Rocker arm keepers

[Polar Diesel]

Has anyone had any experience with broken plastic rocker arm keepers while driving? I'm pretty sure this is my problem.

[DmaxMaverick]

Fairly common issue. Fortunately, relatively cheap and easy to fix.

[Polar Diesel]

Do you think I will cause much damage if I drive 200 miles to get home? I am at school at the moment.

[DmaxMaverick]

What symptom (noise?) brought it to your attention?

If it is slight and intermitent, 200 miles probably won't make anything worse if you are easy on it. This is providing that everything else is in check. Such as engine temp, oil pressure, coolant consumption, etc. You need to make sure that is really your problem. If you drive home and throw a rod, then it wasn't your problem. Etc, etc, etc.

[gwaidman]

What kind of noise does this make when one goes?
Just curious.

[Polar Diesel]

I was just driving along and it started missing. no noises, all guages in check. I know it's valve related because I can hear and feel pulses in the intake. there is no more blow by than it had before. It also has a slight bluish black smoke while crusing on the hiway and smells rich, like an old diesel tractor.

[Polar Diesel]

It's does it all the time while running, and it's not slight, it's a total miss, just like a plug wire fell off.

[Kennedy]

The nylon "keepers" generally fail as a result of some other mechanical condition. In normal use, they do very little, and are VERY strong.

Anybody who's ever pulled them can attest to this. A sharp blow with a chisel is typically the best way to remove them.

[Polar Diesel]

What kind of mechanical condition would put stress on the keepers?

[Kennedy]

Picture a giant rocker shaft as the main beam in a barn. You cup your hands to cradle the end of a pushrod that activates the rocker which has a wide base. How much side to side influence will you have on the rocker? Bear in mind you cannot move side to side, AND there is constant pressure from the valve on the other side.

[92gmc]

I have had one break and I definitely would not want to drive with a rocker loose like that. Especially if it is a rocker on the end of the shaft where it can fall right off and move around under the valve cover, possibly causing a broken valve spring or preventing another valve from closing and getting hit by a piston.

[rickmeyer]

I purchaced a long block on ebay that had a keeper break, and the push rod made it down one of the drain back holes and made contact with the crank. Enough metal was injested to wreck all the bearings. The lesson is dont drive it when it breaks