Originally Posted By: Stang40
Should I clean them or just replace them?
I've replaced hundreds of these. They are very easy. Just replace them. Also, you can sometimes find OEM's online for a decent price, but if you are going aftermarket try to stay away from Chinese no-name's. Ones I've seen have much softer internal springs and are extra spongy - which is what you don't want.
I've had good luck with OEM, Sealed Power, and Ajusa branded parts. You can pick them up online less than in the stores (of course) It is hit and miss with any of the generic ones online. I've had some that seem ok, others are definitely not as high quality as the OEM parts. That being said, it is hard to beat a set of them for $30 off eBay. If there is that much of a difference in cost, I would take a chance to with the cheaper ones.
Basically remove what needs to in order to remove the valve cover. Loosen the rocker shaft bolts. You don't have to take them out. Lift up on the rocker arms and slide out the lash adjusters. Be careful because sometimes they like to slide out and fall into places you don't want them to go.
Prep your new adjusters by putting them in a tupperware or something similar filled with oil. Pump them a bunch of times and stick a paper clip in the hole to release air. Small air bubbles will come out. Keep doing this to bleed out all of the air in the lash adjusters. Insert on at a time into the rocker arms and make sure you push the rocker arm back down so the lash adjuster is touching the valve stem. Again, this is because they like to fall out. There is a tool that is designed to hold the adjuster in the arm during installation, but it is not necessary. Just make sure you don't have the rocker arm sticking up in the air where the adjusters can fall out. It's pretty straight forward and easy.
After you put it all back together, start it up and run it between 2-3k for a few min to get oil flowing through them and to bleed out any air that might still be in the rocker arm oiling system.
After that, you should be good to go.
I've built a highly modded G54B in my '89 Conquest. I had done this probably 50 times with that engine. Also during my time at Chrysler dealers I replaced a bunch of them on the 3.0l Mitsu engines widely used by Chrysler back in the day. And then I worked at a Mitsu dealer for a few years. Same thing. I have total confidence that you can do this.