Dancing around, that's kind of weird. You wouldn't think that would happen just from high mileage. Did it look like the valve cover had been off before?

Anyway just tighten it down about a quarter turn at a time while it is running till it stops clicking then thighten another 1/4 to 1/2 turn. If that nut is really easy to tighten then maybe that is why it came loose. Might need a new nut.

The roller rockers would help mostly because they are much more consistent than the factory ones but probably not enough to really notice. Since the stock heads are not really made to flow dramatically better at higher lifts and increasing ratio may involve machine work on the pushrod guide holes it might not be worth it to go to 1.6 ratio rockers.

Congrats on the purchase, I love that feeling of driving home a newly bought car.

 

If its just the one rocker thats loose, and its REALLY loose, you might have a collapsed lifter. That'll cause the noise too cuz that valve won't be opening AT ALL. Good excuse for a cam swap.

 

I agree that a rocker should not just come loose, tighten up the rocker arm to the point were chatter disapears and then go another quarter turn. If the arm stays in adjustment for a hundred or so miles, then pull the covers and do a proper rocker adjustment on all the rocker arms. There are better ways to adjust rocker arms than how I mentioned above, however use the above method to make sure that there is not an underlying problem first, and then ask for proper valve adjustment procedures.

 

Sounds good,

I have a 305 from a 85 or 86 camaro, will the pushrods interchange? I hope it is not a collapsed lifter, not a real big prob, just more hassle. Yes, it did look like the valve cover has been off. There was an orange rubber gasket, and it was blown totally out right near that rocker arm.....hmmmm. Will a visual inspection be close enough to compare the pushrods? I would think so. Let me know before I go putting it back together. Also, I know this is primitive, but I tried pusing down on the pushrod onto the lifter, and it felt stiff, not weak. I dont think this matters, but thought I would throw it in. Thanks

BamaZ28

 

As long as both are coming from flat tappet set-ups they should be the same length and you should be able to tell by comparing side to side. I must have missed something in the thread, was a pushrod bent or something?

 

Not bent, but smoothing out on a side, I guess because of the loose arm.