VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1929-1932 1929 Rocker Arm Rebuild

I am looking for someone who can Rebuild 1929 Rocker Arms Properly as I Need to have the Rocker Arms on my 1929 Chevrolet 194 Rebuilt. They need to be Welded up, then ground & shaped PROPERLY. Possible hardened as well. Would like someone who is experienced and will provide a QUALITY end result that will last me a LONG time. Any leads would be appreciated.

I talked with Bill (Billy Possum) over @ C&P Automotive, they no longer provide there Rocker Arm Rebuild Service as they are unable to find anyone locally that can rebuild the Rocker Arms with Quality Results.

Once I can find someone to do this service I will have my Rocker Arm Assemblies Rebuilt w/ New Shafts, Bushings, Springs, Clips, Wicks. From what i can see the Valve Adjustment Screws & Locking Nuts are in great shape, they all move freely and are NOT marred up. If the Rocker Arm Place can do this would like to have it all done in one shot so the bearings can be reamed to fit the shafts properly. I will be getting the parts from Bill, or one of his outlets :)

Need to debate if I want to PULL the Head and have the valves check and maybe the seats cleaned and filed for proper valve seating. and also look at new Spring Caps & Keys. Maybe NEW Valve Springs as well. Also will put in NEW Valve Push Rods & Push Rod Ends as what I have now is a mixed bag of the original 2 piece and some later one piece rods.

Also what about replacing the Valve Tappets ?? any way to determine if the ONE I have are worth keeping or need replacing ??

ANY and ALL help is appreciated... yeah the Engine was NOT REBUILT it was OVERHAULED, as we all know from reading my threads...

Most local tool shops could probably do it for you.

Have them centerless grind the shaft. Make new bushings to fit. Resurface the rockers.

At the dealer I worked for we had an attachment for the valve grinding machine that resurfaced the rocker arms and to the correct curve> I doubt if they were hardened when new but the metal is "packed down" where the arm contacts the valve stem so I would doubt if hardnig is necessary.
Today dealerships don't even have a valve grinder. They send the parts out to a machine shop and the average valves never require grinding. Thanks in part to unleaded gas.

I think the F.S. does it.

Yes, Filling Station #RW-716 $295.

Yeah I plan on calling TFS monday and talk with them, also will talk to a few local shops to see what they can do for me.

Ok found a few places that are experienced in the Realm of resurfacing the Rocker Arms. Also they will chrome plate the shaft or replace it will one of C&P 's Chrome Moly jobs. They tumble the rocker arms to reduce stress that has built up, which makes sense. they build up the surface and then contour the rocker arm valve face. they also will ream out the rocker arms and install new bushings, the bushings will be grooved and hole drilled for the wick feed. The bushing will be reamed to mount properly on the shaft. I am also going to replace the springs and clips. a few of the springs are beyond shot !! Will also put in new WICKS.

Man I am excited !! now just to get time to remove them and send them out. Said about 3 weeks turn around, so gives me time to do other things as well... ELECTRICAL

doing a quick look over the Rocker Arm Assembly... Looks like somewhere along the line someone welded some up, well tried to. Can anyone confirm that these are the RIGHT rocker Arm Assemblies that should be on my First Generation 1929 ??

Here are some shots of the Rocker Arms:

This is the First Cylinder from 3 angles
Rocker Arm Assembly Pict 01a
Rocker Arm Assembly Pict 01b
Rocker Arm Assembly Pict 01c

Rocker Arms to Valve Stem Head on Pictures
Rocker Arm Assembly Cyl 1
Rocker Arm Assembly Cyl 2
Rocker Arm Assembly Cyl 3
Rocker Arm Assembly Cyl 4
Rocker Arm Assembly Cyl 5
Rocker Arm Assembly Cyl 6

Shot of the Top Half
Looking from 1 to 6

Also seems that the Arm can EASILY be moved around, not just side to side, but they can be rocked on the shaft [left to right]. Telling me the bushings are SHOT !!

On the Bright side, the Adjusting Screws & Nuts LOOK Great, they all spin and turn easily and threads look great. So these should be GOOD to GO !!

Can someone Confirm that the Casting Number for 1929 Rocker Arms is 835549 ?!?

And so these look like they can or should be rebuilt or look for some spares/ newer, better condition ones !!

