VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - GENERAL Mechanical - Engine, Trans, etc Bumps on I.D. of 235 rocker arms?

I've got a spare rocker assembly off of a mid 1954 head that I'm reconditioning.

I got a set of the reproduction rocker shafts on Ebay because the original shafts had deep grooves worn in the bottoms where they contact the rocker arms.

I used a benchtop disc sander to take the grooves out of the rocker tips where they contact the valve tips.

When I go to put the rockers on the new shafts, I could feel resistance near the center of the rockers travel.

I looked at the inside diameter of each rocker arm where it rides on the shaft and there is a round button of metal in the bottom I.D. of each rocker arm corresponding to the oiling hole in the bottom of the shaft. The button has a groove it in that matches the oiling groove around the rest of the rocker I.D.

My theory is that the metal that wore off of the shaft settled in a depression that may have been machined into the bottom I.D. of the rocker arm. The groove would have been kept open due to the ridge in the shaft where the metal didn't wear away.

Has anyone else ever seen anything like this? The button of metal was resistant to a pick that I used to try to pop it out.

Rob

Hi beachpony

That "button" is the UNWORN metal that DID NOT wear away because it aligned with the hole in the shaft.
That button is showing you how much metal is actually worn away from the entire lower half of the rocker arm bore around it.

Your old shafts are SEVERELY worn, and look like they have been getting NO oil for some time.
If the head you are reconditioning is from an engine you have, you will need to investigate the reason why no oil has been reaching the rocker arms.

So, hate to be the bearer of bad news but...

Unfortunately, if I were you, I'd be looking for a new set of rocker arms as well.

PS
If you find a set of used but still usable rocker arms,
do NOT recondition the end which contacts the valve with a bench grinder.
You will ruin them.

Take them to a shop with the proper equipment to do the job.

Ole's suggestion is a good 1. If you put a new shaft in the worn rocker bush will still be excess clearance and the new shaft will soon look like the 1 you have just taken out. I believe replacement bushes are available.
Tony