[GTO JOHN]

Does anyone know the original material and heat treat specs used on the original studs? I can reproduce them, just need to know the info. Thanks John

[bulletpruf]

Originally Posted by Baron Von Zeppelin

That would mean not using the oil deflectors - more than likely. btw

That's what we're thinking - - with BBC nuts and studs, no oil deflectors.

Looks like I'm ok on rocker nuts for now, but looking for jam nuts (need a pair) and lock nuts (need 16 + 2 spares). Figure the jam nuts and lock nuts can be sourced at a place like Fastenal or maybe thru ARP.

Still trying to nail down the rocker stud issue. Wonder if ARP does custom stuff? If so, they would be a source for the rocker studs. Will have to give them a call.

Thanks for posting the pics.

Scott

[bulletpruf]

Here's another pic of all the parts.

[A Schab]

Last summer we built a 428 with 722 heads that had bbc studs and 1.65 rockers with no oil baffles and had a problem of blowing the bottoms of the rocker arms apart.We just parked the car for the winter and have not tried to fix the problem yet but we think that it was caused by the combination of a high pressure oil pump and lack of oil drippers or baffles to lube the rocker arm balls,the oil is most likely shooting over the rocker. Anyone have any thoughts about a cure for this?

[BLKBRD]

I had a '69 RA IV engine rebuilt by Ken Kieffer in Brooksville, FL (PY username Pontiac Dude?). The heads that I gave him had already been re-worked in California. I was told that the guy who did the work was a serious Pontiac guy who knew how to make Pontiac heads flow. At any rate, I asked Ken to take a good look at the heads just to make sure the guy hadn't screwed them up. Ken said that the work appeared to have been done reasonably well. He also said that the rocker studs had been replaced with BBC studs and nuts, which was common on RA IV heads, because the original setup was such a bitch to adjust. I haven't got drippers, but I never really thought about the need for them since the other '69 engines didn't have them. I may need to reconsider that. Long story short, I've been told that the BBC studs and nuts are the way to go for the RA IV. With that said, I believe that this is only the case if you can find RA IV style lifters that require manual adjustment. Hope this helps.

[Baron Von Zeppelin]

I haven't looked at my IV heads in so long i can't remember if they still have the oil deflectors or not. Hope you guys get all this sorted out - i hope to actually use those heads someday.

Are the deflectors repopped by anyone ?

Another option might be to use standard 1.5 rockers and regular baffles/deflectors - in other words - basically replicate the entire Ram2 valvetrain.

[bulletpruf]

Originally Posted by Baron Von Zeppelin

I haven't looked at my IV heads in so long i can't remember if they still have the oil deflectors or not. Hope you guys get all this sorted out - i hope to actually use those heads someday.

Are the deflectors repopped by anyone ?

Another option might be to use standard 1.5 rockers and regular baffles/deflectors - in other words - basically replicate the entire Ram2 valvetrain.

The oil deflectors are not repopped; I'm thinking these will be difficult to track down if you need some. Likely not enough demand to justify getting geared up for production on these, either.

I ended up purchasing some studs from a member, but I still think you can get some custom made, modify something that's out there already, or find someone (Melling?) who still makes them.

Scott

[Baron Von Zeppelin]

i know i have all the rockers studs nuts - still assembled.
but don't remember about the deflectors -
if they are missing , then their little thin attachment nuts will be gone too.

the hell of finding and buying those things would really piss me off. lol

Hope to hear more about A Schab's findings when he gets back to the car.

I'd rather find a complete Ram2 car cheap, and then just sell the RamIV stuff.

[steve v]

Scott, I thought I had seen RA IV oil deflectors a few months back on ebay & I got the impression they were repops since these were new but no GM packaging. The seller had several sets available & IIRC the BIN was $99.00

Of course I can't find the listing now......

Maybe this is something Norwood could stamp out?

[grandam1979]

If you go with the bbc studs you can use poly locks if you have the r/a4 studs you have to use the nut and jam nut as it came new.

[bulletpruf]

Originally Posted by steve v

Scott, I thought I had seen RA IV oil deflectors a few months back on ebay & I got the impression they were repops since these were new but no GM packaging. The seller had several sets available & IIRC the BIN was $99.00

Of course I can't find the listing now......

Maybe this is something Norwood could stamp out?

Yeah, I found a reference to these in a Google search, but it's an old auction and when I type in the item number and seach on eBay, it won't pull it up.

