When I'm torquing down the rockers, some are going to be lower/higher than others, due to the cam, right? If not, what do I need to do before I #$%@ something up?

 

When you do the first cylinder, have it at TDC so you can check the lifter preload. If that one is within limits, all the rest will be too so it doesn't mater where the valves are. Once you have all the rockers torqued, spin the engine over about four times and re-torque the rockers. Before you put the rocker bolts in, clean their heads with carb cleaner and put locktite on the contact surface of the heads, but leave the threads alone. Also, I would torque them to 25 ft-lbs rather than 22. If one of those comes loose, it will ruin your day!

 

Thanks for the tip!

 

Is there a way to make sure it's at TDC without removing the water pump, timing chain cover, etc.....?

 

Yes, there are several methods of finding TDC, here's the way I like to do it:

Rotate the crank clockwise until you see the exhaust valve open then close, and imediately after that the intake will start to open; stop here. This will be easy to recognize because if you barely turn the crank either way, either the exhaust or intake will try to open, so just put the crank in the middle where they are both closed. This is TDC for this cylinder. There is another TDC also, but this one is much easier to recognize. If you do it this way you will have no need for air or taking plugs out, so you save that much more work. You will then compress the spring about 3/8 inch and the valve will hit the piston and pop the keepers loose . . . do not pop them loose any other way! If they don't pop loose when the valve goes down, you know you screwed up and didn't get the piston at TDC to start with. So go back and do that, then try again.

 

its kind of hard to find TDC without having the timing chain cover off (so you can see the dots on the cam sprocket)....

you can use the "exhaust opening, intake closing" trick to adjust/torque the rockers....its done one cylinder at a time....

you turn the engine over watching the exhaust valve....when it start to open, adjust that cylinders intake intake rocker (install and torque it)....

then....

keep turning the engine over now watching the intake valve....just as the intake valve is just about the close, adjust/torque down that cylinders exhaust rocker....

 

One more newbie question. How do you turn the crank without turning the engine over with the key?

 

15/16 deep socket on the crank bolt.....

 

Thanks alot Chris. I really appreciate your assistance.