slowpokez28

I got my durango back together. Runs good for about 10 mins then starts running like dog doo-doo..The rocker arm set bolts start comming out..If i over torque beyond specs they stay put.But the damn thing sounds like the engine is under heavy heavy load(engine is laboring).. Now keep in mind i have never worked on a engine with Hydralic lifters or that style of rocker arms..

Rottluver

iTrader: (3)

Hmmm, apparently no one here, myself included, has brains..........interesting.

97BlackT\A

Yeah, I accidently clicked in here before I saw the "brains" requirement.

Despite that fact, seems pretty darn strange to me, but I've never looked under the valve covers of a current Dodge. Tiz a puzzle I wish I had da brains ter solv.

Rottluver

iTrader: (3)

Yeah I was out with the brains requirement..........plus it's a Dodge and the only thing I know to do with those is push em off the road.

WAHUSKER

iTrader: (4)

Doesn't sound good. What did they do to your rig?

Hydraulics like a certian preload to keep the lifter in it's sweet spot, where there is oil to comopress & keep the same pressure on the cam & valve, so everything is in contact all the time. If yours are working loose, IMO they put the wrong prats on. The only thing I've ever seen work those loose is slack, meanning too much gap so it's banging parts & coming loose.

Now it COULD have a cracked block / head & be losing oil pressure when it gets warm & then the same scenario happens because the lifters collapse. I have seen that happen too. Again, what did they do to the car?

slowpokez28

Umm no anyone with more brains then me so rott that leaves you out LOL and a stick has more brains then i do.Dont make this thread get personal

slowpokez28

Ok It was overheated to +300 degress blew the head gaskets..I took it apart had the heads resurfaced and all that fun stuff that is required when changing head gasket all new gasket in the upper intake part.the only thing i can think of that i did not do was change out the lifters and push rods.
This the second time the heads have been off...the first time was before i purchased vehicle when i took the drivers side head off i removed last bolt and head just slide off block..the things that hold the head on were gone.

So shall i try to adjust rocker arms while vehicle running to find sweet spot.Just confused what to do next

strobelite

Coming from a guy that knows nothing about these types of vehicles but are you supposed to torque down your rocker arms?? In the LT1 based vehicles i know you do not do that, but the LS1 based vehicles you can

slowpokez28

the dealer said 12-18 pounds max

WAHUSKER

iTrader: (4)

Weeeellllllll, with regular hyd lifters you adjust them with the car running. For racing the preffered method is up until they make noise then down just until they quit & then down another 1/8 to 1/4 turn. For regular driving it's down until the motor bogs & then up until it runs OK again. On an LS1 you just torque them to 22ft lbs & you're done. Not sure what a Durango requires, so I can't help you there.

slowpokez28

thank you i will try that worth a shot.

TwoFast4Lv

iTrader: (8)

You need to shim the rockers how ever much they cut the heads. WHo ever cut them should have sold you shims I would start with the .030 shim on each pedastol

For referance he has a setup simular to a STOCK LS1

slowpokez28

well now that explains alot.....why i just had it running good once again...and bingo the damn things loosened up again.. ok now where do these shims go. And since my valve are simular to ls1 i knew there was a reason i would not touch the ls1.

slowpokez28

Thanks to mark and ellis's great advice the truck is running good not perfect one cylinder is giving me hell.I hope i did not trash the lifter or valves or worse.The cylinder that is giving me grief is the one the push rods came completly out of before i caught what was going on. Any more tips i will certainly try them.Thanks again

WAHUSKER

iTrader: (4)

The pushrods came ALL the way out while the engine was running? BAD!

Are you sure you got them back into the lifter cradles correctly? Check it again. Take the rockers off, pull the pushrods out & roll them across a flat surface to make sure they aren't bent. Then stick them back in & wiggle & spin them around until they feels right. They should fall into the little cup & spin smoothly. Then tighten em back down.

If it still gives you problems, then I would guess you might have damaged the top of them. Sorry!

Nate_Taufer

iTrader: (1)

I would also put some sort of thread sealer on and let it do its magic.

Nate

slowpokez28

Yes mark the push rods came out all the way..

The .030 spacers worked good

I rolled the push rods on a flat surface they looked good.Took the rockers off inspected them look good.Took injectors out tested looked good. Spark plugs not fouled. The cylinder is still not firing correct Ran compression on all cylinders 110-112 except the one that is giving me grief it hit at 125 not sure what to make of that.

All and all the truck runs better angi should be happy with it.I guess it will work. I won't let it rest i will work on it till it runs perfect.