PRW Platinum Rockers, Trick Flow Heads, 408: Anyone Else Use the Same?

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JD Erisman

JD Erisman

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I recently finished putting together my 408; for several reasons for the first time I had an engine builder assemble the short block for me, internal balance. I double checked the bolt torques on everything then I bolted on Trick Flow 190 heads and PRW Platinum adjustable rockers with the geometry correction kit, all from B3 Racing. I have a couple of issues with the motor but the one I'm asking about here relates to what I believe is valvetrain noise: loud ticking, especially on the pass. side, comes in as the engine gets warmer and increases as RPMs increase. I read the other recent post where the OP is in a similar situation as I but I never ran stock rockers on this, broke it in with the PRW set, using new Mopar Performance HFT lifters, Hughes 228/232 cam, Amsoil "break in" oil, followed Hughes' cam break in procedure. I've never used adjustable rockers so I've never had to set lash/preload or use shims. I believe I have set the preload correctly and have tried adjusting them, when hot and cold, no change, noise is still there. Something that I noticed, but didn't when I was putting the rocker geometry together, was that a few of the rockers have much more side to side play than the rest, as if I didn't shim them enough; I used a feeler gauge and have .020 on one side of the rocker, against the hold-down clamp. But when I check the adjacent rocker, on the other side of the spacer, against its closest clamp, I only have about .010 space between that rocker and the clamp. How is it possible that two rockers only separated by a moveable spacer can have .020 gap on one side, against a clamp, while the other rocker only has .010 gap against its closest clamp? AND, is it possible for this .020 gap and the extra side to side movement of these few rockers to create the ticking noise I'm hearing? I know it wouldn't be difficult to remove the valve train and attempt to shim away that .020 gap but according to PRW I can have a space of .010 to .030 on the end of the rocker so I'm curious to know if anyone else is running this same set up as I and if you've had any similar issues with the combination of PRW rockers, Trick Flow Heads and HFT lifters. Thanks and sorry for the long post.
 
Yeah .030" of side play will make some noise. Couple that with a fast hughes hydraulic cam and you have clackity-clack... You can tighten the side play up to .015-.020 per pair of rockers. I shoot for .015" clearance, and usually end up with .016-.018 by the time things are tightened and mostly centered (side to side) on the valve tips. In addition to shims, the hold-downs have a bit of 'wiggle room' when tightening them down so you can also use that movement to help get your desired clearance. You can usually get what you need without ever having two shims right next to each other. It's kinda tedious and can require starting over a few times to get them all close to the same, but you'll get the feel for it. Start at one end and methodically work your way down.
And just be prepared, performance setups like yours are never 'quiet' even if they are hydraulics. I bet it runs like a beast though!
 
Beanhead, thank you for the response, it’s much appreciated. I have the rockers and shafts off now and will shim everything again. What a pain to get everything lined up with the pushrods and the lifters pumped up. I’m going with your advice and hopefully that quiets the motor. Your right, the motor is very strong, even though I’m taking it easy on it for a few hundred miles it still easily breaks loose my 265 tires, like I had bicycle tires out back instead.
 
yeah i takes hours to get things shimed and lined up properly ,but once done it's quiet , you'll be breaking the tires loose at 50 mph when you have it set and running
 
ValiantKindOfGuy said:
Don’t like hearing that after buying mine for my trick flow setup. Uh oh.
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I am useing them with my trickflow heads on my 360 magnum, but I am useing them with push rod oiling and around 594 lift . I have around 12 passes on the engine and so far the truck is running good. I didn't say great because I need to do more fuel and suspension tuning.
 
