Rocker Shaft

[MacDee]

I finally worked up the nerve to remove the rocker shaft from Freddie's 170 I6 in the hopes of cleaning out all the oil passages and thus quiet the "stuck lifter" clatter I have endured since taking ownership. I got the shaft assembly off and the retainer pin out of one end, but the first support "tower" seems unwilling to slide off the shaft. The shop manual simply says "slide rocker arms, springs and supports off of the shaft." What do you do if the support won't "slide off"?
Has anyone on the list dissassembled a rocker shaft and come up against this? If so, what's the solution?

[MacDee]

I decided to try the only thing I could think of: heat. I got out my propane torch and heated the first support near the top to expand its bore. It took about two minutes of the propane torch to loosen it enough to slide off the shaft. Be sure to wear leather gloves!

[redfalken]

Hey Gary,

I just rebuilt a rocker arm assembly and getting those posts off was tough. I put an open end wrench that was just larger than the shaft on top of them and tapped them off with a hammer! Once they got started and broke loose, I could twist most of them off.

If the shaft is worn on the bottom where the rocker arms ride, a new one is pretty cheap ($25) and it might be good to replace it. It will also assure a good flow of oil. On the end post where the oil comes up from the head (toward the firewall), you can also enlarge the bolt hole a bit from the bottom to where the shaft comes through. Oil has to get around the bolt and it's pretty tight quarters. Use a dremel and rat-tail file. One last thing, make sure you run a drill bit through the holes in the rocker arm that drip oil down on the valve tip and push rod ends. They can get really plugged up. You can even enlarge the one that points toward the valves a bit.

There's a good sticky post on the Ford Six Forum with photos and pointers:
http://fordsix.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=29111

Anything to get maximum oil to the assembly is a good thing to do!

[MacDee]

Thanks, Kenny!
I did manage to get the posts off by heating them and then sliding them off whilst wearing leather gloves. So far I've cleared out the oil holes in the rockers to the push rod cups with a drill bit. On one of them, I had to ignore Dennis Schjeldahl's advice and use a drill motor to get it through!
I haven't inspected the shaft too closely yet, but I think it looks much better than some of the examples down in the link you provided. Unless a closer inspection reveals some serious problems, my current plan is to just clean everything up and put it all back together. I'm afraid if I try to do any "modification" I'll end up not getting it back together in time for the return of cruising weather.:shift: