I finally figured out what the knocking sound is in my engine!!! The rocker arms are hitting the valvecovers on the side closest to the intake manifold. I see some wear on the valve cover! What can i do to stop them from hitting??? I already set them twice at zero lash thinking that they were loose, but they still knock. Please help, thanks

swap those covers for a tall set

A lot of the time, you can use 2 valve cover gaskets on each head & it will give you enough clearance. I'd suggest using the good neoprene gaskets & glue them together, then glue them to the cover.

Mr. Gasket and Felpro both make an extra thick gasket for this purpose. Rather then glueing 2 gaskets together.

I bet you are running the Proform/GM aluminum covers...
The only rockers I have found that clear those are the Comp Cams Pro Magnums

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1971 Camaro
383 stroker ~500HP
M21 4spd
12" brakes
16x10" Wheels
Autocross competitive
Engine Designer - The Speed Merchant, San Jose, CA
http://www.speedmerchant.com/

yeah they are the Proform CHEVROLET aluminum tall valve covers... I don't see how a thicker gasket would do anything???

<font face="Arial,Verdana" size="2">Originally posted by Monkey9racer:
I don't see how a thicker gasket would do anything??? </font>

At least 250 thou

That would only raise the valve cover right? But not make it any wider???? or what???

they hitting hte sidewall of the cover? if so, then a gasket won't do anything for you. What is the wall thickness of the cover? maybe you can bevel them out with a dremel tool to relieve some space where the rockers hit. Or get a different cover.

You wouldn't be running twisted wedge heads by chance would you? I chased the same tick as you have. Would reset the rockers; put the valve covers on, and the sound was backI did every thing from grinding my roller rockers , to slotting my valve cover bolt holes (then they leaked). I never got enough clearance to keep the rockers off the sides of the valve covers.

What kind of rockers are they? If adding another gasket to make them taller wont work, you might need another set of valve covers. I just put a set of Moroso tall valve covers on my BBC and have no clearanve issues.

Had trouble with this on my factory Z covers. I slotted the holes just a bit, push up on the covers when you tightten them. Takes about a sixteenth inch, not much, to clear.

Heres a funny one....on my 86 ss Monte, the driver side rockers hit the cover if I tighten them down a bit too much. I found out when I replaced the gaskets due to a leak. I backed off a wee bit on each bolt & no noise. The whole engine is a bone stock 305!

They are stock heads that came on small block 400's, i believe they are 883's or 882's. Rockers are also stock. Yes, they hit on the side of the valve cover, closest to the intake manifold. Maybe i'll try grinding them out a little and pushing them up when I retighten them again. The thing i don't understand is why would they sell something that doesnt fit without modification? Here's the exact ones i bought:
http://store.summitracing.com/default.asp?Ntt=proform+small+chevy+valve+covers&Ntk=KeywordSearch&DDS=1&searchinresults=false&N=0&target=egnsearch.asp

stamped steel, eh? Maybe not good for grinding; thin wall. Maybe take a ball-peen hammer and dimple from the inside the spot that it hits.

[This message has been edited by engine (edited October 23, 2005).]