Do you mean your arms are loose on the shaft? Or that the arms are loose on the valves when torqued down? If it's the latter, you most likely need longer pushrods. The FE has several different pushrod lengths through the years. My advice is to measure the pushrod with a wide jaw caliper and then try one of the FE's longer versions. Pay special attention to the ends of the new pushrods because most FE engines use a ball on both ends of the rod BUT some of them did use a cup on the rocker end and a ball on the lifter end and you need to be sure not to order the wrong kind. Hope this is helpful.🙂 Best of luck with your project!

@@thomaskingdon1177 Thanks for watching! I'm glad you found it helpful! 🙂

@@dennisyoung4631 This is always good advice, but ESPECIALLY for an FE. The lifters are prone to failure due to debris as well. However, FE engines are resilient, I've had a few over the years that were run with non detergent motor oils and irregular/non-existent oil changes. They will still run for a long time, they will just make a lot of valve train noise.😅

Knew someone many years ago who had a “mighty three-ninety” in his truck. Unfortunately, I never had the chance to own one - either a Ford, or a 390. I suspect I really missed out.

@@dennisyoung4631 I recommend them, if you come across one that's reasonably priced (hard to do these days). They are fun to drive, especially with a stick shift!! 😄 Parts are kinda pricey though.

@@TheBestDanielBlount afraid that my driving days are more or less over, due to age, ill-health, and poverty - the latter predominating. Still, though - if the chance should present itself, I might try to secure one.

@@dennisyoung4631 I'm sorry to hear that Dennis! I know what you mean about poverty though! Everything car related costs a fortune now it seems.😐

@@muttomatic I'm glad you found it helpful!! I have an FE that I need to dig into for a lifter myself... Love these engines, but the lifters don't age well!😅👍

You are right Anthony! I get spoiled on this old pickup! But I have a 58 T bird with a 352 so I know your pain.😅 Good luck on your 66! I'm glad I could help!

@@TheBestDanielBlount Oh cool, nice ride; we can share the pain - lol. Thanks !

I just looked at my passenger manifold a few minutes ago. I didn't get a warm and fuzzy looking at those rusty bolt 🔩 heads. They're not all rusty though. 👍

@@anthonyhfe6450Yeah, they are pretty scary on these FE's! I had to drill out almost all of them from this particular set of heads. One thing you can try is to soak the backsides of the ones you can see, then crank the car and let it get nice and hot, then try and break them loose. That would be hard on these T birds, so be careful not to get burned.😬 I've used that trick successfully on a couple FE's, it failed miserably on a couple more tho.😅

@@TheBestDanielBlount Thank you for the advice. I am glad that you can get to the other side of these bolts on these cool FE heads. That is a plus for the penetrating oil for sure. Yes, I can always start it up and heat up everything. Good advice. Thanks.

Thanks! I love this thing! It's a really good truck, except for the enormous amount of rust.😅

I'm really glad you found it helpful! Best of luck with your 390!👍

Thanks for watching Robert! What kind of engine does that forklift use? I used to use an old Clark lift that had a flathead Continental. I suspect this process will apply to almost anything using shaft style rockers, but I myself have only used it on Y blocks and Fe engines.

Thanks for watching Alan! I agree with you 100%, Having the mating surfaces machined is definitely the best way to solve exhaust leaks on the FE. But in my case I didn't feel like taking the heads to a shop and waiting for them. Gaskets (even these) are a Band -aid at best. With that being said, I still haven't had any trouble from these gaskets.

I was in the same boat on my truck, I had the engine out and disassembled, but somehow forgot to do this until I had it back together. 😅 On the brightside, this is pretty easy to do with the engine in the truck and the intake on.👍

Glad you found it helpful! Best of luck with your project!👍

Thanks for watching! I'm glad you found it helpful!😀

When I put them back on I simply tightened mine to spec. My Engine has hydraulic flat tappets and a non adjustable valve train, (as most stock FE engines do) In this setup, your lifters "adjust themselves" to the proper lash by pumping up with oil. If you have a modified FE or one of the rare mechanical flat tappet versions, you would need to adjust the valves. The best thing is to make sure of what setup you currently have.👍 Best of luck with your project friend!😀

@@TheBestDanielBlount sweet even better... guess I was thinking 🤔 for sure . So also was wondering guess then y0u only adjust the valves at or when you rebuild...cuz I remember doing that with my buddy .I guess only at rebuild time then??..again just wondering your input or how u see 👀 it Thanks again .. wanna get her back on her feet again & running like a champ 🏆 😃😁

