Going to attempt to install my CHE trunion kit on my dry sump ls3 tomorrow and had a question about the install and torque of the rocker arm bolts. I know they are supposed to be torqued to 22 ft/lbs. and are supposed to be torqued when they aren't under tension from the lifter being at the top of the camshaft. I know others have just simply torqued them all at the same time regardless of where the crank happens to be but I really want to do it right the first time. I would have no problem manually turning over my engine except that I have installed a Powerbond balancer with the ARP bolt. The arp bolt sticks out much farther than the stock one and is less than an inch away from the steering rack. There is absolutely no way I can put any kind of wrench or socket on it. Do I just keep turning over the engine and checking to see when I happen to get it lined up each time or is there another way? Thinking that could take a while with 16 bolts to tighten. Anyone happen to know which valves are in sync with each other so I can do them at the same time? Really appreciate the info!

 

Assuming an open end box wrench wouldn't suffice, perhaps a strap wrench around the balancer itself would work. Oh, how i miss the good ole days of just running the engine with the valve cover off and adjusting lash. Used to be a five minute ordeal.

 

Only thing I can think of is to remove the lower inspection plate on the bell housing were the clutch is located (assuming a manual) and turn the engine over by levering off of the flywheel. I would assume autos have a similar inspection cover but I don't know.

I have never followed the GM procedure. I have replaced rocker arms several times and I am just a little more careful to tighten down the rockers. I will then bump the starter to turn the engine over and re-check the torque. Never had any problems.

 

Remove the spark plugs to make it a little easier but a box end wrench (on balancer bolt) with an indented offset work well. Basically what I mean is the wrench is a box end and it goes 90 degrees for about and inch before it goes 90 again for like 15 inches. Craftsman 44320 - 13/16 - 15/16 box end wrench. If you can figure out TDC#1 and #6 at those points 8 lifters are pretty much at zero or close to zero lift and you can torque down easy.

 

Pull the plugs put the car in 4th or 5th gear and push it back and forth to roll engine over. Do it all the time works for me. I have an ATI balancer and nothing fits in there.

 

Great suggestions! I forgot to mention that the ARP bolt is a 12 point so a wrench won't work otherwise that would have been a no brainer. I'll pull the plugs and try to rotate the engine using the wheels. Was thinking to put the car on my quickjack and rotate the wheels by hand with the car in 1st gear. Wondering if I can get enough torque on the wheel to get the engine to turn? Not sure if anyone has tried it

 

Keep in mind higher gears are gonna roll engineer over easier but slower. Remember when u do this the gear ratios are working in reverse. So 1st gear will be the hardest to turn the engine with.

 

Pull the plugs and work without compression fighting you.

 

With the plugs out you can probably turn the engine by turning the alternator pulley and holding pressure on the belt.

That's aside, I've always torqued the rockers just as they sat and never had an issue.

 

What ^^^ said, with plugs out just put a wrench on the alternator and it will spin easy.

 

when i had this problem i couldn't turn it from the alternator pulley like someone mentioned above, belt would just slip on the pulley.
ended up removing the starter relay and turning the engine over for about 1 second at a time by shorting across the relay pins with a thick wire (all spark plugs were out).
After 1 or 2 engagements of the starter the cam had moved to a position where i could tighten the remaining rockers down.

Don't know if this is good or bad, dont know if there is some reason this is not recommended, but it worked.

 

I'm a bit OCD so I typically always do it the "right way", but in this case I have never done it the GM way. Always do it the "LS1howto.com" way i.e. 22 ft/lbs w/ a dab of blue loc-tite, rotate motor a few times with back tire then torque them all again to 22.

 

Pull the cap off the starter relay and use the starter to bump the motor. Real easy

 

Done this job a million times. Torque all to 22 ft lbs and then bump the starter and recheck. I once did it that way and then for peace of mind did it the "correct way, not one bolt needed to be torqued

 

Thanks so much for all the suggestions. The CHE kit was great and didn't have any issues installing it. Pulled the spark plugs and put a ratchet on the alternator and didn't have any issues turning it over. Found TDC, adjusted all the correct valves (found another thread here with that info), rotated the engine 360 degrees and did the rest. One of those rare projects that nothing got effed up! Thanks again for everything! Just pulled the intake off, will be doing a rear crossover tube install as well as sending in the intake for rod mod.

 

so exactly how the heads plopped on you just throw the rods in and set the rockers and just zapped them to 22ft lbs with no issue no matter they’re position? Wouldn’t position affect the torque or am I wrong here

 

Yes, it can affect the torque.

When I do it, I try to torque down the rockers on that are on the base circle first. Rotate the engine, torque the rest. I then will turn the engine a few turns and recheck torque on everything.

 

starter relay to bump it over