I have a newly rebuilt 440 engine. I primed the pump with a priming rod and a drill. The oil filled the rocker arms and was as abundant as it should have been. I ran through the break in period. I now have some valvetrain noise. (Engine has less than 1 or 2 hours of total run time.) I removed the valve cover to see what was going on. The engine is gettinbg some oil, but it doesn't flood the rockers as it should. What could be wrong? Thanks.

I'd hit it again w the priming rod/drill (w the crank in the right spot)& see what you get for a start. That way the eng is not running & no damage will be done while you search for what's going on.

Ok. When I do, Let's assume the oil comes up like it should. Where do I look to find the problem?

By the same token, if it doesn't come up like it should, where should I start looking?
Thanks.

If you have pressure and it is not oiling the top like it did the cam bearing might have turned.

Check the oil hole in the rocker shafts,they may be on upside down.you can loosen the shafts and prime it again and see if there's oil there.If theres oil there and its not getting to the rockers,then its in the shafts. If you loosen the shafts and theres no oil then the head gasket/oil holes are blocked.

Hope this helps...

stock rockers, adjustable, oil pressure idling hot??

stock rockers. I haven't let it get warm yet, since I found the noise and found little oil present.

I'd put a direct reading gauge in the sending unit NPT port in the top rear of the block & drill prime it & see what you DO have. If not enough psi: pipe plug loosened (not likely) wasn't installed (not likely given your level of expertise),lifter popped out (you probably know it if it did) oil pump/regulator problem (again not too likely).If pressure IS OK there I'd take off the rocker shaft assy's and have a helper slowly turn the crank w a breaker bar until he hits the sweet spot as you man the drill and having something over the pedestals that have the passages as it will gush. No gushing points to as said cam bearing or related internal passage to the bearing or the passage from the bearing up to the heads including the head gasket. haven't done it but might insert a straight rod into the pedestal down to the cam bearing & see if you feel any obstruction. But I got a feeling that by this time something will be apparent. Holler when you find what it is.

I'm having this exact same problem now. Went to prime the motor and found that I am getting 50 psi but no oil to the top. Fed a small wire down to the cam bearing and didn't find any obstructions.
Lifters are getting oil, all gallery plugs are in. Motor is a 440 with 906 heads. Any help would be appreciated.

Did you rotate the engine slowly as you primed it. There is only one spot on rotation where the oil gets to each side of the upper end.

Hard to do by myself, but I did rotate in segments - not steady slow.
On my way to the garage with wife in tow to give this a try!!

You should get oil on one side when crank is at top dead center on timing indicator. Run drill for a little bit, and if still no oil to rockers, turn the crank one revolution, getting indicator back to top dead center again, and it should oil one side. If it does then oil one side, you'll then have to turn crank slowly another couple of turns, and before you complete the second revolution, your other bank of rockers should get oil.

"Did you rotate the engine slowly as you primed it."




That did it, we have a gusher. My wife is not going to let me forget this!
Thanks Guys