Thank you for watching, for the kind words! It's hard to beat an old for truck with a 390!😀 Best of luck with your rebuild.👍

Thanks for watching Dan! I I am not altering the shafts in this video, just cleaning them out.👍 In my experience with FE engines they will get clogged,( or at least partly so) and the oil flow out of the rockers is diminished, therefor exposing the brass bushings to unessecary wear. Although this probably does vary due to how well the engine was serviced/maintained. I will also say that it seems pretty hard to find a well maintained FE in my area. 😅

Reason we don't find well maintained is those tuggers are so durable without maintenance like most old Ford over head valve engines. Recently took a 352 out a 59 bird 167K miles on the odo no sign it was ever taken apart. Mass sludge but still running good. Crank thrust was so worn rods were pushing the pins out of the pistons, common to high mile manual trans. Stock cylinder bores were still in tolerance, engine builder figured it was one of the rare high nickel blocks. Replaced with rebuilt 68 GT 390. @@TheBestDanielBlount

@@danontherun5685 That's awesome! I have a 59 T-bird with a 352 myself! They are awesome cars! Mine has 54k miles and runs like a brand new car. Sadly, the previous owners left it out in a field for 25 years, so the paint is ruined.

I replied about your 59 but may have blown the reply, I think it started with 'now I'm impressed'. Let me know as I have some info you should have, especially that I have a lot of spare squarebird parts including good int/ext brightwork too good to toss and don't need bux. Will watch for your reply. @@TheBestDanielBlount

. Thanks Dan! I LOVE my 59! I used to not like them when I was a kid, but bought this one for cheap mainly because I hated to see it sit and rot. I fell in love almost instantly and it's since become an obsession.😅 I might need some interior trim, mine is intact but the chrome plating is REALLY BAD, I'd also love a set of half decent door panels if I could find them. I need to make a set, but don't have the time right now.

Thanks Nathan! I'm really glad you found it helpful!😀

The problem you are having does sound like a faulty lifter, (FE engines are unfortunately quite prone to this as they age) my first course of action would be to pull the rocker shaft assembly and check all the pushrods to be sure they are not bent, as this is another possible cause. You can check them by simple laying them on a flat surface and rolling them along it and watching for bends. This would be a great time to clean the shafts like I did in this video. When you re install the shafts/pushrods you want to be sure to slowly and evenly torque the bolts back down to spec, (40-45 ft lbs IRRC) be careful when doing this as you can bend the rocker shaft if you are too aggressive. Most FE engines use hydraulic flat tappets, which means that once you bolt the shaft back on the lifters will "pump up" and basically adjust themselves dynamically. Some FE engines did have mechanical tappets, and need manual adjustment, however these engines are quite rare and were usually just used in HiPo applications. If your rocker arms look like the ones in the video, they require no adjustment, if they have screws over the pushrods, then they will require adjustment. When it comes to lifters, I have tried ALOT of various additives over the years and various FE engines I have Had, and it's really hit or miss in terms of stopping noise. Lifters can be taken out and cleaned, or you can replace them (be sure to use assembly lube on the lifters and cam lobes, and follow the break in procedure for flat tapped lifters) I hope this helped you, and if you need anything else, please feel free to reach out to me here anytime😀 Good luck!👍

Thanks Robert! I'm glad you found it helpful!😀 This is one of the first things I tackle on any FE project car, it really does help.👍

Thanks!😄 I hope it helps! My preferred oil weight typically varies when it comes to FE engines, but in this truck I usually run straight Sae 30wt (rotella t4 if I can find it). Just make sure that whatever oil you use either has sufficient zinc content or use a zinc additive.👍 in some of the looser FE engines I've had I used 40wt. 40wt will also quiet valve train noise if your engine has a problem with that.

Thanks for the info Donald! I've got a couple Yblocks sitting around for future projects, so I will definitely be looking into that.😀👍

@@TheBestDanielBlount the feeder kits from the sending unit reduces oil pressure bearings fail. I had a fleet of theese I would drill holes in both covers attach the drains

@@donalddesnoo5303 That's really cool! I think I remember seeing an old advertisement for those kits before.😀

Thank you for the kind words Bjørn! It makes me really happy to know the video was helpful.😀 A boat with a ford six sounds really cool! Over here in the U.S we have mostly V8's and the occasional chevy six cylinder.😞

That's a great tip! That is similar to the Remflex gaskets. They are soft and multi layer, which seems to help seal any gaps in the mating surfaces.

