Should my rocker arms wiggle?

[74bigblock]

I've got the valve cover off the passenger side. Everything looks fine. The rocker arms do wiggle from side to side very slightly. Is this normal?

 

[Ken]

"... wiggle from side to side very slightly." :L

The only way you're gonna be sure now is to use a gauge on 'em, in other words - adjust your valves.

Seriously, you are running hydraulics, right? Or are you running solid lifters? With hydraulic lifters, here is normally a little movement on a cold engine with the lifters bled down; which they'll do after sitting awhile.

Solid lifters are normally adjusted warm with no lash.

 

[74bigblock]

Thanks Ken... no solid lifters here... they are Hyd roller rockers, and she has been sitting for 24hrs... so a little wiggle is ok. That's what it is... just a litle wiggle. I think I'm fine. Everything else looked good.

 

[Vettefan87]

Well if you put some tape on em they will be okay!

 

[74bigblock]

Wiggle it.... just a little bit! :W :dance :naughty:

 

[Ken]

Had a friend a while back who told me that he once was lying on the bed with his wife and kid, with her on her stomach (no wisecracks! :L), when his kid pokes her in the ass and mimics the Jell-O commercial of the time and says, "Watch It Wiggle!"

My friend thought it was funny and he laughed. She didn't think it was so funny.

He got in trouble for something his kid did. :L

 

[Jack]

Older OE-type shoe rockers (NON roller rocker) have a large footprint so there's plenty of room to slide front-to-back & wiggle side-to-side on valve tip. Conversely, roller rockers have a much smaller contact area on valve tip. Pushrod guide plates installed under rocker arm studs can reduce the wiggle ... raised guide plates tend to reduce the wiggle more than flat plates ... but raised plates can interfere with pushrod cup if lift is very large. There are newer OE and aftermarket rockers (both shoe and roller) that are self-aligning (aka rail-type) and eliminate most needs for guide plates. So long as valve tip contact is OK, then a little wiggle is OK ... but every bit of wiggle translates into less lift.
JACK:gap

 

[74bigblock]

Thanks Jack, that was a great explanation!


I've got aftermarket Roller Rockers... I dunno what make or model. They have guide plates and they just wiggle a little bit. They all make good contact, so with all the input.. I think I'm fine.

Thanks!
Dave