I like happy endings! I just had a happy "New 383 engine issue" ending as well a few weeks back! 
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Racer
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 254
Likes: 3
From: Tampa Bay Florida
I have no experience with the Comp Cams rockers, but plenty with stockers. Did you molycote the rockers and rocker ***** when assembling? Once they start to gall, it's all over, there's no saving them. Have you contacted Comp Cams customer support about your problem? Also, their rockers come in sets for "perimeter bolt" heads and"center bolt" heads (meaning the rocker covers) with the center bolt style having offsets on some of the arms and no offset for others. You have to make sure that you install the offset rockers on the proper locations or incur excessive side loads or complete binding on the rockers. I note that not all of the rockers are blued, so my long distance diagnosis (guess) is that some of the rockers were installed in the wrong locations. I'd contact Comp Cams so not to have a repeat performance.
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 518
Likes: 77
From: Kings Park NY
pacecar620 - I have had no prior experience with these rockers either. But the engine builder specified these when we put this combo together. The pictures may be deceiving. The heads are late model 96 to 2002 vortec heads sitting on an 89 roller block. I essentially have center bolt heads but I have an adapter on there to put older style valve covers on. According to CompCams these are the right rockers for this setup. Personally I think I over tightened these valves when I setup the engine and possibly fatigued the pushrods.
I'm still hopeful that the piston is okay. The spring is broken but it's still kind of working, maybe because its a double. Don't really know. I used JE/SRP flat tops -5cc and they were expensive If the piston got wacked I may just pull the motor again. I also have not found any metal in the oil or filter which I cut open. I going to keep my fingers crossed till I can get that head off.
Thanks
I'm still hopeful that the piston is okay. The spring is broken but it's still kind of working, maybe because its a double. Don't really know. I used JE/SRP flat tops -5cc and they were expensive If the piston got wacked I may just pull the motor again. I also have not found any metal in the oil or filter which I cut open. I going to keep my fingers crossed till I can get that head off.
Thanks
I have no experience with the Comp Cams rockers, but plenty with stockers. Did you molycote the rockers and rocker ***** when assembling? Once they start to gall, it's all over, there's no saving them. Have you contacted Comp Cams customer support about your problem? Also, their rockers come in sets for "perimeter bolt" heads and"center bolt" heads (meaning the rocker covers) with the center bolt style having offsets on some of the arms and no offset for others. You have to make sure that you install the offset rockers on the proper locations or incur excessive side loads or complete binding on the rockers. I note that not all of the rockers are blued, so my long distance diagnosis (guess) is that some of the rockers were installed in the wrong locations. I'd contact Comp Cams so not to have a repeat performance.
Last edited by malicatasr; Nov 6, 2013 at 10:57 PM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 6,231
Likes: 65
From: Seattle WA
St. Jude Donor '14
The broken spring is also a "good" indication; typically (not always) this indicates the spring "went solid" or lost clearance between the coils - another indication of bad adjustment...but I would also check all your valvetrain clearances very carefully...
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 5,084
Likes: 786
From: Lebanon Township New Jersey
As for those Comp rockers - I had a set of 1.6s on my Vortec heads, with enlarged pushrod holes with a flat tappet cam and now I have 1.5s with a roller cam. No problems with either set.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 8,351
Likes: 75
From: Tampa Bay FL
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 518
Likes: 77
From: Kings Park NY
Quick update. I got it all back together today and it fired up first crank. I primed the oil system and took a quick stab at the timing and first crank 70 psi oil pressure and sounds great. I just have to put the valve covers on and so some house keeping and hopefully all is well
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