. I doubt this would be the problem though.

 

>>>*Morning! Sorry I can't get into this site as often as I would like, out here on the island we live on it's dialup or nothing so I just let the PC run. Those front page videos sure slow things down, it took just over 90 minutes to open the front page.

The way to tell aftermarket rocker arms from OEM is by looking at the contact pad. The edges are rounded on the OEM, sharper and more square on the aftermarket.

Causes of failure are nearly always the same. Either lack of oil, or something like a poor mating surface allows the metal contact pad to breach the oil film.

Debris or silicone, RTV can plug the underside rocker oiling hole, if that happens she is going to fail. There may be lots of oil up there, just in the wrong place.

A mismatched surface, like a worn rocker on a new cam lobe can cause metal to metal contact. The resulting friction builds heat very rapidly, the aluminum arm will discolor, the oil locally vaporizes and the situation gets worse. All it takes is a few miles in upset conditions.

The factory type arms will take more upset than the much cheaper aftermarket ones, but they will also fail if given enough abuse. We have refaced thousands of them now with nearly no problems, I am to the point of being stubborn about wanting to reuse the factory arms or new OEM pieces.

My opinion of course, but they are just tougher, hard to wear out.

***

Here is a tip we use to get the cam and towers off when we don't want to pull the head.

*Use a couple of tiedown straps, snug the head down. That holds it securely in place while you remove the bolts so the head doesn't get disturbed, often it takes some tapping back and forth to get the rocker towers off....Easy to do, too....*EB

 

I rebuilt my 22re and the only part i re-used was the cam and rocker assembly and now i have to listen to a bad rocker shaft. I have been told i wouldnt be able to do the rocker and cam without removing the head. would you just slip the strap under the cam, say front and back, through the efi and header around the motor? I cant picture the strap.

 

Use 2 straps one on each side so you dont have to try and wrap it. Make sure you dont tighten the straps to much, just tight enough to hold the head on the gasket.