...to replace the rocker arms on a Pontiac? Or even a Civic? Is it a hard thing to do in general?

 

No idea on the Pontiac (there are a lot of different kinds of Pontiacs out there) but it's quite simple on a Civic, at least a SOHC. Remove the valve cover, take out the bolts holding the rocker arm/cam bearing assembly down, lift the assembly out as a unit. Pull the assembly apart carefully noting where everything goes, and replace rocker arms. Installation is, of course, the reverse of removal.

I have to wonder why you need to. The rocker arms are adjustable to compensate for wear. That's unlike American designs that have "lifters" that adjust themselves.

 

This would be on a newer Grand Am. A cute redheaded friend of mine had her engine start knocking and the shop said that the rocker arms were the problem. She can't really afford to get that fixed, so I was looking into how hard it would be to do that.

 

Sure she's not talking about rod knocking, which occurs when the main or rod bearings are destroyed from running out of oil? This is a low-pitched clunking from the bottom part of the engine. Time for a new engine, or a new car, in that case.

If it's more of a clicking or tapping in the top part, I think those engines have lifters and one or more of the lifters could be stuck. The rocker arm itself is not a part that is replaced routinely.

 

All I have to go by is what she said the mechanic said.

 

Take a look at the engine yourself, also if you can get a video with the hood up and it running so we can hear it.