Love that color!   

Now, I have a question about your engine.   I cannot see any guide plates on those heads.  What is going to hold the roller rockers in place?    Those seem to be rail style rocker heads, and still have the stock pressed in studs.  

Not trying to critisize, I just dont want you to frag your engine right after it goes in such a pretty car.  

Last edited by Greg B (5/05/2013 7:57 AM)

The top photo shows stock 289 heads.  note the notches in the stock rocker arms.  Those ride on the valve and keep it from coming off the valve while the engine is running.    The second photo is a set of aftermarket heads, but we are noting the screw in rocker studs and guide plates.   

To fix your engine, you are either going to have to put the stock rocker studs back on, or have the heads machined to put on screw in studs and guide plates, as this those plates are what hold roller rockers centered on the valve.  

These are Comp Cam 1052-16 Pedestal Mount Rockers.
http://www.compperformancegroupstores.com/store/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=CC&Product_Code=1052-16&Category_Code=

Website I used to buy these on mentioned nothing of guide plates. This is my first engine build and I have asked some very specific questions to get it where it is. Comp Cam's website doesn't mention anything about other parts needed. But I will ask their tech department. I had to buy some new rocker arms because somewhere in the past 5 years the box that had everything for the heads disappeared.

Engine and heads are a 302, code on the block appeared to be a Ford Torino. I should have bought aftermarket heads, but was already too far down the rabbit hole to restart.

Front suspension is a Fatman Fabrications bolt in kit.
Wheels on the car won't work with front calipers, so I only put them on so we could roll it on/off the trailer. This is the first time the car has been on wheels in over a years.  So the center caps and everything else has to change.

TO be sure, nothing anyone is telling me, do I consider criticizing me or my work. I absolutley love the fact that I can rub shoulders with experts in this craft and get some of the best advice around. I should be the one apologizing for coming into the group with a bunch of rookie questions.

Ed

Is it possible to add some guid plates that CJ Pony sells for 302 heads?

I would like to see some better pictures of the condition where the rocker arm mounts to the head before we decide what is best to fix this situation.  One thing is for sure, though.  The engine would drop several valves pretty quick if fired up without SOMETHING to keep the rockers aligned with the valves.  The rockers would walk off the stems and then work on the retainers until they released them.

Could you unbolt one and post a picture of the theraded hole in the head as well as the underside of the rocker arm mounting ?

OK:   Now that I can see we are dealing with 1978 heads, and not 1968 heads,  zackdaddies post is just what you need.  

1978 heads came from the factory with rail mount rockers.  NO PROBLEMS with the mount height.  

I forgot to mention.  The channel kit you need to get, needs to FIT the COMP rocker arms. 

The ones zackdaddy posted are for stock pedestools.   I do not know if those will work or not.  You need to call Comp and find out what channels their arms are supposed to use.    Then you should be good to go.  

Mochaman in the first picture of the engine, the round hole in the middle of the head over the exhaust crossover port. Does it have a core plug in it? I put some in mine when i rebuilt it but it still leaks exhaust.I have only seen these round holes on late model GT-40 style haeds.I had posted here before but no one seemed to understand which hole thatT I was refering to.

@xrracer, the holes don't go anywhere, they just inset into the metal and stop. ??? No idea. I can take some closeups of them if you want.

@MustangSteve Here is two different angles of the bottome of Rockers.

Yes please, if not too much trouble. Mine are open into the exhaust passages.