PatriYacht

I've been playing with big blocks for 30 years and I've never seen a broken guide plate either. Did you find the pieces? It's hard to believe a pushrod can cause that kind of damage without bending or breaking. Are your rockers hitting valve spring retainers by any chance? Could you post more pictures?

Breathe Later

Kirk,

Check the pivot on the rockers to make sure the spherical face is towards the head and the flat face is towards the adjusting nut. I believe the correct pushrod length for your Gen VI motor when changing to the adjustable valve train are 7.55" ex and 8.55" intake (could be the other way, but those are the right lengths). If the spherical side was towards the adj. nut or the pushrod lengths wrong, your rocker geometry would be off causing all sorts of side loads on the valve stem. Ring me tonight with the news from your head doctor.

Mark

SummerObsession

That is a strange looking pic! I have never seen rockers running like that! I know if it were me, I would replace the guides, valves rockers and everything. Running as long as you stated with that kind of side load could weaken some parts in a hurry! I would use the Jesel sportsman rockers and guides. They have tons of experience is 9800 RPM big blocks where geometry is absolutely critical.
I would gues the tips and bearings in your rockers are trashed.

Offshore Addiction

I just ran into and issue with a guide plate problem,had to extend the pushrod length to solve these issues,all due to lifter change.....crane to comp cam! problems were all found and solved during adjustment....actually had to lengthen pushrods .225 to get the stems up past the guide plates or would have run into that exact problem!!!!these were manley hardened 3/8 w 3/8 guides and the bevel on the pushrod was in the guide plate when the valves were closed!have also seen that problem when the stud size on the guide plate hole was bigger than the stud,allowed the guide plate to mount crooked!leaving the exact problem that I can see in your photo....rockers being alighned off center to the valve stem!

PatriYacht

Changing cams, lifters, valve springs can all affect pushrod length. There is no set pushrod length when you use aftermarket stuff. Usually, if you use one company's stuff, they size everything. But if you buy a cam from one company and valve springs and retainers from another, you may need custom length pushrods. The key is to center the tip of the roller on the valve without coming into contact withanything else. In extreme cases you may have to grind clearence in the rocker.

Breathe Later

What I do to check the pushrod length is use a magic marker or Dykem blue to mark the valve stem. Then get the cam for the valve you're working with on it's base circle. Place the rocker on the stud and wiggle it slightly. The horizontal line left on the valve stem should be on the inboard (towards the intake) third of the valve tip. If the mark is in the middle, or toward the outboard side, the pushrod is too long. Because of the rocker geometry, the rocker tip will travel across the center of the valve stem as the valve opens with the proper length pushrods.

Mark S.

Elite Marine

My push rods are 7.5" and 8.5". My Lifters are the aftermarket roller, horizontal bar by Federal Mogal(now out of business)

I did ruin (3) rockers. The heads are being inspected. I would anticipate several new valves, all new guides and then reassembly.

I will then inspect the valve train with the procedure described by Mark above. I trust nobody anymore!!

Just because is says machine or speed shop above the door, it doesn't mean it is one!

20.9 hours on the engine.

KAAMA

I have Dart aluminum heads and use the Comp Cams pushrod guide plates.

BTW, The Iron Eagle cast iron heads have had A LOT of core shift issues. Talk to Jack/Budah he can tell you all about it! "Doug" (Pure Adreniline) here on OSO had major issues with those heads about a month ago and Jack/Budah fixed him up. Also, check to make sure the pushrods aren't hitting the sides of the holes in head castings.

Elite Marine

Should I look into a shaft mounted set up? What would cause (3) to come off like that?

Here's what I'm considering:

http://www.jesel.com/

bob

Pantera24-650/ have been running the Jesel Competition Series with no problems. But as Breathe Later stated, you really have to pay attention to the geometry when you setup as you have you have less adjustment available with the Jesel.