Request - You perspectives on a rocker arm ( aka rocker assembly ) reinstall.
I detail what I did, you tell me what I should do.

My 20R engine blew a headgasket. Removed the head and had it machine ($70).
Just yesterday reinstalled head and attached timing chain and cam sprocket gear. (See forum thread )

Before I disassembled/dismantled head, I set engine to Top Dead Center Compression (TDCC ). I marked and aligned all gears with purple inked lines and numbered the head bolts rear-to-front, left-to-right so that all the bolts would go back into their original holes.

BETTER IDEA: Still mark all ten bolts by number, but mark the bolts numerically in the TIGHTENING PATTERN. This way you can follow the numbers when you put the head and rocker assembly back on, and then follow the number sequence easily during tightening as the inked numbers are in front of you. Much easier than stopping and referencing a paper diagram in back of the garage so it won't get dirty.

Live and learn for me. Read and learn for others

1) Cleaned the rocker arm assembly for any dirt and then oiled the Rocker pillar. The Rocker pillars have two distinctive shapes: Passengerside rocker piller will have a bigger base to take in the Headbolt guides. The Driverside rocker piller doesn't have that large base and positions "lower" onto the head since the driverside doesn't have the protruding guides the Passengerside piller has.

2) Oiled headbolt guides protruding from the passengerside.

3) Placed the rocker arm assembly onto the head. The head has protruding head bolt guides on the passengerside. While being machined, one of these guides came out and was returned in a plastic bag. Check to make sure it's all there....

4) Gently tapped Rocker Arm Assembly onto head with Rubber Mallet. Just a few taps to ensure even fit ...

5) Placed all headbolts back into their original position. I dipped the threaded end of the headbolts into oil before placing into holes. I was told this helps for an even setting when tightening ( Note the numbering in purple ink done before removal. A better numbering method would have been to number the bolts in the tightening sequence. This better method would make the tightening of the headbolts easier to follow.)

6) Hand tightened the headbolts per the tightening sequence. I was told to do three turns of the bolt and then go to the next bolt in the sequence. Do three turns, go to the next bolt, and so on This is done for an even fit of the new headgasket so one end of the gasket doesn't tighten down and thereby lift up the other side.

7) I'll post a picture of the headbolt sequence in Part Two. Only five pics per post maximum here. (This picture of the headbolt sequence isn't the best. I'll post a better one later. But it's better than nothing.)

 

20R _ Rocker Arm Assembly Reinstall (Visual Pics )- Part Two - Valve Question

Here's a picture of the headbolt tightening sequence numerically.

(This picture of the headbolt sequence isn't the best. I'll post a better one later. But it's better than nothing. And I'll post a pic of the torque settings )

Question: After the rocker arm assembly is on and torqued down properly, should I adjust the tolerances between the valve guides and rocker arms with a feeler gauge now when it is dry and has no oil in the engine ?

Or should I wait until the entire engine is back together with new oil, run the engine, and then pull off the valve cover and do the valve guide/rocker arm adjustments ?

Will a dry, oil-less valve combined with a dry, oil-less rocker arm give a "False" feeler gauge tolerance?

 

numerating the head bolt is not necessary as they are all identical. Usually it is recommended to replace head bolts due to 'stretch'.
You should do your valve lash adjustment before running it and after a few heat cycles in order to double check clearance and adjust accordingly

The clearance won't change because of oil or oil-less assembly but because of valve, rocker assembly setting in

As for head bolts tightening, It is a good rule to break the torque sequence in 3 steps
IE: torque spec 60lbs. so 3 steps 20 lbs increments.. 1st 20 2nd 40 final 60..

 

Tyrap26 - Excellent points! I will follow them all! That's why I come here: experience and knowledge to shared and put into good use!

Thank you!