Correct push rods for my engine? Please help.

[Crowsville]

Hello all, I have in my 85 Buick Regal a 355 4 bolt main sbc. I put on vortec heads along with an edelbrock intake for vortec heads and an eldelbrock 1406 for a carb. I have a comp cam 268h in it and no it is not a hydraulic cam, it's a flat tappet.

Everything was going semi well with my build until I started experimenting with my rockers and push rods. I installed these:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/SBC-Stainle...ash=item58c28063d5:g:FbMAAOSwqu9VJaIp&vxp=mtr

I have a really bad tick and I am pretty sure the cause of it is because of incorrect push rod length. I read all over various forums that it is recommended that the 1.6 rockers are put on the intake side and the 1.5 is put on the exhaust which is exactly what I did. I was hoping by chance someone could shed light on something that I missed that can be causing this unbearable tick. I didn't install any push rod guide plates by the way and I was searching all over various forums for an answer to this. I was just hoping if someone had an answer to that push rods I am supposed to be using without me having to use a pushrod length tester.

I tried a ton of methods on adjusting the rocker arms too by the way, I tried the by the book way and followed Youtube videos on it step by step and also had my father in law do it by ear so I really do not think it comes down to adjustment either guys.

Thank you in advance for the advice.

 

[565bbchevy]

Are your Vortec heads stock or have they been modified with the correct springs for your application?
I am not sure what the limit is for lift on stock Vortec heads but you could be having slight coil bind if they are stock.
Also check the 1.6 rocker pushrods and make sure these are not rubbing on the head since the ratio change moves the angle of the pushrod slightly and also make sure non of the rockers are hitting the retainers.
There are too many variables to really recommend the proper pushrod length things like decking the block, milling the heads, head gasket thickness, different rocker arms and ratios etc. all make a difference, I would use a pushrod length checker with an adjustable pushrod and use Dykem and mark the top of the valve stem and see where the roller is riding, I do this anytime something is changed that can affect the pushrod length it is the only way to know for sure.
And since your heads are set up for self aligning rockers and that is what your roller rockers you replaced them with are there would be no need for a guide plate.
This may be a stretch but a small header leak sounds very much like a lifter tick..

 

[Crowsville]

Stock vortec heads and the block really hasn't had anything crazy done to it I just ordered it bored out to a 355 from a machine shop online and put in a 268h. As far as a header gasket it was just whatever is factory spec for a 96 and up sbc. I looked up the part number in felpro in AutoZone and got exactly what it came up with. My goal really was just to make it reliable with nothing crazy.

As far as an exhaust leak I thought it was that at first too so I changed both exhaust gaskets to copper exhaust gaskets and the problem continues to happen.

 

[Crowsville]

"not a hydraulic cam, it's a flat tappet"

a flat tappet is a hydraulic lifter....did you mean solid lifter or that it is not a roller cam.

Yeah that's what I meant, sorry. It's not a roller cam.

 

[565bbchevy]

I would start by checking all the possible clearance issues first, take things apart and look for any contact between parts.

This is from a Super Chevy article:
Iron Vortec Head
All the Details You Need to Know
Jeff Smith Jan 1, 2003
The stock springs will only accommodate around 0.420 inch of valve lift. Other limitations of the Vortec heads include the press-in rocker studs and the required use of center-bolt valve covers.
Additional valve lift from a big cam and/or 1.6:1 rocker arms will require minor pushrod hole modifications to prevent bent pushrods. You can perform this modification yourself with a drill motor and a 1/2-inch bit. Be sure to drill at the pushrod angle. Comp sells a tool that helps position the drill bit properly.

 

[pontiacgp]

I have vortec heads on my 355 with a roller cam and I run 1.5 roller rockers. I got the cam from a 604 crate engine and used the springs from a 604 crate. I could have gone with 1.6 rockers but got a great deal on roller 1.5 rockers. The stock GM stamped 1.5 rockers are never 1.5, they are actually 1.43 to 1.48. The engine woke up with the roller rockers more than I though they would. For the pushrods I used the GM part number 10241740 for the 604 crate.