Thread: General Hemi Info Part 5

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Installing the heads: This is very straight forward but as I said earlier may be easier and more safely done with the engine on a floor dolly but it’s up to you. Just make sure you have the head gaskets positioned properly. As the head bolts also retain the rocker shafts, once the head is sitting on the dowels, install the pushrods and rocker shafts. BEFORE you tighten down the head bolts insure the rocker shafts have been correctly assembled and are correctly installed. There is on rocker stand on the intake side of each set of rocker shafts that has a cast in oil passage that must match up to the oil passage located in the head. There are also 5 short and 5 long head bolts per head. The long bolts go on the exhaust side of the head.

Torque the head to specs using a circular pattern and you are done with the head install.



Rockers/push rods: Again a few options also exist in this area. If you are running a stock/original grind cam (and have not milled the heads or block excessively) you can get by with stock hydraulic (non-adjustable) rockers and pushrods.

If you are running an aftermarket/re-ground cam, have done a lot of milling, or are running solid lifters you will need either adjustable rockers or adjustable push rods.

Only a few of the early Hemi’s came with adjustable rockers the 300 letter series cars and SOME on the industrial Hemi’s ( I have torn several industrial Hemi’s down that had hydraulic cams and non-adjustable rockers to include the 354, even though ALL industrial valve covers have the dimples for adjustable rockers). Adjustable rockers do occasionally come up on E Bay both OE and early aftermarket units, but they are pricey.

The other option is adjustable pushrods. These can be a PIA to adjust, but they are a cheap and effective alternative, and they do let you run Stock style non-dimple valve covers if you wish. As I said they are a pain to adjust especially the intakes, but with a little patience it is doable. I have heard of some people installing the adjustable pushrods in upside down (both ends are shaped the same) which would make adjustment considerably easier, but would require the intake being removed is a latter adjustment is required.