Greetings all. My 1967 Olds Delta 88 has a 425 engine. It has hydraulic lifters. My rocker arms have been coming loose after after 30 - 40 minutes of running. They will come off of the push rods. If I tighten down on the bolts, holding the rocker arms to the head I cannot turn the push rod. However, this does stop the rockers coming loose. Will it hurt the valves if I tighten the bolts tight enough so that they don't come loose. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

We need to know if you have a stock or an aftermarket rocker arm setup.
Let us know what you have. If you don't know, take a picture of your cylinder heads that shows the rocker arms so people know what type you are dealing with.

If this is a stock non adjustable factory rocker arm setup the rocker arm bolts should be torqued to 25 foot pounds.

 

Thanks so much for your reply. This is an original stock engine. I had previously torqued the bolts to 25 ft/lbs but I could not twist the push rods. However, the rockers did not come loose. I go back to the 25lb torque. Thanks again.

 

Tighten each rocker bridge slowly, working back and forth between each bolt on a single bridge. Make sure bridge goes down "squarely" so you don't put any type of side load on the bridge. Once a bridge is fully snug on the head (both sides), torque to the final 25 ft lbs. Then move onto the next rocker bridge.

 

will do. Thanks again and take care.

 

Are the rocker arm bolts actually loosening or is something else happening that is allowing the pushrods to get loose ? When you check them can you actually turn the bolts and tighten them more ?

Do you have an oil pressure gauge in the car ?

 

Hi Bill, and thanks for your reply. The bolts were coming loose and the rocker arms would fall off the valves. I tightened to 25 lb. torque and all is good.