beanhead said:
Yeah .030" of side play will make some noise. Couple that with a fast hughes hydraulic cam and you have clackity-clack... You can tighten the side play up to .015-.020 per pair of rockers. I shoot for .015" clearance, and usually end up with .016-.018 by the time things are tightened and mostly centered (side to side) on the valve tips. In addition to shims, the hold-downs have a bit of 'wiggle room' when tightening them down so you can also use that movement to help get your desired clearance. You can usually get what you need without ever having two shims right next to each other. It's kinda tedious and can require starting over a few times to get them all close to the same, but you'll get the feel for it. Start at one end and methodically work your way down.
And just be prepared, performance setups like yours are never 'quiet' even if they are hydraulics. I bet it runs like a beast though!
Click to expand...
Nice job explaining setting up the clearance.
but what's with the avatar, kind of spooky. :lol:
 
JD Erisman said:
I recently finished putting together my 408; for several reasons for the first time I had an engine builder assemble the short block for me, internal balance. I double checked the bolt torques on everything then I bolted on Trick Flow 190 heads and PRW Platinum adjustable rockers with the geometry correction kit, all from B3 Racing. I have a couple of issues with the motor but the one I'm asking about here relates to what I believe is valvetrain noise: loud ticking, especially on the pass. side, comes in as the engine gets warmer and increases as RPMs increase. I read the other recent post where the OP is in a similar situation as I but I never ran stock rockers on this, broke it in with the PRW set, using new Mopar Performance HFT lifters, Hughes 228/232 cam, Amsoil "break in" oil, followed Hughes' cam break in procedure. I've never used adjustable rockers so I've never had to set lash/preload or use shims. I believe I have set the preload correctly and have tried adjusting them, when hot and cold, no change, noise is still there. Something that I noticed, but didn't when I was putting the rocker geometry together, was that a few of the rockers have much more side to side play than the rest, as if I didn't shim them enough; I used a feeler gauge and have .020 on one side of the rocker, against the hold-down clamp. But when I check the adjacent rocker, on the other side of the spacer, against its closest clamp, I only have about .010 space between that rocker and the clamp. How is it possible that two rockers only separated by a moveable spacer can have .020 gap on one side, against a clamp, while the other rocker only has .010 gap against its closest clamp? AND, is it possible for this .020 gap and the extra side to side movement of these few rockers to create the ticking noise I'm hearing? I know it wouldn't be difficult to remove the valve train and attempt to shim away that .020 gap but according to PRW I can have a space of .010 to .030 on the end of the rocker so I'm curious to know if anyone else is running this same set up as I and if you've had any similar issues with the combination of PRW rockers, Trick Flow Heads and HFT lifters. Thanks and sorry for the long post.
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seen that on a few cars at my buddies shop Crane PRW all make noise , I use Hughes roller rockers1.6 and they are quiet never make noise , just set and forget
 
My setup is the same on my 418, hyd roller, prw rockers, noisey, always has been. I believe that my spacing is correct, I blamed the hyd roller lifters.
Bled the lifters down and feeler gauged the lash at .010, new hills pushrods. Still noisey, I'm not sure now what it is, I just drive it.
 
How loud is this ticking?

I once swapped to a larger cam and had ticking. Checked piston to valve clearance, had miles of clearance. Spent a week ******* around with rockers, geometry, measuring stuff. I ended up figuring out I had an incorrectly installed piston and didn't know it. So an intake valve was just kissing an exhaust valve clearance pocket on two pistons. I'll never make that mistake again :BangHead:
 
Ouch! Live and learn. No one is exempt from mistakes.
 
JD Erisman said:
Beanhead, thank you for the response, it’s much appreciated. I have the rockers and shafts off now and will shim everything again. What a pain to get everything lined up with the pushrods and the lifters pumped up. I’m going with your advice and hopefully that quiets the motor. Your right, the motor is very strong, even though I’m taking it easy on it for a few hundred miles it still easily breaks loose my 265 tires, like I had bicycle tires out back instead.
Click to expand...
Burn that rubber!:thumbsup:

What "I" do when setting the side clearence is use four feeler gauges of the same size, (of whatever clearance I'm shooting for) and leave them in place next to each pair while I line things up and tighten the bolts. That way stuff can't shift around and close up the clearance I'm after. Makes things a little easier..
 
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