Disassembling rocker sets

Discussion of the 331-354-392 HEMIs.

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NE57
Posts: 192
Joined: Fri Mar 27, 2009 12:54 pm

Disassembling rocker sets

Post by NE57 »

Ok there's a couple of pins holding the shafts to the end stands. Looks like the top side has been peened over. To take this apart I just grind off the mushroom head and drive the remainder of the pin downward??? Looking at the bottom side of the pin it appears like there's no head, is it stepped inside the bore or something? Ok to just drive the pin down? Or is there another way?

I have four rocker assemblies. Three came apart w/o much grief(excepting the final stand removal). The fourth is so heavily caked with grunge and most of the rockers are frozen or have just a tiny amount of movement. Since I'm most likely to go with replacing the shafts and bushing the rockers...is it ok to get 'aggressive' about taking the old set apart? I thought I might boil it in lye(yeah I know danger city but I've worked out a safe way of doing that) then after soaking in solvent or penetrant, use a soft mallet to whack them off the shafts. Sound Ok???

Thanks much
DblAdigger
Posts: 86
Joined: Mon Feb 02, 2004 1:40 pm
Location: SoCal

Re: Disassembling rocker sets

Post by DblAdigger »

The pins are tapered. Drive them out from the bottom. I soak the shaft assembly's in my solvent tank, for a few days, pretty easy after that.
Chuck Stevens
Some people can break a cannon ball, in a sand box, with their bare hands.
NE57
Posts: 192
Joined: Fri Mar 27, 2009 12:54 pm

Re: Disassembling rocker sets

Post by NE57 »

Thanks DblAdigger, I try that.
NE57
Posts: 192
Joined: Fri Mar 27, 2009 12:54 pm

Re: Disassembling rocker sets

Post by NE57 »

Well, that was easier than it looked. Next question, are the tapered pins reuseable? I don't recall ever seeing pins listed in hemi suppliers' catalogs so if they need replacement where do I look?

Next again question...so far out of twenty stands I've found two broken. That suggests to me that magging and shot peening is absolutley required. Maybe I missed it but I don't recall reading anything in the books about this. Do people do this as a routine?

One more...looks like cast iron for the stands, but what are the rockers, iron or steel? It looks like they have a denser structure so I'll guess cast steel, but if I had any answers I wouldn't be here :lol:
mart
Posts: 536
Joined: Tue Mar 22, 2005 2:06 pm

Re: Disassembling rocker sets

Post by mart »

NE57 wrote: One more...looks like cast iron for the stands, but what are the rockers, iron or steel? It looks like they have a denser structure so I'll guess cast steel, but if I had any answers I wouldn't be here :lol:
-------------------------------------------
I beleive the rockers are cast ductile iron and heat
treated for hardness.
mart
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DblAdigger
Posts: 86
Joined: Mon Feb 02, 2004 1:40 pm
Location: SoCal

Re: Disassembling rocker sets

Post by DblAdigger »

We MAG all the stands the come thru the shop. After MAG, I paint the good ones gloss white...that makes it easy to spot a crack, if one starts. Good use for a couple of cracked stands and some rockers is to make up a test setup. 2 stands, 1 old shaft cut in half, 2 intake and 2 exhaust rockers & 2 locator springs, stick of 5/16 redibolt, some washers and nuts, 2 long & 2 short head bolts 4 1/2 washers and 4 1/2 NC nuts. Assemble stands onto a head. Slide 2 intake rockers onto one shaft, 2 exhaust rockers on the other...with springs between the rockers. use redibolt, washers & nuts to hold shafts on place. Useful for checking pushrod length and wear patterns. Yes, pins are re usable.
Chuck Stevens
Some people can break a cannon ball, in a sand box, with their bare hands.
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