How to Adjust Roller Rockers: Step by Step Complete Guide

Any self mechanic needs to know how to adjust roller rockers properly. Because of improperly adjusting valve train and roller rockers, you’ll face excessive valve noise, reduced power, rough operation, burnt exhaust valve, damaging pushrods, springs, and many more issues.

Adjusting the roller arm is a very easy task, which you can solve in a short time. So if you are a car owner, you may see this kind of problem at any time, and to solve it, you must know what is proper to adjust roller rockers. That’s why to give you the proper guide, we have created this guide, where we highlighted everything step by step. Also, answered many essential frequent questions. First, let’s get familiarized with roller rockers.

What Are Roller Rockers?

A Roller rocker is a rocker arm that uses bearing instead of metal sliding. It looks a lot like a see-saw, with a pushrod at one end that gradually pushes the rocker and at the other end a push-down valve that is always in contact with the rocker.

Though some factory engines have nonadjustable stock valve trains, every high-performance engine currently has adjustable valves such as Chevy 350, 383 Stroker, Ford 302, Ford 460, 351W, and many more engines has adjustable systems. However, the adjustment method of mechanical and hydraulic lifters is different, but it does not matter because proper lash settings depend first. 

Roller rockers are made of higher sturdy, durable aluminum, whose lightweight design also provides powerful performance due to constant friction.

What Are The Common Symptoms of a Bad Rocker Arm?

There are many symptoms to understand the rocker arm of your engine is bad. We shared below the most common 4 symptoms to understand easily:

• Clicking and Ticking Noises: You will hear a clicking or ticking noise when you start the engine.
• Check Engine Light ON: Many sensors are continuously monitoring the engine’s performance. So if the check engine light is always ON, then you must check the roller rocker is adjusted correctly or not.
• Weak Engine Performance and Stalling: The rocker arm controls the volume of time each intake and exhaust valve, s if one of them isn’t working perfectly, you can face performance issues. 
• Physical Deterioration: Sometimes, try to check every roller rocker physically; if the roller rocker is damaged, then try to replace it as soon as possible to avoid unwanted issues.

How to Adjust Roller Rockers with Hydraulic Lifters

To easily understand the process of how to adjust rocker arm, below we have shared a few step by step processes. Almost every engine has the same function; that’s why you can apply this process to any engine. Let’s take a look.

Step 1: First Start the Engine

You can see many roller rockers in the entire shaft; start by one to make your adjusting process more accessible, then move to another. First, start the engine and follow the movement of the rocker arm; wait until the pressure of the rocker arm presses down the valve spring. Because this is the exact point at which you can start the next steps. 

Step 2: Properly Tightening the Nut

When you start turning the pushrod, try to start tightening the nut in the roller rocker slowly. In this case, you can apply finger tightening. However, when you start tightening, you must avoid over-tightening. It will cause a massive problem for your entire rocker system. Slowly tightening, when you will feel a tug of resistance from the pushrod, then stop tightening.

Step 3: Adjust the Nut and Lock the Valve

To adjust the nut properly, slowly rotate it in halfway. In this case, many people like to rotate from 1/2 to 1. So pick the option to turn according to your choice. 

Then you need to adjust the valve properly. In this case, first, you need to hold the nut securely with the help of a wrench so that it does not move. Then start tightening the small bolt at the top.

Step 4: Again, Start the Engine

After successfully completing all the above processes, start the engine again, and observe whether the valve is going up and down correctly. If you see that the valve is going up extra, then open it again, follow the above process, and adjust appropriately.

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions

How Do You Adjust Solid Roller Rockers?

We use the EOIC (Exhaust Opening Intake Closing) method for adjusting solid roller rockers, which works for any pushrod engine. Using solid lifters with valve covers, you can remove the rockers on the screw and spark plugs, fasten the rocker arms continuously until the rockers are finger tight. 

Then turn the engine until the exhaust pushrod is on the cylinder. You will see the rocker arm change. You can also adjust the intake valve, ensuring that the intact lifter is on the cam’s base circle.

Can You Adjust Roller Rockers While the Engine is Running? 

If we say it briefly, then the answer is “NO.” You cannot adjust the roller rockers when the engine is running. If the motor is hot and your roller is flat tappet lifters, then you should set it in the engine.

The main reason is that, when the engine is running, it is not allowing the roller rockers to be adjusted, the roller rockers are also in running condition, due to which the roller rockers have a lot of barriers to get proper lash, and will not allow you to adjust the nut and screw.

Do You Adjust Valves Hot or Cold?

To avoid the lifter’s incorrect adjustments, which is why most camshafts manufacturers recommend making the valves settings cold.

If you go to entirely new engine valves settings, then you must do lubricants before starting everything.

How Often Should You Adjust Valves on a Solid Roller Cam?

To get proper adjusting results, I would highly recommend seeing the cam manufacturer’s instructions on setting your valves.

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Final Verdict

Many people think that the work of roller rocker adjustments may be complicated, but the reality is that if you know the proper way, then you can easily do it even if you are a beginner. I hope our simple guide about how to adjust roller rockers has helped you a lot in knowing the whole process.

You can also watch many video tutorials online to understand more practically. If you want to understand more clearly after reading our guide, you can take the help of video tutorials.