Thanks,

Scott

[bulletpruf]

Originally Posted by Baron Von Zeppelin

i know i have all the rockers studs nuts - still assembled.
but don't remember about the deflectors -
if they are missing , then their little thin attachment nuts will be gone too.

the hell of finding and buying those things would really piss me off. lol

Hope to hear more about A Schab's findings when he gets back to the car.

I'd rather find a complete Ram2 car cheap, and then just sell the RamIV stuff.

Digging around and not finding much else out there but did run across a service bulletin on the 69 RAIV valve adjustment - http://www.428gto.com/gto/69-I-62Bulletin.pdf

Looks like this is similar to the splash shield retainers that BVZ posted pics of below -

http://www.fastenal.com/web/products...l.ex?sku=37940

As for the jam nuts, that shouldn't be difficult -

http://www.fastenal.com/web/products...ex?sku=0169654

For those of you with original stuff, any chance you can check a few things?

-Thread size/pitch on the rocker stud - is it 7/16" x 20 (fine thread)?

-Thickness on the jam nuts?

Hey BVZ - you mean you can't find a cheap Deuce? Something like this one?

[Region Warrior]

Sold all my nos RA/SD stuff yrs ago. But "may" still have a set of studs, arms, pushrods.
Will try'n remember to look 2nite.

[bulletpruf]

Ok, got a RAIV adjust nut in the mail this week.

It's .886" long, has 7/16 fine threads (7/16" x 20) and is .683" in diameter (i.e., use an 11/16" wrench). The threads don't go all the way to the end of the nut; they stop about .085" from the end.

I'll see if I can find a match at Fastenal or maybe ARP this week.

PM if you have an extra stud, lock nut/pal nut, or jam nut. Need to try to match these up, too.

[bulletpruf]

Here's something close from Fastenal - a 7/16" - 20 "coupling nut" but it's too long at 1 1/4".

http://www.fastenal.com/web/products...ex?sku=0169136

[bulletpruf]

Found a supplier for 7/16 - 20 pal nuts (hold down the oil deflectors) - one of the aircraft supply stores. Box of 50 for $10.

No luck anywhere on the adjustment nut - - Melling doesn't have them, Fastenal doesn't have them, ARP doesn't have them. ARP did offer to custom make them, however, so I'll see what I can find out here.

Jam nuts should be easy, but would like to get a measurement on these - can anyone put a caliper on a jam nut so I can get the width?

No luck on rocker studs; will see if ARP can do a custom stud as well.

Thanks

Scott

[rexs73gto]

If your looking for nuts to use & thats all you can get them from summit, the adjustable nuts with the set screw in them work fine & help in keeping the oil on the rocker. Because they are so tall when the rocker goes down & pushs the oil out of the rocker it actually hits the tall nut keeping the oil right on the rocker keeping the rocker lubed. If you run out of threads before you have them adjusted A tech I worked with 30 years ago told me to use metric head bolt hardened washers on top of the ball to space the nut up to get more adjustment , it did work for me plus you can't see them once they are on. I had to do that a few times on engines I built as the push rod length was different & required to use them so it could be adjusted properly.

[bulletpruf]

Originally Posted by rexs73gto

If your looking for nuts to use & thats all you can get them from summit, the adjustable nuts with the set screw in them work fine & help in keeping the oil on the rocker. Because they are so tall when the rocker goes down & pushs the oil out of the rocker it actually hits the tall nut keeping the oil right on the rocker keeping the rocker lubed. If you run out of threads before you have them adjusted A tech I worked with 30 years ago told me to use metric head bolt hardened washers on top of the ball to space the nut up to get more adjustment , it did work for me plus you can't see them once they are on. I had to do that a few times on engines I built as the push rod length was different & required to use them so it could be adjusted properly.

Thanks for the info. I'm going to try to replicate the original valvetrain; if not, this sounds like a good route.

Scott

[bulletpruf]

Here's a link for the pal nuts. Finding them in 7/16" wasn't difficult, but took some searching before I found a source for fine thread (7/16-20) pal nuts: http://www.aircraft-specialties.com/...ack-ac356-624/

[bulletpruf]

Spoke with ARP about a custom run on the rocker adjust nuts and the rocker studs.

Rocker studs could cost up to $800 for a set of 16; that's if they had to do everything from scratch. Said they would have to set up 5 machines or so to make these.

When I told him that he had some studs that were pretty darn close (Ford) that just needed to be shortened a bit and more threads cut, he said that the cost would be reduced significantly if they could use an existing forging and just change the machining a bit. I won't know more until I send them a rocker stud so they can see what they can do.

He said that he could do the adjust nut, but it would likely be on the expensive end because it didn't sound like anything that they currently produce.

Scott