454 valve adjustment problem

elpaso

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
Messages
264
Merc 454 1995 inboard, 750 hours. No water in<br />engine, just low compression - 120 on several<br />cylinders. Pulled heads had machined. <br />Installed heads new -risers-manifolds-lifters.<br />Installed rocker bolts hand tight- rolled engine<br />until oil was coming out of each rocker. Pulled<br />rocker bolts down to 35 lbs. Valves are non-adjustable. <br /><br />Problem - ran engine for 10 minutes, oil pressure<br />45 lbs. temp 160. engine had a miss. Found cylinders #4 and #6 had 0 compression, all others 145. I loosend 4-6 bolts to hand tight.<br />and had compression. I replaced lifters on 4-6<br />with new, no difference same problem. Have good spark to all, have checked everything 3 times.<br />Watched valve movement, all seem the same. <br />Switched push rods and rockers, same problem. <br /><br />Called machine shop that did heads -- they said to<br />use washers as spacers to extend rocker height ?<br /><br />Any ideas or thoughts welcome - Jerry
 

snapperbait

Vice Admiral
Joined
Aug 20, 2002
Messages
5,754
Re: 454 valve adjustment problem

The machine shop is correct... How much did they take off the heads? However much they took off is the amount all the rockers must be shimed...<br /><br />Anyway, don't think I'd use regular washers tho.. Get a shim kit and do it right... I think Crane makes a complete kit for just such a situation with shims from .030-.090 thousandths...
 

elpaso

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
Messages
264
Re: 454 valve adjustment problem

Elpaso reply - Your answer makes sense. If I have to make up the amount that was milled off head, why do #2 and #8 have 145 lbs. and <br />#4 and #6 have 0 ? All cylinders are on same head<br />and had to be milled the same amount ?<br /><br />To get compression on #4 and #6 I have to install<br />1/4 inch of shims. That is a lot of milling.<br /><br />I have switched with other cylinders - rockers-<br />push rods - lifters. Same problem. <br /><br />Thank you for your time, any ideas on second part<br />of problem ? I think I am loosing. <br /> Jerry
 
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