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Rotate rocker shaft arm in situ?

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    Rotate rocker shaft arm in situ?

    So after picking up, having cleaned up and re installing (with new gaskets & bolts), a new (used) head, I pulled off the cover this evening to adjust the valve clearance as it was super noisy

    In the process of doing this I found all the valve clamps (the small black brackets over the valves) on the intake side had all come off (explains the noise!) - In trying to reinstall them, I have found the rocker arm shaft (where the slits they lock in to) is 180 degrees the wrong way... :(

    Is there a way to twist the shaft without removing the head (and having to replace the HG and bolts & timing belt again)?

    I doubt the shop that sold me the head or the engine workshop will take any responsibility either, and I should have checked - but they were all in place when I put it back in (most likely just sitting there but not locked in)
    Last edited by Mr_P; 07-13-2012, 04:35 AM. Reason: Its the rocker arm shaft

    #2
    Yes you can rotate the shaft to get it back where it should be. The locking piece at the front of the head must be missing to allow the shafts to rotate, so you'll need to fix that after getting the shafts back in place.
    The car makes it possible, but the driver makes it happen.
    Jim Levie, Huntsville, AL

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      #3
      Thanks for that - I havent checked, but I think this piece is missing - I couldnt rotate it on my own, but I havent taken to it vice vice grips & a cloth yet so hopefully that will work

      I can salvage the locking piece of my old head I hope

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        #4
        Use vice grips and copper pads on the shaft.
        The car makes it possible, but the driver makes it happen.
        Jim Levie, Huntsville, AL

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          #5
          Originally posted by jlevie View Post
          Use vice grips and copper pads on the shaft.
          Vice grips and a cloth and it was easy, after I removed the oil gallery though as I couldnt turn the vice grips enough in place

          So job done :)

          I still have a horrible rattle/ticking from the engine somewhere and am slowly starting to think I may have over-tightened the timing belt :(

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            #6
            Originally posted by jlevie View Post
            Use vice grips and copper pads on the shaft.
            What types of copper pads do you mean? Sorry for bringing this thread back from the dead, but I am having the same problem.

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              #7
              He is saying to use copper to protect the shaft from scratching when you clamp the Vice-Grips. Any soft metal plate should work. Double thickness of beer can would work in a pinch.

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                #8
                Short length of copper tube then cut it down the guts
                89 E30 325is Lachs Silber - currently M20B31, M20B33 in the works, stroked to the hilt...

                new build thread http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=317505

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                  #9
                  Originally posted by packratbimmer View Post
                  He is saying to use copper to protect the shaft from scratching when you clamp the Vice-Grips. Any soft metal plate should work. Double thickness of beer can would work in a pinch.
                  No pun intended!

                  I picked up a couple little copper brackets on the way home from work and tried - am unable to get the damn thing to move. The copper doesn't want to grip the shaft no matter how hard I grip (or set vice to grip).

                  I also tried it with a piece of leather, but same deal. Can't get any traction on the metal.

                  There isn't any moment on the shaft as I backed all the rockers off the cam lobes, and I pulled the rubber stoppers from both sides too. There really shouldn't be anything preventing it from moving. Anyone having any further suggestions?

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                    #10
                    Here are some pics - you can see my problem in the one (shafts need to be rotated to get the retaining key to fit), and my attempt at solving it in the other.



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                      #11
                      How about a piece of old timing belt? (iirc I just used bare vise grips on a section of the shaft that doesn't get ridden on)

                      All your rockers are loose, and the locking piece is out... It ought to move.

                      Sent from my XT1064 using Tapatalk
                      (OO=[][]=OO) For Life

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