My new rebuilt 383 is not oiling on the top of the head on the passenger side. The rod was on it right. What could be causing this? The other side is oiling and the gauge shows about 50# when idling. I ran a wire down the oil holes and the back one went in a lot farther than the front one. What could be stopping the oil flow? It has new MP head gaskets on it. I need some help on this fast. Thanks for any suggestions. Ronnie

Maybe the #4 cam bearing isn't lined up with the oil holes. Seen it before....

Are you certain that the pass head is not getting oil? It does not get oil when drivers head gets it. They alternate oil feed with cam position.

Only the 2nd in from the rear rocker stands get oil , the front ones are blocked at the deck , the holes are like this so the heads can fit on either side of the block .

If you are only getting oil to one head and not the other there is a blockage and as stated the #4 cam bearing could be installed incorrectly .

It is just the head on the passenger side that isn't getting oil, I don't even know where to start on it. Makes you just want to give up on it. I've almost got the car done and now this. Ronnie

Does the #4 cam bearing oil just 1 head are does it oil both of them? Ronnie

It oils them both , but not at the same time , it oil one then the other, the other thing that might be wrong is the cam is not drilled properly.

How would the cam be drilled wrong, what would I look for? I think I'll spin the motor over some tomorrow and see what happens since I have the rockers off. That won't hurt it will it? Ronnie

The cam maker could have not drilled all the intersecting holes in the cam for the oil to pass thru .

Yes rotating it by hand will get you oil and no you won't hurt anything ... (running it to find the problem will potentially damage something though) , be prepared for a STREAM of oil when the passage is open to oil pressure .

The cam is drilled right if one gets oil at all.

You have to turn the engine over to get oil to the other side. Only one side oils at a time depending on camshaft position. As you are priming the engine turn it over and you will have oil.

The passenger side is dry of oil, I'll just have to see what happens tommorow. The engine has been ran some. Ronnie

If there is NO oil getting to that side after running it, and other side gets plenty of oil, I believe the 4th cam bearing was installed incorrectly. I would probably resort to some trickery that would involve a long 1/8" drill bit and strategic lineup of cam before a little drilling is done. This is provided that the path to cam is a straight shot after removal of rocker shaft, which I think it is. The trick is to line cam up first, then drill hole in bearing, then immediately prime oil system and catch the filings coming out the top, with rags etc, before re-install of shaft. That's just my thoughts on correcting somebody's mistake. It could have a ball of casting crud stuck in there too. SCRATCH that. Just checked a 906 head, not straight shot, angle at top of head rocker pedestal, straight long bit won't do it.

I don't know what I'm going to do now, I have the car almost finished and now this. All I liked was the seat covers. I ran a wire down the hole today but I didn't try to pump any oil so maybe I'll luck out and got it unplugged. If it didn't there might be a 70 RR up for sale. Ronnie

You may consider going with through hole pushrods and lifters if there is no other way to get oil through the head.

Where would I get them? And what would I ask for? Thanks Ronnie

Probably big companies like Comp cams could set you up. Others, sealed power etc too I would hope. (Currently have a 71 440 in garage with a comp cam and lifters with oiling through pushrod seat lifters in it)

ronnie don't give up on it. you will find that when you get one thing fixed it's only a matter of time before something else pops up. these old cars are like that and the seat covers can be a pain in theazz, if you use the wrong rings(hog, pig or shoats) you will be cutting alot of them off. you may be having to pull the motor or go thru the frontend to change out the cam bearings, but git er done and drive it.

I'd start over and take off the pass rocker assy, set a clean rag over the pedestals and take out the inter shaft and drill prime it (CCW) while a helper SLOWLY turns the crank CW w a 1&1/4" socket and a breaker bar as you man the drill and watch for the rag to get (hopefully) soaked. You need the rag or you will have oil in your face and on the car which will spoil your joy at discovering that it is indeed (hopefully) oiling. IF NOT take off the pass head and drill horizontally into the rear of the head then countersink a slight bit down in the threads in the rear pedestal so you can drill down at an angle to meet the horizontle passage. Tap into the NPT plug in the oil passage in the top rear of the block next to the oil sender to feed oil into the rear of the head. That way you dont have to disturb the shortblock and when you take the head off you can check the head gasket for no obstruction and run a rod in there to check for a restriction if it is a straight shot. good luck & holler back w the outcome