Ok so I have an 87 mustang gt with a 351W bored0.30 over with steel heads.2weeks ago when i changed my valve cover gaskets i noticed my rockers were loose.This is an obvious sign that something needs to be done correct?Is there a way to prevent this from happening?Is it hard to adjust rockers?Ive never done it before and i wouldnt want to make any mistakes so if Anyone has any suggestions or knows the proper way of setting them correctly to prevent movement please let me know.
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1987 Mustang Gt,Primer Black: 4 inch Ram Air Hood,351W bored 0.30 over,Holley 750 double pumper with 50cc accelerator pumps,Edelbrock victor jr intake port matched to Dart cylinder heads,Crane cam 630 lift,Accel ignition,msd coil,Msd 6AL box,Underdrive Pullies,Bbk long tube Headers,Flowmasters with dumps,Zex wet kit 125 shot,Full set of Autometer Gauges:Fuel level,Water temp,Volts,Oil,Air/Fuel,Vacumn/Boost, Subframe Connectors,Aluminum Driveshaft,Rollcage,Weld Draglites 5.5 Fronts 10.5 Rears
There has to be some play in the rocker arms so the valve train doesn't bind up through the powerband. Do you hear any ticking when the car is idling?
How are the rockers attached? Are they attached with a stud and nut or a hex head bolt? The hex head bolt type I don't believe are adjustable, at least not easily. the nut and stud type are adjustable.
If they are adjustable, pull off the valve covers, cover the inside of the fenders with rags or towels. When you start the car, you will get some oil slinging off the rockers as they work. This will get much messier if you rev the engine during this stage. Listen for any ticking noise. You should her very very little or none at all. If you do, take a piece of 5/16 hose and put one end to each rocker and the other to your ear and listen to each arm for ticking. Note which ones are ticking loudest and tighten each ticking one 1/8 of a turn and retest. Remember which ones you adjust and note how the engine is running. If it gets rough after an adjustment, back off your adjustments, you may have a different problem, like a sticking lifter.
Hope this helps. If you don't hear any unusual ticking and the car is running well, don't adjust anything. Be VERY careful doing this and don't take shortcuts. Take a lot of time and think and rethink your steps. You are new to this and instinct takes years to build. You don't want to launch a push rod through your hood or fuse a valve to a piston. Take care of that Windsor!
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1988 LX 2.3NA Cammed (@.050 duration .201/210 Lobe center angle @ 112 degrees Lift is .400/.406) 1.89/1.59 cheater valves, 30degree keepers, HD valve springs. 3" exhaust pipe intake. 5-speed MT.
1966 Notchback (in storage slowly rotting away) 289 cid factory original. Begging to be restored.
I bought this 351 rite off a guy on the corral mustang website.I have pictures of it in my car and i have a video of it in his car.Here are the Specs of my engine:
351 Windsor small block ford engine.
Has over 500 horsepower! Its internally balanced and blue printed...Here 's the engine contents:
70 Model 351w Block with extensive machine work
Steel crank thats been significantly lightened and knife edged
J & E forged flat top pistons (.030 over)
Eagle forged I beam rods
Stud girdle
Dart sportsman pro series heads(have lots of machine work
FMS roller rockers
630 lift Crane custom camshaft Edelbrock Victor Jr High rise intake thats port matched to the heads
Race prepped holley 750 dp with 50cc accelerator pumps
Aluminum valve covers with custom flames
Professional Products 0 balance damper and flywheel
ARP bolts throughout!
High flow racing water pump
CV aluminum race pulleys
This engine was built by Wildman racing engines in Oneida Tennessee....This guy builds 50k roush type engines...so you could say he's a professional....He's almost 60 and he's been racing ever since he was a teenager....Engine is still fresh only has about 25 passes on it...The engine is currently in an 88GT mustang that weighs 3100lbs..and with this engine it runs 7.20's with a crappy torque converter....And thats no transbrake...just footbraking it..and this car only footbrakes 2k rpm before it starts breaking loose....With a transbrake this engine would easily turn 6.80's in the 1/8 mile...in the car its in now.....cost over 12k to build...machine work is very expensive and those nickels and dimes add up quick.....Plus the best part of all this is that this engine runs on pump gas and you can drive it anywhere....stays very cool...never gets over 180 to 190...with a small electric fan
Ok so I have an 87 mustang gt with a 351W bored0.30 over with steel heads.2weeks ago when i changed my valve cover gaskets i noticed my rockers were loose.This is an obvious sign that something needs to be done correct?Is there a way to prevent this from happening?Is it hard to adjust rockers?Ive never done it before and i wouldnt want to make any mistakes so if Anyone has any suggestions or knows the proper way of setting them correctly to prevent movement please let me know.
Well, since you were not exactly forthcoming with the entire specs of the engine, I guess you could say it was a little misleading. Sounds like you really have a racer that is NOT street legal, and yes, you should have just a little chop to it, HA!~. No, I do not recommend messing with it at all, and actually it is going to be really difficult to see if you have a problem with the car unless you are an experienced race engine builder. If you think you have a problem, I highly recommend you go back to the pro who built your engine.
Hope this helps, and it would be nice to divulge ALL the information before asking for advice.
Pony on~
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1988 LX 2.3NA Cammed (@.050 duration .201/210 Lobe center angle @ 112 degrees Lift is .400/.406) 1.89/1.59 cheater valves, 30degree keepers, HD valve springs. 3" exhaust pipe intake. 5-speed MT.
1966 Notchback (in storage slowly rotting away) 289 cid factory original. Begging to be restored.
rockers need adjustment... 
