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Why - Rockers hit retainers!

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Old Feb 2, 2008 | 06:09 PM
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Default Why - Rockers hit retainers!

Stock rockers, 918 springs / retainers ... Valve lapping done on heads and about 1-2 thousandths of an inch were cleaned off the top of the valve stems...

Why are they hitting? Is this normal at all? Should I just use lash caps? If so, then will 5/16 caps fit the 8mm stems being that the 5/16 cap would be 1 10 thousandths of an inch larger? (The 8mm caps seem to be around $120 and the 5/16ths are $40 and local) ...

What is the right thing to do here? I've been having a valve float related issue forever.. first I changed the springs, then the lifters, and now my retainers are hitting the rockers!

I shimmed the rockers up 60 thousandths today and the problem still persists.
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Old Feb 2, 2008 | 06:45 PM
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The 918s are the same as the stock springs, so they shouldn't be hitting the rockers. What retainers, keepers, and pushrod length are you running? Also, who resurfaced the valve tips?
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Old Feb 2, 2008 | 06:49 PM
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How hard would it be to get a picture, close up, so we can see how everything looks.
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Old Feb 2, 2008 | 07:13 PM
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Originally Posted by 5.3LJimmy
The 918s are the same as the stock springs, so they shouldn't be hitting the rockers. What retainers, keepers, and pushrod length are you running? Also, who resurfaced the valve tips?

They are comp retainers for the 918s... stock keepers, stock pushrods.

Patriot 226 camshaft (20 thousandths off base circle), and heads milled 20 thousandths (measuered with micrometer compared to stock heads to verify).

Originally Posted by LS1MCSS
How hard would it be to get a picture, close up, so we can see how everything looks.
Just a matter of me pulling the valve cover, not really a big deal, I may be able to get to that tomorrow.
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Old Feb 2, 2008 | 07:49 PM
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That's odd. Are they actually stock pushrods or did you mean stock length hardened pushrods? It would also help if you could pull one of the springs off and measure the installed height with the Comp retainer and a then stock one. Maybe they are offset retainers and they are just coming up too high on the keeper.
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Old Feb 2, 2008 | 08:57 PM
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Originally Posted by 5.3LJimmy
That's odd. Are they actually stock pushrods or did you mean stock length hardened pushrods? It would also help if you could pull one of the springs off and measure the installed height with the Comp retainer and a then stock one. Maybe they are offset retainers and they are just coming up too high on the keeper.
Actual stock pushrods out of a 2002 ls1 (mine is 98) .. I believe they are 7.38 stock length?

Wouldn't you be able to tell if it was offset just by looking at it? What is an offset retainer?

I'd hate very much to take the springs off, again.
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Old Feb 3, 2008 | 07:08 AM
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Is the wipe pattern correct?
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Old Feb 3, 2008 | 07:14 AM
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Originally Posted by vettenuts
Is the wipe pattern correct?
Yes I did the wipe pattern check before I ever noticed the retainers were hitting and it was centered.
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Old Feb 3, 2008 | 04:56 PM
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I'm clueless here guys.. what could have happened? What can I do to fix it?
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Old Feb 3, 2008 | 05:04 PM
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I am really surprised on a beehive, a double spring with the larger retainer I could understand. I checked my Yella Terra's on my new AFR heads with the 8019 double spring and I have a ton of clearance. Have you considered YT's?
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Old Feb 3, 2008 | 09:30 PM
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Originally Posted by vettenuts
I am really surprised on a beehive, a double spring with the larger retainer I could understand. I checked my Yella Terra's on my new AFR heads with the 8019 double spring and I have a ton of clearance. Have you considered YT's?

There's obviously a problem with my valvetrain ... I've found 1 thread here on ls1 tech with a simlar problem, however, shimming fixed their problem, mine is obviously more severe for whatever reason. People use stock rocers with 918's allllll the time, I need to know why it's not working for me.
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Old Feb 3, 2008 | 09:59 PM
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maybe try a pushrod length checker... but you did check the wipe pattern, so I dunno man that's kinda wierd...
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Old Feb 3, 2008 | 11:44 PM
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pull a rocker off and look at the long tray thing that the rocker sets in. It's aluminum piece about the length of the heads. Maybe it's wore really bad letting the rockers set down more in the head. The only way I can think it would hit the retainer is if the rocker was setting lower than normal
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Old Feb 4, 2008 | 04:47 AM
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Have the heads been re-worked? Other reasons may be seat cut deeper so stem is higher or replacement valves with longer stem.
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Old Feb 4, 2008 | 07:24 AM
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Originally Posted by vettenuts
Have the heads been re-worked? Other reasons may be seat cut deeper so stem is higher or replacement valves with longer stem.
I ported the heads, stock valve's.. if the stems were longer then it wouldn't be hitting the retainers.

Also, I had the rocker tray off the other day to add shims under it (tried 30 thousandths, then 60 thousandths), it didn't look to be bent/worn what so ever.

I have a pushrod length checker, but this obviously can't be the problem, my preload was 1 1/4 turns prior to adding the shims, and now it's about a 1/2 turn so it's making a lot of noise because the pushrods are likely too short now.

I think I'm going to add lash caps and pray this solves my problem, but next maybe an aftermarket set of roller rockers? I wish if I was gonna drop $4-500 on some rockers I'd know that this would solve my problem!

Thanks for the replies guys, keep them coming!!!
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Old Feb 4, 2008 | 09:12 AM
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By offset I meant that the hole in the center of the retainer is cut deeper to allow more installed height. This would allow the retainer to come up higher on the valve stem bringing it closer to the rocker. I guess you could try to measure the clearance between the valve tip and retainer(straight edge and feeler gauges ought to do the trick), then compare it to a stock setup. I would also highly recommend using aftermarket pushrods with the 918's, because the added tension of the spring will cause the stockers to flex.
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Old Feb 4, 2008 | 11:03 AM
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From: Little Rhody
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Originally Posted by 1Bad00SS
I ported the heads, stock valve's.. if the stems were longer then it wouldn't be hitting the retainers.
Actually, if the valves were longer or sitting higher, the retainer also sits higher and will get closer to the rocker. Maybe I mis-understand where the contact is occurring, is it under the rocker at the outer diameter of the retainer?
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Old Feb 4, 2008 | 06:37 PM
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Originally Posted by vettenuts
Actually, if the valves were longer or sitting higher, the retainer also sits higher and will get closer to the rocker. Maybe I mis-understand where the contact is occurring, is it under the rocker at the outer diameter of the retainer?
It's hitting the inside edge of the retainer when the valve is completely closed.
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Old Feb 4, 2008 | 06:38 PM
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Originally Posted by 5.3LJimmy
By offset I meant that the hole in the center of the retainer is cut deeper to allow more installed height. This would allow the retainer to come up higher on the valve stem bringing it closer to the rocker. I guess you could try to measure the clearance between the valve tip and retainer(straight edge and feeler gauges ought to do the trick), then compare it to a stock setup. I would also highly recommend using aftermarket pushrods with the 918's, because the added tension of the spring will cause the stockers to flex.
I also do intend on getting a set of pushrods once I find out exactly how long of a pushrod I need after this is all fixed.
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Old Feb 4, 2008 | 07:01 PM
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From: Little Rhody
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Any chance you could shoot a photo?

Dumb question, but have to ask as someone did it before. The aluminum rocker rails are under the rocker?
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