Rocker arms shaft installation on a SB

[Lars]

I'm reassembling my 360, I was putting the rocker shafts/rockers on and I noticed that my book (Haynes, don't shoot me) said that the slots in the shafts should be facing the drivers side front and passenger rear. However, mine were reversed when I pulled them off the engine. The engine was rebuilt 40K miles ago and I never seemed to have any problems with it (was in my truck) and there doesn't seem to be any galling or damage to the shafts. Can I reinstall them the way they were? Or should I pull all the rockers off and reverse the shafts? Also, what is the ft. lb. rating for torquing these suckers down? My book says 200 in lbs. I figured it out to 16 ft. lbs. does this sound right?

Thanks

 

[388dart]

No gauling - you are a lucky person - don't ask how I know!!
notch - drivers side front, passenger side rear.
Its only a 5/16" bolt - 16lbs is correct. - or snug with a 3/8' drive ratchet.

 

[Lars]

The slots (and the holes) were pointed down like they were supposed to be, the shafts were just backwards. Still though, I was lucky nothing got tore up on it.

 

[moparlee]

No gauling - you are a lucky person - don't ask how I know!!
notch - drivers side front, passenger side rear.
Its only a 5/16" bolt - 16lbs is correct. - or snug with a 3/8' drive ratchet.

Yes, this how it goes.

Lee

 

[Lars]

I'm scared now, I was torquing them down and one bolt on each side was acting like it was stretching (to snap off). Doesn't make any sense because they were all right before. I left them though, gotta remove them after I run in the cam because I have to reinstall the inner dampners on the valve springs.

 

[388dart]

I'm scared now, I was torquing them down and one bolt on each side was acting like it was stretching (to snap off). Doesn't make any sense because they were all right before. I left them though, gotta remove them after I run in the cam because I have to reinstall the inner dampners on the valve springs.

Do you mean the dampner spring or do you have double springs with dampner and you are leaving the inner spring out?
There is no need to leave the dampner out for cam breakin.

 

[Lars]

Do you mean the dampner spring or do you have double springs with dampner and you are leaving the inner spring out?
There is no need to leave the dampner out for cam breakin.

Doh, too late now. They are singles with the dampner removed.

 

[moper]

Common misconception. It shouldnt hurt anything, just dont rev it like mad until the dampners go back in, and try not to run it for too long that way.