That's fantastic! I LOVE '59 Edsels! I had a '59 Ranger 2dr as my second car. It had a worn-out 360 swapped in and was a total pig, but it was still fun! I wish I still had it.🙁

Glad it helped!😄 I love those 61-63 thunderbirds!! I have a 59 myself. Best wishes on your project!

Thanks Kaye! That really means a lot! 😀 What kind of mercury do you have? It sounds cool!!(I have a 59 t bird with a 352 and it's the smoothest FE I've ever owned!) I dont blame you for ditching the heat butterfly, they almost never work after all these years, and I've never removed one and missed it. Of course, we never really see much cold weather down here in GA.

@@TheBestDanielBlount Hey Daniel. My Merc is a '61 Monterey sedan. Not as powerful as your T-Bird, but my 352 does run SMOOTH. The idle, however, is a bit less smooth since I've run into some minor vapor lock stuff once the weather got hot. I should probably rebuild the carb, too. Very reliable car, though. Keep up the great videos!

@@kayeninetwo3585 OH that's cool! 61 Mercs are really cool! Vapor lock is the bane of an FE's existence!😅 I wish I had a sure fire fix, but it's a hard problem to eliminate completely. The 390 in my 72 f100 had really bad vapor lock, and after a 1"phenolic carb spacer (wood works as good or better) and a heat sleeve over the fuel line from the pump to the carb it seemed to eliminate that problem.

Thanks for the tip, That's so cool! 😀 I am definitely going to try it on the next engine I do! I saw someone on a forums say it worked, but I never have tried it. Also, your youtube handle is awesome!👍

@@TheBestDanielBlount Thanks!

Thank you for the kind words Frank! It is really nice to hear that this video has helped people!😀

I'm glad I could help! Best of luck with your Maverick project! I have to admit I'm a little jealous! I've always wanted an early Mav!😃

Never saw a FE with lack of oil up there.usually too much if there is plenty of oil pressure.i installed a threaded plug in the oil passage under the rocker stand with a 1/16 in.hole.

You make a very good point! Grade 8 bolts are probably a double edged sword. I may have hell to pay when I remove these 😅 although if I trashed this particular set of heads I really wouldn't lose that much😂. On a side note, I have had really good luck removing FE manifold bolts by simply cranking the engine and letting it warm up a bit and then breaking them free, then I wait to remove them until after the engine has cooled back down.

You're right, I really need to get my safety game up. I am the worlds WORST about forgetting to wear them, and then remembering when my hands are already covered in toxins.😅

Thats great! I've often wondered if the small gaskets could be made to work effectively. I have seen some guys going that route, but I talked to a couple guys that had bad luck with it. The application is far more important than the method though, alot of people don't pay much attention to keeping the surfaces clean and oil free I imagine that caused their premature failures. Im really happy with Remflex's product but I have to admit that I don't like that they stick out so far from the edge of the manifolds, it isn't very attractive which bugs me. 😅

On my 64 Galaxie with the 390 FE I machined the manifolds and used the thin steel gaskets with a very thing bead of High temp silicone red. That was 15 years ago and they are still holding up well.

@@jewllake That's impressive!😀 Machining is really the best way to go! A set of high end gaskets can work really well, but it's still a case of pay now or pay later.

Hello, I honestly wouldn't give a hoot how far they stick out as long as they seal properly. The overlap is there for a reason. My guess is if you've driven any car with an exhaust leak, you're damaging the flat surfaces due to the high pressure exhaust getting out. So the overlapping gasket may help in sealing any compromised surfaces. That's my guess.

I know right?! I drool over them every time I walk in the store, but I'm a self proclaimed cheapskate and I can never make myself pull the trigger.😂

@@TheBestDanielBlount treat yourself my man…you deserve it!! But some nitrile gloves too…protect hands, oil and solvent way bad over time

Thanks, brother! You are dead on about the gloves too!! I am the worlds worst about not putting them on, I even have a box of them, but I always forget.😅

Thanks! This engine is a 390 in a 72 f100 4x4. The engine is mostly stock but she's healthy! 😀

That is a great tip Gabe! I cleaned the rocker oiling ports, but I did not check them for the wear you mentioned. Fortunately these were in good shape, but they do wear out really easily.

