Hi All,

I have a query on my mate's 360 I hope you can answer.

Specs;
Stock stroke,
Approx 12:1,
.650 lift cam, duration is 270 @ 50.
W2 Heads

The issue is that the rocker arm for the #3 intake is dry (i.e. no oil) all others seem to be well lubricated. In particular the area where the pushrod and adjusting nut come together.

All rocker arms are adjusted pretty much the same however this arm has a bit more thread showing than the others. They are either crane or mopar aluminium anodized rockers(cant remember right now).

He's just had it apart and checked alignment of oil holes etc, no blockages etc, but still that particular arm has no oil.

He's using Penrite HPR 30 oil and has about 70 psi hot at idle (~1100rpm).

There is a restrictor tube in the rhs lifter gallery.

Any ideas/suggestions???

Aye mate. Check if that rocker arm has any squirt holes that might be blocked/not drilled/angled properly. Check shaft/rocker clearance. might open up the small oiling hole on the shaft at that rocker arm, might take off the valve cover w it idling & see what you observe, it'd b messy but something might b apparent. Holler what it turns out being

The left [ drivers ] side on pre-magnum small blocks oils the rockers from the # 2 rocker shaft support. Consequently the # 1 & 3 intake rockers are first in line to get oiled. If all the other rockers on that side are getting oil it almost has to be some sort of blockage either in the oil hole in the shaft for the # 3 intake or in the rocker arm itself. The fact that there are more threads showing on that rocker may indicate some other problem. Usually all the adjusters will show similar thread exposure. A different style rocker or a short pushrod could cause this. Or possibly a cam lobe / lifter going away. Hope that's not it. Good luck.

Might consider banana grooves if it turns out to not be a blockage.

He has a set of banana grooves so that's probably worth a try.

Definately not blocked, shaft or rocker itself.

The thread difference is very minor between this rocker and the others.

Does anyone have a comment about the oil? - from their website "Penrite HPR 30 is a premium mineral SAE 20W-60 non-friction modified petrol engine oil". He's concerned about excessive oil pressure. and has read somewhere that Mopar small blocks should only run about 40psi at idle. I can understand that for a stock (ish) engine but this one idles quite fast and I would have though 70 psi is up there but still ok.

I'll pop over there at some stage and try and get some photo's

Update...just been over to my mate's house and a couple of other bits of information.

1 - Banana Grooved shafts are already fitted.
2 - The shafts are off a std set of heads and the hold down bolt holes have been "ovalled out" on a mill to fit the offset of the W2 rocker stands.
3 - The oil on most rockers "dribbles" out as opposed to "squirting". I'm not sure what the normal flow out of these would be but I would think that there should be some velocity so the oil reaches the ball and cup.
4 - Rocker gear is the blue anodised Mopar gear. Interestingly, even though it was purchased as a set, there is a distinct colour difference between the intake and exhaust rockers. Not sure whether this is normal or not, but cant see it being a huge problem.

I took a couple of photo's on my phone but dont have the cable to download at the moment. will do tomorrow (AU time).

Thanks for your comments so far!

70psi oil pressure @ idle seems way high to me.
Are the rock shafts mounted in the correct orientation (oil holes down towards the rocker stands)?
Are the hold downs covering the 'ovaled' holes? If not, you may loose all the oil pressure before it gets to the rocker and rocker tip...

70 PSI is way too high, the pressure relief valve in the oil pump will open, or should, well before that. 20w60 is pretty thick, too thick for most cases, imo.

The factory minimum for warm idle oil pressure is something like 12 psi. Idle oiling requirements are fairly low, that might be why you aren't seeing oil at that rocker.

That all said, I think maybe your problem is the wrong shafts. I cannot remember if the W2 rockers have the oiling holes relocated for the offset that W2 rockers have. I suspect that is your problem.

Is the only difference between the W2 shafts and the stock version the location of the bolt hole or is there more to it than that?

On the oil pressure, another mate has a 408 w/- approx 540hp which runs about the same pressure at idle, but when hot goes down to ~40 psi. That one is still running in though, and still has the running in oil in it (ULX-110).

Took some photos last night but they didn't turn out very well.

OK just went around there again this morning.

The rocker gear has been removed now and there is a quite big difference in the oiling arrangements between the W2's and the stock arrangement.

Fundamentally, on the std heads, at the top of the rocker stand is a recess around the bolt to provide oil to the shaft. This recess intersects with the oil gallery coming up through the head.

On the other hand the W2's have a VERY small (say 1-2mm) gap on the lower side of the stand (maybe 4mm wide - the bolt hole basically covers the passage for oil to the rocker shafts. Forgive my ignorance, but is this "normal" it appears to cause a massive restriction in the oil system.

I'll try and post some photo's shortly.

from what you're seeing does it look like a smaller shank bolt at the bolt head or opening the shaft hole or?? will let it flow more

The W2 hold down bolts are a larger diameter than the std type but the principle remains.

We have thought about turning down the W2 bolts on a lathe, but not sure if that will weaken them too much.

Just trying to work out how to add photo's...I know there's a thread around here somewhere about it....

OK here we go... stock first.

Note the gap between the bolt and the head casting.

click edit then put a checkmark in the lower of the (3) boxes & click "change this post" then click on "browse" & select the pic out of your file where they are stored & click on that pic & it's address/name will load into the vacant white rectangular address bar. Not sure what your dimentions are but opening the shaft bolt hole dia or a smaller bolt just as long as the psi is contained from leaking out plus not restricted to flow into the shaft or at least the restriction opened up enough to get the flow you need.

Working on a convoluted way of adding the photo's one down another to go!

Here's the W2 version quite obviously an issue getting oil to the rocker shafts with this arrangement.

Side view of the W2

Ok, last one, back to stock now.


Note the thread for the rocker shaft bolt only starts about 1/4" down the bore.

On the W2, the threads go right up to the top of the stand

I'm thinking if you drilled a hole down alongside the threads for the oil to get past the bolt threads but 1st not being familiar w W2's that is a pedestal just like LA's (it's shallow in the pic & hard to tell) & the only diff (as far as valvetrain is the offset rockers right? or are the stands offset also?). What I'm missing is what bolt do the stock w2's use that lets the oil flow past it? EDIT just saw your latest pics. I'd drill the notch in the W2's & unless I am missing something I think that'd b a simple fix. You'd lose a little bit of thread engagement but that wont hurt you. W care you could temporarily plug below your drilling to keep shavings out.

I think there's three options - all have issues as my mate is reluctant to take the head(s) off.

1 - Over size the top portion of the rocker pedestal thus creating an area around the bolt that oil can flow through (per std arrangement).

Issue - Need to somehow prevent getting filings everywhere, incl down the oil gallery.

2 - Machine the Bolt Down on a lathe in the area where the oil flows out of the pedestal.

Issue - Need to ensure bolt retains enough strength to effectively hold rocker shaft.

3 - file back the oil gallery so oil flows straight into the rocker shaft.

Issue - Unclear whether this will provide sufficient oil.