Small block oiling question

Posted By: tex013

Small block oiling question - 12/09/12 11:03 PM

Hi,
i presume on a small block LA the rockers oil like a big block?At 2 different points you will get oil feed to the rocker shaft.The last 318 i did oiled to the top on #1 and #6 TDC
i have a customer supplied motor that will not oil to the shafts - i have rotated the motor over and checked at about every 15-20 degrees of crank.
i have taken the rockers off,crane,and found the shaft were fitted incorrectly which does not give me a great amount of faith in the rest of the motor build up.This is a 408ci with Eddy heads.
With hand priming,spinning,the oil pump i have oil to the lifter galley.There is oil drain back in the valley.
Bearings misaligned ?
Thoughts ?

Tex

Posted By: MR_P_BODY

Re: Small block oiling question - 12/09/12 11:17 PM

Use a piece of 1/16 tig rod(or something similar) and
with the rocker shafts off poke through the rocker
feed holes to make sure they are open... then the
next thing would be the cam bearing might be spun or
installed wrong(the holes not lined up) in the #2
and #4 cam journals.... keep the rocker shafts off
till you figure out whats hapening

Posted By: tex013

Re: Small block oiling question - 12/09/12 11:52 PM

Thanks MrPeabody,
this motor has never been fired since the being built.my bet would be the cam bearings

though i will put a rod down both feed holes to confirm
Tex

Posted By: MR_P_BODY

Re: Small block oiling question - 12/09/12 11:59 PM

Quote:

Thanks MrPeabody,
this motor has never been fired since the being built.my bet would be the cam bearings
though i will put a rod down both feed holes to confirm
Tex

The only way you will know is if you slowly turn the
crank with the rod down the hole you should see it
drop in when the cam hole lines up... its too close
to measure based on distance(thickness of the cam bearing...
but its strange that both sides dont oil.. thats 2
different bearings

Posted By: MR_P_BODY

Re: Small block oiling question - 12/10/12 12:13 AM

The only other thing I can think of is the head gaskets...
put on wrong BUT if they are then the alignment pins
arent in there

Posted By: tex013

Re: Small block oiling question - 12/10/12 12:27 AM

MrPeabody,
if you didn't know about the the bearing feed i guess both bearing could be wrong.
Head gasket i would have thought even without dowels the alignment would be close enough - maybe not.
thanks again

Tex

Posted By: tex013

Re: Small block oiling question - 12/10/12 01:10 AM

MrPeabody,
are there supposed to be necked headbolts with the eddy head ?

Tex

Posted By: scratchnfotraction

Re: Small block oiling question - 12/10/12 01:14 AM

what yr engine block? what cam? some of the magnum roller cams are not drilled to oil the LA rockers.

some magnum blocks are not drilled to oil LA rockers.

IIRC,magnum head gaskets would block the oil feed on a LA block.

Posted By: tex013

Re: Small block oiling question - 12/10/12 01:49 AM

ok,thanks for the reply
engine casting date appears to be 24 4 90
casting number - 53008921360
if this is a magnum block you would need pushrod oiling plus don't the magnum motors use a pedestal type rocker similar to a chev ?
looking down where the oil feed port in the head is you can see the head bolt,ptting a rod down there only goes about 1 1/2"

Tex

Posted By: moper

Re: Small block oiling question - 12/10/12 02:13 AM

Two thoughts on this - either the cam bearings are not in properly (I've found a couple brands that the holes will block off as much as 1/2 the feed hole...) Ort he hardeware that holds the rocker shafts down could be closking the passage in the heads. Pull the rocker shafts and see if there's any oil coming up when you preoil and turn the engine over. If not, I'd pull the cam out...

Posted By: tex013

Re: Small block oiling question - 12/10/12 02:26 AM

there is no oil with the shafts off

Tex

Posted By: moper

Re: Small block oiling question - 12/10/12 02:27 AM

Then it's in the bearings or gasket...

Posted By: tex013

Re: Small block oiling question - 12/10/12 02:31 AM

or magnum block not drilled

thanks

Tex

Posted By: MR_P_BODY

Re: Small block oiling question - 12/10/12 02:32 AM

Quote:

ok,thanks for the reply
engine casting date appears to be 24 4 90
casting number - 53008921360
if this is a magnum block you would need pushrod oiling plus don't the magnum motors use a pedestal type rocker similar to a chev ?
looking down where the oil feed port in the head is you can see the head bolt,ptting a rod down there only goes about 1 1/2"

Tex

you have some issues if you can only get a rod down
1 1/2" or so.... its either running into the head
gasket or its not drilled.... being thats the case
(only getting the rod in 1 1/2") get ready to pull
the heads... either your gaskets dont have a hole OR
the block is a magnum type and that uses PR oiling
EDIT
Pull the intake and see if the bosses are there on
#2 and #4 cam journals going up to the head area in
the block

Posted By: tex013

Re: Small block oiling question - 12/10/12 03:18 AM

Mr Peabody,

thanks
will discuss with owner

Tex

Posted By: scratchnfotraction

Re: Small block oiling question - 12/10/12 03:27 AM

Quote:

ok,thanks for the reply
engine casting date appears to be 24 4 90
casting number - 53008921360
if this is a magnum block you would need pushrod oiling plus don't the magnum motors use a pedestal type rocker similar to a chev ?
looking down where the oil feed port in the head is you can see the head bolt,ptting a rod down there only goes about 1 1/2"

Tex

90 would be a pre-mag roller cam block. it would be drilled for rocker shaft oiling.

the stock cam would also be drilled for rocker shaft oiling.

if aftermarket roller cam...may or may not be drilled

90 would also be oiling thru the block/heads LA style and thru hollow PRs with oil thru roller lifters. (gearing up for the magnum change over)

does it have a roller cam with roller lifters?

sounds like it is pointing toward the head gaskets, they could be for a magnum and blocking the passage to the head.

Posted By: Cab_Burge

Re: Small block oiling question - 12/10/12 04:38 AM

Pull one head

Posted By: tex013

Re: Small block oiling question - 12/10/12 05:02 AM

Cab,
that will be this arvo or tomorrow morning

Tex

Posted By: Ck[FIN]

Re: Small block oiling question - 12/10/12 12:38 PM

I bought new edelbrock aluminium heads few years ago and didnt get any oil to the rockers at first. Oil passage in the head was not drilled through so the blockage was in the head.

Posted By: dodgeboy11

Re: Small block oiling question - 12/11/12 10:32 PM

Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't the oil go from the block, up past the head bolt, then along the bolt to a passage that goes up to the pedestal? I would think it'd be pretty difficult to get a piece of wire down past the head bolt and into the lower hole that lines up with the hole in the deck surface. Only way to know is to pull a head and check things out that way. I think the magnum head gaskets are drilled, but in case they aren't and you aren't sure if you have magnum gaskets or not, the magnum head gaskets have areas that the pushrods go through. Separate holes for each pushrod that is. If they misaligned the holes in the cam bearings then the cam won't be receiving oil either. If I remember correctly there's three holes per bearing on #2 and 4, so as long as the hole up from the main lines up, you'll have oil to the deck as well. I think I would disassemble the whole engine. Doesn't sound like the most trustworthy builder.