Here's a close up of the head with the stock rockers pulled off you can see the two pushrods pointing straight toward you at the top. The heads were a lot cleaner than I thought they'ed be. +1 for synthetic oil.

[IMG]local://upfiles/68540/B2BFDE3E740541668962755719FCA0E8.jpg[/IMG]

I elected to use assembly lube rather than dunk the rockers in oil, I figured I could get a better grip on the rockers while I was installing them if they were covered in oil. You can see the white lube in the pushrod cups, and covering the roller:
[IMG]local://upfiles/68540/CD040EAA83994AD28FEA97F900DAAF88.jpg[/IMG]

 

here's the passenger side installed:

[IMG]local://upfiles/68540/0C8B2F14682E469EB45F01610A1C48D1.jpg[/IMG]

I started with the passenger side first, as there was more room to work and I initially had trouble holding both rockers and the spacers and hex bolts and getting it to all line up. Got the hang of it after a while. I also used a loose allen wrench long side in to help start the bolts into the holes. My bolts were not 3/16" as stated at PS, they were 1/4" or possibly sa metric as the 1/4" was jsut a slight bit loose. I went really liberal with the lube on the pushrod cups and it helped a lot in getting them to slide right into place.

I had one "awe crap" moment on the driver side in the very back, I dropped a spacer and it went down into the head. It took about 30 minutes with a thin magnetic retreiver tool and MANY choice expletives to get it out. Thank God I didn't have to pull that head! I personally blame Silver_Dodge for jinxing me last night.

After I retrieved the spacer I took the pair of rollers apart and started one in the very back of the engine bay with the connecting rod inserted and then installed the other one, by tilting it slightly and inserting the connecting rod into the side and then tightening both down. As Silver_Dodge mentioned earlier, I had NO problems torqueing the bolts down to 21ft/lbs., regardless of how the rocker was tilted due to valve height. Maybe my set of sockets had a taller hex bit than the guy's at PS. I had more trouble fiting my torque wrench in the engine bay, but a 3" and 6" extension was all that was required. I also had no need for a universal adaptor either. Finished up, inspected the RR and bolted the covers back on. Cut the orange zip ties and reconnected everything and test drove. no clacking whatsoever on intial startup.

Impressions: Haven't opened the engine up so I'll post on WOT later but at idle the engine's a bit louder and exhaust is more aggressive. At light acceleration, the pedal feels more like a car than a truck, light taps on the gas make it jump. At medium thottle the truck accelerates much smoother and I don't feel those weird spots on the pedal I used to have where I feel like I'm pressing firmly but not getting the truck to respond; now it's a very smooth acceleration. It feels almost like it got a tune up or injector flush after you've let it go WAY too long.

IMO, well worth the $339.00. Might be even better after I've put some headers on.

 

Great pics. Good job.
So, what is your verdict? Can you feel a differnce? I think some PCM learning time is still required, but probably not as much as with some other mods.

 

Definitely worth it. Makes the truck feel like it was when the engine was new.

 

Were you able to get before and after Exhaust Clips?

 

Got them, but I don't know how good they'll be though. Only have a camera that does OK video and audio. I'll try to post them on You Tube later and repost here when I get them done. Promised the Fiance we'd go out to dinner if she let me do this in the morning. gotta pay up now.

 

Good job. Sorry you had the one problem, but sounds like it went pretty smooth otherwise. In my opinion, it is a pretty easy job really, just gotta make sure your very thorough so you don't leave something undone. I think I recall that mine were 1/4" too. I think the write-up on PS was on a Dakota, so maybe that was the difference.

I've read on a forum that you should retighten to torque spec after a few thousand miles, but I never did mine because HS didn't say is was necessary. Then I recently had a valve cover off because of an oil leak, and I checked them again then. They were all still perfect, so I didn't bother with the other side. I'll be removing the covers again when I do my plenum fix, so i'll be chcking both sides again at that time anyway. You reused the stock pushrods, right? That's what I did.

Now just change your oil, and you should be pretty much done. Good write-up by the way, escpecially with the pictures.

 

cams are fun

 

Whats the PN for the roller rockers?
Thanks

 

Yes, I re-used the stock push rods. didn't feel like $100 on hardened rods was worth it. I don't race this thing much at all. Just like to have the extra umph when I want it.

OK PA and Iceman, here's the You Tube video of the exhaust. I tried to keep it the exact same distance and didn't reve too much so you could here plenty of idle tone, I figured that's where you'd hear the most difference. I was way wrong about that, it sounds way more beastly on the highway now when I get above 2000 RPMs found that out going to dinner. I get what people say about a big cam getting that lopey cigar boat sound. I don't think the video's really do it justice as they were just taken on my digital camera with the built in mic, but trust me, it gives it more growl.

Exhaust with stock rockers:
http://www.youtube.com/v/wTJcxKkGujQ

Exhaust with 1.7 ratio roller rockers:
http://www.youtube.com/v/m7laqNEO9LU