Strange valve tip wear patterns

[timmycharger]

Not sure what is going on with my rockers or valves, has anyone seen a pattern that looks like this? I was checking pushrod length trying to diagnose the tapping sound that I have had since startup. Hughes roller rocker set up 1.6 ratio from around 2000. I drove with them for a few years and then the engine sat on a stand until last year when I rebuilt it.

Is the roller tip wasted? it does have a fair amount of play but not much more than the other ones. Or do I have bent valves? I did not check piston to valve clearance with the Eddy Head, I figured it was stock replacement and I didn't change the cam out.  I also put air into cylinder 1 when I changed out the valvespring and didn't hear any obvious valve leak.

[c00nhunterjoe]

Were the rocker shaft oil holes lined up? Looks like oil starvation to me. Valves are trash and probably rockers too.

[PRH]

Frankly...... I don't see anything alarming at all there.

I do see something a little puzzling though, so I'll start with a couple of questions.

Were those heads ever run, for probably a short time, with non-roller rockers?

What exactly do you feel is so strange about the wear pattern?

[timmycharger]

Frankly...... I don't see anything alarming at all there.

I see do something a little puzzling though, so I'll start with a couple of questions.

Were those heads ever run, for probably a short time, with non-roller rockers?

What exactly do you feel is so strange about the wear pattern?

Appreciate the feedback, hopefully the valves are ok.  I am 99 percent sure i had the shafts in the right way. 

I did run the stamped mopar ones for a short time when i was trying to find the noise.  There was no real change so I put the rollers back in. 

The fact that it is sideways and not parallel to the others is what alarmed me as if the rollers were moving around.

Thinking of putting air in each cylinder to see if any bent valves, I have a leakdown gauge as well.  If they are ok maybe putting the stamped ones in for good and using the measuring pushrod tool and getting the correct size rods.  Is there a trick to that? I think my stock 9.125 ones are too short hence the noise.

[c00nhunterjoe]

Perhaps the pictures are deceiving on my screen? The 2nd picture looks like a saw was used to cut a groove in the valve?

[timmycharger]

There is definitely a pronounced mark but I cant feel any imperfections.

[BDF]

How are the rocker arms? No worries about them?
Edit: I see that you asked if they were "wasted"...

[PRH]

Okay..... you answered my question about the thing that looked odd to me.

The line going across the valve is actually what's it's "supposed to" look like, but rarely does.

It's just a witness mark from where the roller rides.
In order for it to be one line like that, there can be virtually no "unhappiness" going on in the valvetrain.
When you run into valve float, lofting, lifter pump up, excessive pushrods flex, spring surge, etc......the valves will rotate in the guides, and then you'll get either multiple lines, or often times a star type pattern from numerous lines being formed.
When you're running roller rockers, and there is essentially no pattern at all, then the valvetrain is being run into some amount of instability regularly .......so the valve doesn't stay at any one point long enough for the pattern to form.

What looked odd to me wasn't the line across the valve tip, but the scuff mark on either side of the line.......like they were run with two different styles of rockers.......which apparently they were.

You can just put it back together and drive it.
Nothing to worry about with what I see there.

You're looking for a problem that isn't there.

[c00nhunterjoe]

And this is why we dont disect pictures on little cell phone screens. Lol. Thanks dwayne for setting me straight. 

[timmycharger]

Thank you for the explanation, it was appreciated.  Would a too short or too long pushrod situation show a different pattern?

[PRH]

Where the pattern occurs on the valve is a function of several factors, but on an engine with shaft mounted rockers that have a fixed location on the heads.......the pushrod length isn't one of those factors.

The pushrods could either be too long, too short, or perfect, and the pattern from the roller contacting the valve won't change one bit.

[timmycharger]

Where the pattern occurs on the valve is a function of several factors, but on an engine with shaft mounted rockers that have a fixed location on the heads.......the pushrod length isn't one of those factors.

The pushrods could either be too long, too short, or perfect, and the pattern from the roller contacting the valve won't change one bit.

Thanks again.  I have the pushrod check tool from Hughes.  Going to take another shot at measuring it. If its fine then I will bolt it back up. It's all apart anyway.

[timmycharger]

How are the rocker arms? No worries about them?
Edit: I see that you asked if they were "wasted"...

The rockers look good. No obvious gouges on anything. The bearings have some play but they all feel the same.

[fy469rtse]

yep ,
i agree with coonhunter joe, strange patterns,
can you take a photo of rockers and shafts, and also your clamps, inspect the under side of of rocker also that springs aren't touching the underside of rocker,   the wear line says to me position over the valve correct,
but strange marks,
i always run banana groove shafts , thicker in wall , less likely to distort when clamped down,
shims or springs between rockers,
going with my gut instincts , looks like rockers are floating around , side ways   

[c00nhunterjoe]

No, i reviewed the pictures on wifi instead of over the air on my phone. I stand corrected. What i initially viewed as cuts and gouges are not.