solid flat tappet valve lash

[bentvalves]

when the rocker arms "float" on a common shaft that is bolted down into the head, how does one go about achieving a valve clearance?

there are no rocker studs to set the height of the rocker arm.

this older junk is harder to work on than the modern stuff regularly coming through my door

should I suggest to the customer that he return the solid lifters he showed up with and go with a nice trouble free hydraulic set?

[PackardV8]

Aftermarket adjustable rockers or adjustable pushrods.

What engine?

[bentvalves]

1972 440" Mopar.

[PackardV8]

Plenty of aftermarket adjustable rocker arms. If it's a street engine, look for those which do not have a roller tip.

[PRH]

If you’re working on a 440 Mopar that has the original rockers and pushrods, along with some hyd cam....... and you want to install a solid lifter cam, and assuming that all the other items that go along with upgrading to a HP cam have already been addressed....... you’ll need a set of adjustable rockers and different pushrods.
The pushrod cup is at a different height between the hyd and solid lifters.

should I suggest to the customer that he return the solid lifters he showed up with and go with a nice trouble free hydraulic set?

It should go without saying, but....... the type of lifters used should match what the cam is designed to use. Hyd cam = hyd lifters......solid cam = solid lifters.

As for the non-roller tip adjustable rockers....... I think you’re going to find those are no longer available new from the sources that offered them previously(Isky, Crane, Mopar).

Some adjustable rockers will use a ball/ball pushrod, while others will use a ball/cup type.

[Walter R. Malik]

when the rocker arms "float" on a common shaft that is bolted down into the head, how does one go about achieving a valve clearance?

there are no rocker studs to set the height of the rocker arm.

this older junk is harder to work on than the modern stuff regularly coming through my door

should I suggest to the customer that he return the solid lifters he showed up with and go with a nice trouble free hydraulic set?

In older times, the valve lash on a Cammer Ford and other like engines was set by using different thickness lash caps.

[PackardV8]

In older times, the valve lash on a Cammer Ford and other like engines was set by using different thickness lash caps.

Then there are those which used shim discs under the bucket OHC tappet. You measured the existing clearance, pulled the cam, measured the disc in there, did the math and chose the disc which would put it where it needed to be and reinstalled the cam. In the bad old days of leaded fuel, the valve clearance wouldn't need to be adjusted more than every 50,000 miles.

[cjperformance]

Im doubting its a really serious solid cam if he isn't going fancy roller rockers etc. (Do you know cam spec?)
You could simply go for adjusable pushrods to keep it simple and use what he has.
Or, if the little extra lift and effective duration etc is no issue just put hydro lifters in the solid cam.
Or its adjustable rockers and or different cam and lifters.

[ProPower engines]

when the rocker arms "float" on a common shaft that is bolted down into the head, how does one go about achieving a valve clearance?

there are no rocker studs to set the height of the rocker arm.

this older junk is harder to work on than the modern stuff regularly coming through my door

should I suggest to the customer that he return the solid lifters he showed up with and go with a nice trouble free hydraulic set?

The modern stuff is done just about the same way.
the valve tip heights have to be in the right location before any valve train can be bolted on.
The 383 thru 440 using a solid cam set up needs adjustable rocker arms.
The hyd. lifter cam setup uses tip height and push rod length to get the correct preload on the lifters.
Depending on the cam choice push rods are the last thing to order when doing a build as they are rarely the same correct length for optimum lifter operation.
yes PRW sells adjustable rockers but they are crap. the bushings do not last. I have used several sets of both sm blk and big blk roller rockers from them and gut less then a season of running before they were found to be badly worn.
They offer both steel and aluminum rocker options but as far as life span they are very short compared to others.

Guys just see the cost not the quality of the designed parts.

[Walter R. Malik]

The 383 thru 440 using a solid cam set up needs adjustable rocker arms.

That is actually not true ... I have personally used different thickness lash caps to set the valve lash, (individually surface ground), with production stamped steel rockers with a solid lifter cam & lifter set on a big block Mopar engine.

It is rather time consuming but, it can be done, especially if rules state that stock production rocker arms must be used.

The issue becomes that everyone thinks they are an engine builder yet they don't have the resources to do this kind of thing.

[bentvalves]

thank you gents for pointing me in the right direction, as always.

[PackardV8]

The 383 thru 440 using a solid cam set up needs adjustable rocker arms.

That is actually not true ... I have personally used different thickness lash caps to set the valve lash, (individually surface ground), with production stamped steel rockers with a solid lifter cam & lifter set on a big block Mopar engine.

It is rather time consuming but, it can be done, especially if rules state that stock production rocker arms must be used.

The issue becomes that everyone thinks they are an engine builder yet they don't have the resources to do this kind of thing.

Agree, Walter; it can be done.

The tradeoff occurs when the valve train seats in and wears a bit. Is the owner ready and able to do what is necessary for subsequent adjustment?

[Walter R. Malik]

The 383 thru 440 using a solid cam set up needs adjustable rocker arms.

That is actually not true ... I have personally used different thickness lash caps to set the valve lash, (individually surface ground), with production stamped steel rockers with a solid lifter cam & lifter set on a big block Mopar engine.

It is rather time consuming but, it can be done, especially if rules state that stock production rocker arms must be used.

The issue becomes that everyone thinks they are an engine builder yet they don't have the resources to do this kind of thing.

Agree, Walter; it can be done.

The tradeoff occurs when the valve train seats in and wears a bit. Is the owner ready and able to do what is necessary for subsequent adjustment?

The smart ones who win, bring it back to the builder to get it refreshed.

[bentvalves]

does the factory exhaust valve in this cylinder head use a square cut keeper groove?

intake valve is a quad groove setup, and I can find those keepers in comp cams master catalogue, but not the square groove variety to be used with comp cams part number 748-16 retainer.

comp cams technical support does not answer the phone I guess??

[Walter R. Malik]

does the factory exhaust valve in this cylinder head use a square cut keeper groove?

intake valve is a quad groove setup, and I can find those keepers in comp cams master catalogue, but not the square groove variety to be used with comp cams part number 748-16 retainer.

comp cams technical support does not answer the phone I guess??

Most original equipment O.E.M. big block Mopar heads have 4 groove exhaust valves and 2 groove intakes; 3/8" stems.