My rocker cover blew up.

[Tunnelwedge]

I was testing my new fans and Air Fuel Gauge and the engine started making some noise (unusual noise) and then started smoking a lot.
I was very close to the garage so I got it home.
It looks like I have to take cover off the engine and see what happened.
Something with the rockers most likely.
Engine runs and oil pressure is good.
The fans work great. I also found out my temperature gauge is way off.
The Air Fuel Gauge is interesting. It goes up and down with the gas pedal.
Gas pedal goes down afg goes up then the engine speed starts to increase and the reading goes down.
Gas pedal goes up afg goes down on deceleration.
Steady speed it hovers around 12.5 to 13.

[blykins]

Did it kick the pushrod out?

[Tunnelwedge]

So I broke a Sig rocker shaft.
To be fair I have used these rockers for close to 20 years on a 428 then on this 427.
Both solid cams. I paid $600 for them new from Erson. They were expensive then.
I got some good Air Fuel data though before the failure.
Not really sure what to do with the AFG data. Go leaner? How much?
Air temp was 15*c or 59*f.
I think once I get the rockers fixed I will adjust the distributor first and see what happens.
It is an interesting tool that I can use now. I recommend one.
The $59 Amazon fans appear to be working. Holding 200* coming off the highway and idling for about 10 minutes. I felt I had to get going home. Sure enough, I needed to get the car home.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xalps9ETqQc

[Barry_R]

I've done that on dyno. 
Many years ago, when testing on a very, very early set of BT heads - before the T&D rockers were available. 
Pretty serious solid roller.
Broke shafts on both sides at around 6500 RPM or so...
Made a pretty good mess...

[6667fan]

That steady speed A/F is fine Howie. If you are under light load cruising it could be a little leaner too.  You’ll get to tune more after that mess gets cleaned up. Some of those upstream adjusters look mangled. Is that just the camera?
You have some spare Erson parts?

[Heo]

Not happened that way but. Back when we had a carclub
There was a junkie that had a  72ich LTD stationwagon.
Thought he was cool running around with a rodnock
He left his junk car outside our club in the winter, not a
member so we told him to haul it away.
One night when i came to the club, he and his junkie friend
where there trying to start it in -25 centigrades.
When i walked past i heard the starter strugling to crank it
and the hiss of they spraying starter fluid, a lot of starterfluid
When KABOOOM and a big fireball lit up the winternight,
 and something swished past me in the darknes.
They blew the driverside valvecover of the head 
and there was scrapnells allover from what used to be the carb

[fryedaddy]

when i was a teen my dad had 11 56 fords in his junkyard.he gave me one that was peach and white with a black diamond plete interior. 352 3 in the floor.it had a big holley carb on it that i had rebuilt.when i put the carb on and tried to fire it up it backfired and blew one of the valve covers off,blew the oil fill cap over the hill and it shot the oil dipstick up through the trees.i gave up on that project,but i never gave up on FEs.next car was an old mooshine runner 63 1/2 galaxy with a solid lift 390 in it.

[winr1]

Tunnelwedge ... are you the same Howie that sold me a 9" 3rd member with an Auburn cone style LSD ??

3.75 ratio ??


Ricky.

[Tunnelwedge]

Tunnelwedge ... are you the same Howie that sold me a 9" 3rd member with an Auburn cone style LSD ??

3.75 ratio ??


Ricky.

I am Howie from Nova Scotia. I did not sell you a 3rd member though. I hope this other Howie did you good though.

[Tunnelwedge]

That steady speed A/F is fine Howie. If you are under light load cruising it could be a little leaner too.  You’ll get to tune more after that mess gets cleaned up. Some of those upstream adjusters look mangled. Is that just the camera?
You have some spare Erson parts?

I have not done a real close inspection yet. I will retire the rockers now. I have no parts.
I looked at some rocker options, I don't think $600 will do it this time.

[machoneman]

when i was a teen my dad had 11 56 fords in his junkyard.he gave me one that was peach and white with a black diamond plete interior. 352 3 in the floor.it had a big holley carb on it that i had rebuilt.when i put the carb on and tried to fire it up it backfired and blew one of the valve covers off,blew the oil fill cap over the hill and it shot the oil dipstick up through the trees.i gave up on that project,but i never gave up on FEs.next car was an old mooshine runner 63 1/2 galaxy with a solid lift 390 in it.

Was on a date long ago when we went to the car (old, hi-mileage '64 Pontiac Bonneville, 389) on a cold night. Went to crank it and no start. Kept hitting the gas and Ka-Boom! Blew the muffler right off the car! Was dangling by the rearmost tail pipe. Turns out, after a tow and teardown, the nylon tipped cam gear shredded itself! 

[DuckRyder]

Man - ouch... 

[6667fan]

Howie, what’s needed there? Obviously a rocker arm and a shaft. Is the stand okay?

[6667fan]

I have some arms. The needle bearing assemblies are frozen from being in a humid environment. I have them soaking, could be freed up possibly

[winr1]

Thank you Tunnelwedge ....... was a while back, could not contact him as he showed up as guest

3rd member was supposed to be redone by a shop he knew, said it worked great in his car, he went with a locker I believe

Lasted around 10 miles before howling if you let off gas, limped it home in low gear less than a mile from home

The pinion gear could be pulled in and out and up and down with driveshaft attached

My apologies for hi jacking your thread and hope you get your valve train sorted out


Ricky.