xtremerevolution Posted September 13, 2007 Report Share Posted September 13, 2007 So I get my roller rockers in, and I'm pretty happy. So I start looking through the instructions. I read over it, and it all makes sense, except for the part where I have to take off some S/C parts and whatever. I figure they made it for the Series 1 L67 instead of the Series 1 L27 that I have. One thing I figured would be correct is the 23 lb of torque they said I should tighten the valve cover bolts, so I set my torque wrench to 23 lb. Needless to say, they were wrong, and I now have half a bolt stuck in my engine block while the other half is ripped and sitting around somewhere, because they couldn't send me the right instructions. I mean really, seriously, how hard could it be? So now I have to drill a new hole and tap a new thread where that bolt is lodged in and tighten a new bolt to solve my problem, all while making absolutely sure that no metal fillings manage to find their way into my engine. So I've learned the following lessons. 1. If it feels too tight, you should probably stop. 2. Don't assume the instructions you're given are correct. Here goes another added 15 minutes of work... And on a side note, it appears that 13 or 14 lb of torque is about right for these bolts... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick1234 Posted September 13, 2007 Report Share Posted September 13, 2007 do you have a haynes manual? what does that say. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digitaloutsider Posted September 13, 2007 Report Share Posted September 13, 2007 So I get my roller rockers in, and I'm pretty happy. So I start looking through the instructions. I read over it, and it all makes sense, except for the part where I have to take off some S/C parts and whatever. I figure they made it for the Series 1 L67 instead of the Series 1 L27 that I have. At this point, I would have stopped what I was doing and called ZZP immediately. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
runt Posted September 13, 2007 Report Share Posted September 13, 2007 I don't really think that your problem has anything to do with ZZP, IMO. If they built the parts for another engine and your putting them in something else.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R Dubya Posted September 13, 2007 Report Share Posted September 13, 2007 in/lbs instead of ft/lbs? maybe? give em a call. easy out should be able to get it for you just be careful of metal shavings in the engine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SigEpCutlass Posted September 13, 2007 Report Share Posted September 13, 2007 easy out should be able to get it for you just be careful of metal shavings in the engine. That's exactly what I would do. G/L... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Posted September 13, 2007 Report Share Posted September 13, 2007 I don't really think that your problem has anything to do with ZZP, IMO. If they built the parts for another engine and your putting them in something else.... no, they are for the series I, shouldn't matter l27 or l67.http://www.zzperformance.com/grand_prix/products1.php?id=606&catid=104 23 ft/lbs doesnt seem like too much torque, but maybe it should have said inch/lbs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xtremerevolution Posted September 13, 2007 Author Report Share Posted September 13, 2007 Yeah well, all I know is I set it to 23 lb-ft and my bolt freakin ripped inside my engine block before the torque wrench clicked. And good luck with calling ZZPerformance and catching them when they're not on a busy line. I was working on the car at like 1 AM also, and I need the car today for a class at 5:30PM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R Dubya Posted September 13, 2007 Report Share Posted September 13, 2007 according to regal.org or whatever I just looked up the correct torque setting for a 1997 3800 rocker arm cover is 89 in/lbs. Either you read it wrong or those guys are morons. 11-13 ft/lbs sounds about right to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xtremerevolution Posted September 13, 2007 Author Report Share Posted September 13, 2007 Alright, well I managed to get all the valve covers on (front and rear) and I used some tool to drill into the bolt and pull it out (like a reverse drill bit). I got the engine running right after I replaced the vacuum tubes on the top since they were completely fried. I had a bit of smoke come out of the exhaust at first, but it quickly went away, and I had a lot of smoke coming out of the engine from the oil that had spilled over. It went away from the front, but now I have a very small bit of oil seeping from out the rear valve cover. I'm guessing the gasket didn't sit right somewhere or one of the bolts isn't tightened enough. That went on for a while, but after I took the car out for a hard drive through some 45 mph zones, I came back, popped the hood, and there wasn't any more smoke seeping from the rear valve cover. I'll take another look at it this weekend, since my oil level seems to stay the same and it might have gone away. As for the power increase, its definitely noticeable in the high RPMs. Much much better than what I had before. I'll post pics of the job soon, but I need to run to class for now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ron350 Posted September 14, 2007 Report Share Posted September 14, 2007 89 inch pounds divided by 12 = 7.4 foot pounds of torque. That is 7 and 4/10 of a pound. 7 foot pounds is plenty of torque for a ¼’ valve cover bolt. I see that the 87 to 92 3800 rocker arm bolts are 25 ft lb? http://www.bonnevilleclub.com/forum/kb.php?mode=article&k=18 Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xtremerevolution Posted September 14, 2007 Author Report Share Posted September 14, 2007 89 inch pounds divided by 12 = 7.4 foot pounds of torque. That is 7 and 4/10 of a pound. 7 foot pounds is plenty of torque for a ¼’ valve cover bolt. I see that the 87 to 92 3800 rocker arm bolts are 25 ft lb? http://www.bonnevilleclub.com/forum/kb.php?mode=article&k=18 Good luck. Well the job is done. All I need to do now is take off the rear valve cover, clean up any debris, re-seat the gasket, and put it back on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boulevard Posted September 14, 2007 Report Share Posted September 14, 2007 Well the job is done. All I need to do now is take off the rear valve cover, clean up any debris, re-seat the gasket, and put it back on. Man, go to Murrays Discount Auto Parts store one block north of Oak Park Ave. & Cermak Rd. in Berwyn and buy youself the replacement gaskets for your valve covers. The ones on your car at this moment are old, worn and compressed which usually will lead to a crack/split if left. Buy a replacement set for like $16.00 and you'll ride with confidence. Buy some gasket cleaner while your at it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xtremerevolution Posted September 14, 2007 Author Report Share Posted September 14, 2007 Well the job is done. All I need to do now is take off the rear valve cover, clean up any debris, re-seat the gasket, and put it back on. Man, go to Murrays Discount Auto Parts store one block north of Oak Park Ave. & Cermak Rd. in Berwyn and buy youself the replacement gaskets for your valve covers. The ones on your car at this moment are old, worn and compressed which usually will lead to a crack/split if left. Buy a replacement set for like $16.00 and you'll ride with confidence. Buy some gasket cleaner while your at it. I've had replacement FelPro gaskets in the back of my trunk for the last 3 weeks, LOL. I was just waiting so I could change them when I change the rockers as well. The gaskets are brand new. I just get the impression that the gasket might not be seated inside the groove too well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88Regal Limited Posted September 15, 2007 Report Share Posted September 15, 2007 turn valve cover bolts till their snug and thats it. On normal BBC and SBC pot metal shit covers, any more will warp the mating surface and not let the cover seat right, or put added strain on the gasket. You did get fel-pro gaskets right? Best evar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xtremerevolution Posted September 15, 2007 Author Report Share Posted September 15, 2007 Well, here's a bit of an update... The roller rockers definitely made a huge difference. It's just what I had expected for the amount I paid. I really can't wait to get to the track to see the improvements. I would definitely recommend them for anyone who has an L27. With these rockers, the 2.5" exhaust, and the K&N FWI, I would hope I'm running faster than an L36... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xtremerevolution Posted October 30, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 30, 2007 Finally got the pictures uploaded. Before: Installed: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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