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23:34:44 - 12/19/2024
V6 Dakotas
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TuckerLdlow
Dodge Dakota
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8/21/2006
15:11:04
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 Subject: Harland Sharp Install
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Message:
FINALLY got my 1.7's installed this weekend. Thanks to ElmerFudd, Larry, Scott C, ZZark, BluDak, RR and anybody else who chimed in earlier on my H-S questions.
Unlike a couple of you guys (who must turn wrenches for a living), this 3-4 hour install wound up taking me all @#!! weekend. I was by myself, so didn't have a 3rd hand. A lot of that time was consumed just waiting for my mechanic buddy to bring tools (such as a magnet and a good torque wrench). Heck! It took me longer to get the wire looms off the studs than it took some of you guys to do the whole job.
Then, once I got the covers off and really got started, the first !#@$!! thing I did was drop one of the spacers down inside the head (thus the borrowed magnet). Phew! I had visions of having to have the thing towed in, and then having heads removed, etc.
A couple of suggestions for those yet to get 'em and do the job:
1) Go by a service station or tire store and ask to use their air to blow out your engine compartment. There's a lot of dust/dirt in there, and if you blow it out, then there's less dirt for you to have to clean out with Gunk or some other engine cleaner. You want a clean engine compartment before you start. Blow out along your wiring harnesses and injectors really good - there was all kinds of dead bugs, pieces of tape, broken tie wraps, etc. in there on mine, and it's relatively new.
2) !Absolutely! disconnect the battery before you start. I figured I'd wait until the point where I was ready to kick it over before I disconnected anything. However, after I welded my socket to the extension when it touched the hot lead behind the alternator, I figured that perhaps I'd better disconnect the battery before I continued (good thing I didn't fry the computer!).
3) pavementsucks.com installation instructions specify a 3/16" allen socket. These are really good instructions, but it ain't a 3/16" - it's a 1/4" allen.
4) Straighten out a coathanger, then put a small (1/8 inch) hook on the end. Use that to pull up on the front of the 'tabs' that are used to secure your wiring harness along the bottom of the injectors (both sides). You pull up on the back (towards the throttle body) with your fingers, and use the coat hanger hook to pull up on the front part of it, taking the "bind" off of it without breaking anything (I hate them ten cent parts that they charge us $10 for!). If your better half is a knitter, a knitting needle would probably work just as well.
5) Cut yourself a couple of pieces of wood, 1/2" square by about six inches. Poke them in the oil return holes. Then, if you drop a spacer, it doesn't drop all the way in and you should be able to retrieve it without having to have a magnet. Half-inch fits between the H-S rocker pair, btw, AND fills the oil return slot pretty well.
6) I did the first one as a pair, and had a heckuva time getting the allen bolts started. That's also when I lost the spacer. Then, I tried taking them apart, and doing one at a time. That worked a whole lot better than trying to do a pair at once. You have to put the one with the shaft on first, and you just BARELY start the allen bolt on that one. You "barely" start it so that there is room for you to get it's twin back onto the shaft. Dab some assembly lube on the shaft, and then put it's twin on. You'll have to pull up on the one that you just installed to get the twin on the shaft, but once that is accomplished (without dropping the spacer) you can start it. Then, tighten them down and move on to the next pair.
I torqued them down without doing a whole lot of bumping of the ignition, and they seem to be just fine. The allen that I have is sort of long, so there was no danger of the socket damaging anything on the rocker itself.
The instructions from pavementsucks.com indicated that they had more trouble out of the passenger side. My passenger side went in pretty easy, but the driver's side was real tight getting into, especially the back of the valve covers over # 5. Also, they suggested taking the airhat and all off, but I just took off the tube and left the air hat in place - no worries about anything getting into the TB.
The thing that immediately impressed me upon startup was how quiet it was compared to the stock rockers. I was a little concerned because I kept hearing one little "tick" every few seconds and couldn't figure out where that was coming from. Finally dawned on me that it was something in the A/C. Like someone else mentioned, the exhaust tone seems to be a shade deeper, too. I haven't driven it but about 40 miles since install, and so far I'm impressed. Watch for an update in 3-4 weeks after I've had a chance to drive it some.
The one concern that I have now is around the stock pushrods themselves. To me, they seem awful flimsy to NOT have any guides (as they did in the stock rockers). I wish that I'd had to the foresight to go ahead and replace them with a better pushrod, 'cause now I'll probably always have that concern in the back of my mind.
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ElmerFudd
GenII
8/21/2006
18:58:25
| RE: Harland Sharp Install
IP: Logged
Message:
Murphy's Law always prevails. I pick and choose the modes I do based on lots of questions and researching the archives on how to do it on this forum. I've done some modes and surprized myself at how well they went then have gone nuts trying to change the thermostat. Your after action report will help the next person get through the rocker arm mode. Glad you made it. Feels good when you do it yourself.
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J and J Auto
GenII
8/21/2006
21:26:03
| RE: Harland Sharp Install
IP: Logged
Message:
at least you got them in the harlands are nice
the best way is to put the bolts threw spacers
on hold the unit togather by the spacers set in
place and get 1 bolt started than the other
torque to 21 foot pounds and your done
the motor may miss a little on first start but
the lifters will bleed down after a few starts and
stops thats why I recomend warming the motor a
little than the lifters bleed faster
Enjoy the 15 to 18 rear wheel gain around 20 25
more torque and better gas mileage
As tony the tager would say THERE GREAT
Larry
J&J Auto
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crow318
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
8/25/2006
08:10:12
| RE: Harland Sharp Install
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Message:
Did you get the adjustable ones, or the non-adjustable?
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TuckerLdlow
Dodge Dakota
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8/25/2006
09:36:21
| RE: Harland Sharp Install
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Message:
Non-adjustable - these bolt right in and no adjustment is required. You use your stock valve covers, and don't have to beat down the baffles.
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Scott C
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
8/26/2006
22:34:07
| RE: Harland Sharp Install
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Message:
nice to see you got them in.... and yeah having the right tools on hands like most of us mechanics do it makes it a breeze.... but yeah that damn driverside valve cover is a pain in the ass to get out... i did the easy side first and the hard side last... should have been the other way around cause i would have had a third hand to help me cause my boss was still at work.... but when all else failed a bunji cord does wonders to hold sh!t out the way....
Scott C
Royal Auto
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