I just finished up a freshen up on my motor, (rings, bearings, gaskets and seals) It's a 95 LT1 with the stock cam and lifters.

I set everything on the engine stand before installing the motor. I have put about 200 miles on it now and noticed the rockers chattering on a cold start.
I decided to pull the valve covers and noticed the rocker arms were loose. I went through the steps to reset them. As I adjust the rocker arms, I notice that the valve opens when I preload the adjuster nut. I assumed the plunger would depress in the lifter instead of the valve opening. Is this normal. It's not just on one, but all of them do this.

 

the best way to set them is with the engine running... Its messy though

 

One way to do the lifter preload is with the engine running...it's hardly the best way.

The fact that valves are opening tells me you are on the lobe and not on the base circle of the cam. Follow this method and you'll be fine:

If you have never had the crank hub off (or know for sure that it's orientation is correct), you can use the arrow that is on the balancer to tell you where you are. You don't have to spin the crank every 90º with this method.
When the arrow is at 12 o'clock you will be at either #1 or #6 TDC. You might have trouble identifying whether #1 or #6 is at TDC when the crank arrow is at 12 o'clock. Probably the easiest way is to look over the other valves or lifter positions. Compare them to the charts below, showing which can be adjusted. Any valve that can be adjusted should be UP (closed) and the lifter/pushrod should be down. Valves that are not to be adjusted will be in varying d ees of being open or DOWN (lifters/pushrods UP). I used to recommend looking at the valves on the #1 and #6 cylinders, but sometimes it can be difficult to tell by those cylinders only. After looking at the charts below and your valves or lifters/pushrods, you should have it figured out rather quickly.

When at #1 TDC you can adjust the following valves:

Intake: 1, 2, 5, 7
Exhaust: 1, 3, 4, 8

Rotate the crank one revolution until the pointer is again at 12 o'clock. This will let you adjust the remainder of the valves. If you did #1 the previous time, you should be now at #6 TDC.

When at #6 TDC you can adjust the following valves:

Intake: 3, 4, 6, 8
Exhaust: 2, 5, 6, 7

Courtesy of Shbox.com

 

Yea, I used to do that on my old Camaros. I'd like to set these with a little more precision. Besides, I perfer not to have oil cooked on these ceramic coated headers.
I had a set of old valve covers I cut out to set the valves on my older chevys.

 

bw_hunter, I am using that method you posted. I made sure I wasn't on the lobe when setting them. I set #1 at TDC and wiggled the rocker arms on cylinder #1, they seemed loose. I backed them off and waited a few minutes for the plunger to come back up in the lifter. I ran the adj. nut down while spining the pushrod, when the roker arm put just a small amount of tension on the pushrod I turned it 1/2 turn more. When I make the 1/2 turn, you can see the valve open instead of the lifter go down.

 

Try cranking the engine over a few times to get oil back into the lifter. Applying preload and then releasing it pumps oil out of the lifter. When you start again, put the engine at TDC on number one (looking at the arrow on the crank and check all the rockers the list says you can adjust. Their valves will be closed. If any are not closed then you're at #6 tdc...rotate the engine 1 full revolution and try again....

 

Don't spin the pushrod, just lift the rocker off the push rod till you can't lift it any more and that will be zero lash. Lifting the rocker is way more accurate then the thumb and forfinger method of spinning. You can spin the pushrod till you bottom out on the lifter and then when you try to put an additional turn you will open the valve.

 

Cool, I'll give that a shot.

 

I thought about it last night and I got up this morning and checked out a theory.

COLD OIL.....
I put a mag base and indicator on the valve, as I preloaded the rocker arm the valve opened. It showed on the indicator about .03" open and slowly it climbed back to zero.

I took about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes for the oil to push out of the lifter hole and the valve to close.

DUH! I stressed over nothing. It was opening but closed so slowly you couldn't tell without having an indicator on it.

After it closes, you can push down on the pushrod end of the rocker and there is still travel in the lifter.

Thanks for all of the input guys. As always, everybody on this forum are a wealth of knowledge.

 

I have a similar question, I pulled my rockers to check for bent pushrods, kept them all organized as and all went back in the same spot, pushrods put back the same way, tightened the ra's just enough to disconnect the coild and turn the engine over to build oil pressure, tips and contact points were oiled upon reassembly. Oil pressure built within a few revolutions. Used the tdc method like u have listed above, and used the rocker arm pull not the pr jiggle. Rotated 360deg and completed the process( used a piston stop in the #1 cylinder to judge tdc for step 1. Fired engine with drip shields in palce. Phenomenal oil press. No lifter noise. Let the car idle like that for about 10-15 mins. Put the valve covers back on and took it for a drive. Huge hp increase, so I automatically thought that the ra's were adjusted too tight before, brought the car to a good friend that's dynamite with cams, he checked the cam using a dial caliper and the ra's. We called the engine builder, he told us what cam was installed, according to the findings the cam is in new condition still, thank god. Took the car out being very easy on it jic, ot caught up in traffic, car got to around 200 and started clacking from the lifters,but quieted when the car cooled itself down but didn't go away. So I rechecked the ra's same process without removal, 3/4 turn went full turn past, same results. So what could it be? The car feels like a bullet now too, barely touch the throttle and ur gone. Driving @ 35 press the gas 3/4 down and it spins the tires, not a chirp, but throws the car to the right in the rear and smokes em. And it's nothing to run 100 mph, keep a toe on the gas but if u twitch your foot u shoot up in speed. It sounds like I'm bsing u, but I'm serious as a heat attack. And with ut running like this, but the lifters ticking not a lot but noticeably when it gets around 200,what do u guys think? Why did the car suddenly spring to life and wanna be a bullet, why was it powerful, (not this powerful) but felt like it was having to work harder to run and not performing anywhere near this well before. Thanx for the help in advance