I truly love Ford products, but one thing they were never great at was learning from their mistakes.😂

You are 100% correct on that!😀

@@TheBestDanielBlount There are lots of good products to combat sludge, the one I use with excellent results is rislone. Been using it since the 60s.

Heck yes! Risolene is GREAT! I used it once on an FE that was plauged by lifter noise, and it worked wonders! Sadly it seems to be getting a little harder to come by. The last time I tried to get some, all my local parts stores had stopped carrying it and I had to resort to Amazon.

@@TheBestDanielBlount In a pinch you can throw in a quart of diesel fuel idle it at about 2000 rpm for 15 -20 minutes, drain and put in fresh oil with 200ml of diesel fuel. It'll clean as you drive, you'll feel the difference.

That's a great tip, I think I will give that a try ,next time! Thanks! 😄

I almost did buy some headers, but the cheapskate in me won out. The stock manifolds are without a doubt killing some serious power.😐

I'm glad I could help!😀 Enjoy your 390 brother!💪

That is really good info! I have a couple 292's sitting here waiting to go into project cars. I have seen them drill and tap the top of the rocker shaft pedestal to install a restrictor to increase oil pressure. I am currently doing some testing of a similar "trick" for FE engines, in, which you insert a holley carburetor jet into the oil passage under the pedestal to increase main pressure. I have used that for a while on this rig, but I am trying to put together a video on the effects of it.

In case you guys are still on the yblock rockers John Mummert has the correction video, simple fix actually. Of the best yblock experts and quite a nice fellow actually. My yblocks were built to spin 5500 running hard for many years no problem and have a lot of pals that run them, no rocker oil problems. Mummert is also dependable parts source and has the best starter motor that also fits 58-64 FE.@@TheBestDanielBlount

Thanks for the tip! I remember those heat shields, I imagine they would be easier on the spark plug boots also.(my wires tend to stick to my plugs)

@@TheBestDanielBlount My sparkplug wires still get stuck to the sparkplugs but not as bad as when they had leaking exhaust glasses turning the end of the wires sooty black. I also made stainless steel studs with brass nuts so the top bolts never break off again. They have been staying tight.

My old wires weren't as bad as these Accel ones, but my pertronix ignition HATES factory style 7mm wires. I like your fix for the top bolts! I never understood what ford was thinking when they made the top of the flange so small, it causes so much trouble!

@@TheBestDanielBlount I ran a cheap set of standard 7mm wires and those didn't last long. I bought a 8.5mm set of blue streak wires and those don't stick to the sparkplugs nowhere near as bad. Very surprised how high quality those wires are for the money.

I will have to get myself a set of blue streaks next time! I love the look of the ugly yellow Accel wires, but they like to stick for some reason. I had a set of NOS 7mm wires from the '70s on it to start with and they were fantastic, they are noticeably tougher than the new ones. I saved them and run them on my 59 Thunderbird because it is still running points ignition.🙂

Thank you!😀

I have been plagued by exhaust leaks in almost every FE I have ever had, this has been the first gasket I have used that held up. It sounds like you have the same FE sickness I have😄! It also sounds like we have the same taste in cars! I have a 59 Thunderbird I am currently working on, and I used to have a 59 Edsel that someone swapped a 360 into🤣. Best of luck with your projects and thank you for watching the video!

@@TheBestDanielBlount yeah I also used to have a 59 Edsel ranger, it had a 292, I sold it last year after fixing it up. it's winter here in Northern Indiana so garage work mostly has to wait for warmer temperatures in the spring.

@@davidbaldwin2729 I'm lucky down here in Ga, it gets cold but not quite bad enough to stop wrenching. I'm glad to,meet someone else who appreciates a 59 Edsel! My Edsel was the second car I ever owned, got it running and driving for cheap but I sold it a couple months before my 16th birthday, that was 10 years ago and I still think about that car almost daily.

Thanks for watching😀 I hope it helps!

It is crazy! It really shows why they are more prone to have some valvetrain problems and noise than their smallblock cousins. Even so, I love these things! The sound of a Ford FE is a sweet song😀.

Thanks so Mich for watching! I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the video! I had been forced to step away from youtube, but I am glad to say I am back and I will be bringing all sorts of content to the channel in the near future! Enjoy your 390! They are my personal favorite FE, better than a 360, without the crazy price tag of one of the more exotic "flavors".