so the last time I drove my bronco was a few weeks ago and it started backfiring through the tb. Seconds before that I heard what I thought was a nut coming loose. Finally got to pop a valve cover off and found that #3 exhaust rocker stud broke in half. How does that happen? Now I need to find a new stud to replace this with. Does anyone know if the parts houses (autozone, oreillys) carries them.

Unless the stud was somehow fatigued, the most likely cause I can think of is a valve tapping a piston. How does the corresponding push rod look?

I don't think you're going to find a rocker stud at a big box parts house. I would try one of the online speed shops or maybe amazon.

You probably need to check your timing chain to see if slack or a break lead to a possible valve/piston collision.

Above and I bet a machine shop may have a few laying around.

pretty sure NAPA and CARQUEST carry that stuff. (at least they have in the past)

Push rod is fine . Still straight. I'll have to figure out a way to get me a new one.

So I have my 302 engine building book packed away and can't remember the way to correctly it ten the rockers. Any help would be appreciated.

I believe it was a bad stud as well. Working in the tire business I have seen many of wheel studs either fail due to cross threading or just fatigue/poor metal. You can definitely tell it was just a bad stud.

Finally got it all back together. Definitely needed to go back and adjust some of the other rockers. I'll run it a little bit more then maybe go back in for one more adjustment.