ARM, Valve Rocker - '29-'31 All, forged 835549

http://www.gmpartswiki.com/getpage?pageid=121481

Happy Motoring,

Dan

so based on this information

Would One say that ALL 12 Rocker Arms are IDENTICAL and can be Interchanged ?!?

All 12 are the same and they fit 1929-1931.

Yep, 1932 rocker arms are different.

Thanks Guys ;-)
will do some homework and see if i can find a few spares
this way when i send mine out if a few NEED to be replaced they can be. some of them look really rough :/

Pulled my Rocker Arm Assemblies off today and decided to check the TIPS out. Took some pictures, and then measured the Tips at their thickness point on the LEFT side of rib then the RIGHT side of the rib.

With a closer look you can tell that the TIPS were done with some sort of Brass/ Bronze Material, or at least that coloration and YES it is really soft, tested it with a file, real easy to file and really SOFT. Was done a while back as you can tell from the pictures. They are pitted, distorted and worn out, looks like the Valve Stems have been BEATING THEM UP !!

The numbers say it all:
Rocker Number Thickness Lt - . Rt (Diff)
Cylinder 1 Exhaust:---.278 - .271 (.007)
Cylinder 1 Intake:----.315 - .324 (.009)
Cylinder 2 Intake:----.270 - .276 (.006)
Cylinder 2 Exhaust:---.266 - .284 (.018)
Cylinder 3 Exhaust:---.259 - .276 (.017)
Cylinder 3 Intake:----.274 - .279 (.005)
Cylinder 4 Intake:----.247 - .249 (.002)
Cylinder 4 Exhaust:---.286 - .267 (.019)
Cylinder 5 Exhaust:---.245 - .261 (.016)
Cylinder 5 Intake:----.253 - .294 (.041)
Cylinder 6 Intake:----.279 - .278 (.001)
Cylinder 6 Exhaust:---.251 - .268 (.017)

Now a Picture Says a THOUSAND WORDS...
Rocker Arm Cylinder 1
Rocker Arm Cylinder 2
Rocker Arm Cylinder 3
Rocker Arm Cylinder 4
Rocker Arm Cylinder 5
Rocker Arm Cylinder 6

Smooth and Round they are NOT !! Well not anymore...

Also Checked the Bushings...

Bushings 01
Bushings 02

They are Split style bushing. You can see there is some pitting and wear in the bushing, all are the about the same.

They is some play, and some are a little Sloppy

Shaft OD---.714
Bushing ID-.728
---------------
Variance---.014

So NEW bushings as well...


Shafts, well they are a little pitted in places, and show some wear
Shaft 01
Shaft 02

So either some NEW C&P Shafts OR resurface & grind the ones I have (SAME COST)

Ok, Packed up My Rocker Arm Assemblies and They are ready to ship out !!

Plan ON sending them Out Monday to have them Rebuilt, Turn Around 3-4 Weeks I Estimate. Plus a week there and a week back. SO Hoping by End of Year or First of Next year Getting them Back :) Figure the Holidays in there as well.

Can Not Wait... Tons of other things to do WHY I WAIT 1929 Engine Update Phase 2 [Plan of Action] Plus Electrical !!

Rocker Arms are back...

I will have to open them up, inspect and post some photos of what I got back.

OK, sorry for the delay, finally got around to taking some photos of the Rebuilt Rocker Arms. Let me say they Look Fantastic and like NEW.
I did opt to get all new hardware (Springs, Clips, etc...)

Tips were ground, built up, then contoured. Bores were reamed, bushed, then reamed to fit coated shafts. Shafts were coated, then ground down. Stanchions were also reamed to fit new shafts.

Very Happy, can not wait to test them out...

Rocker Arms 1
Rocker Arms 2
Rocker Arms Underside
Rocker Arms End
Rocker Arms End Clip & Spring
Rocker Arms Tips
Rocker Arms Shaft & Spring

Looking good!!

Cheers, Dean

What a difference before and after! Who did you use to do the work. Keep up the great work on your rebuild.

They look great! Always makes you feel good when you get something repaired and it is in such great condition you just want to put it on the shelf and admire it!

You mentioned C & P , but then said they are no longer able to do the work. Who then did the work?

A work of art ! It's a shame to hide them under the covers.

Hmmmm, clear plastic rocker covers? Would be very cool!.

Cheers, Dean