small block oiling question

putting together a 318 with w-2 econo heads and running the .590 solid flat tappet cam. should i restrict the oil to lifters as recommended for roller cams? any other oiling tips to consider? thanks for the input. it's a 1969 block, .030 over, eagle forged 4340 crank, eagle i-beam rods, mains are studded and with arps with windage tray studs.

Yes, block off the oil to the lifters. Make sure all the main feeds are 9/32.

I like to bush the block.. beats the old tube
and ream route.. then as said.. 9/32.. also
drill the bushing for oiling

Whats your max rpm on this deal do you think?

Im not sure id do either, for 30 years ive been running solid cams, some near .700 lift to 7600 rpm with ZERO oiling mods other the a rocker shaft restrictor when using needle bearing rockers.

If your using eagle I beam vs the better H beams id worry more about the rod choice vs an oiling mod.

But thats just me, good machine work on the block, proper bearing specs for oiling and maybe a coated bearing is all I do.

My 340 is pretty much the same as you describe yours, including the .590 cam. I did no oiling mods on mine and it has been running for 6 years, although not as much time on it as I would like simply because I haven't been in a position to put a bunch of rounds on it . It had seen 8000rpm trying to figure out what it liked but didn't want to short live the motor. To be fair, I highly regard many members here and Mr. P has given me valuable advice in the past. His, and many others, council has been very welcome. Good luck on yours!

mostly street driven. 7000 max. picked everything up as a package and the whole rotating assembly is already balanced. i would have chosen different rods as well but it was too good of a deal to pass up.

You can go the cheap route if you want to drill
and push in the tubes on the pass side then block
of the very front on the drivers side(I'm talking
the oil galleys) but is toy want you can read the
small block book on this stuff.. I still run a
block that has the tubes but its roller stuff
EDIT
For 7000 rpm... keep it stock.. I was turning
8500 rpm

thanks for all of the input so far guys. i think i'll leave that part stock from your input so far. any other oiling mods? i've ported the 90 degree adapter, more like smoothed it out, massaged the inlet to the block there too, and massaged the port on the main cap. the rockers are the ductile iron ones for w-2 heads.

I like the blueprinted Precision oil pumps. Not much more than a stock one, and they do nice work on it. Also like the billet oil pump drive gear they sell.
I like the piece of mind a stock melling pump is taken apart, deburred, coated gears, radiused for flow and put back together with perfect clearances.
Always used these on any new build. Think they are 139 bucks.

I run a SFT and if the lifter bores aren't bushed, I tube all of them. There is more oil leaking past the lifters than you think.


It's actually pretty easy to do the tubing one you have the reamer. I've even done them by hand.

To block the drivers side lifter oil I just tap the main feed hole just above the main bearing and screw a set screw in there.

For the small investment in time and tooling it's worth it to me to block off the lifters.

You can get the copper tubing and reamer from MSC.

Are you still up in the great white north...
I have the ream and stuff IF you wanted to go
that way that I can send you if you pay the
shipping... either way still do the main holes
with the 9/32 drill but.. thats about all you
need to do

Also... which W-2 heads do you have.. there are
a few versions.. the race ones have a milled flat
rocker stand that needs stands.. I have a couple
sets of the econo versions... long and a short
valve version that dont need the stands.. the long
valves are on my 416 right now in my street rod

Plenty of things you CAN do. Every little bit helps. Bush the lifter bores. Block the left galley (yes, even with the lifters bushed). Plumb oil to the main galley into both ends. Take the head oiling away from the cam bearings. Restrict oil to the cam bearings and the heads. Hand fit the pump to the main cap. Enlarge pickup to reduce restriction. Relieve/enlarge all oil passages.

The object of the exercise is to get maximum constant oil onto the crank and rods and minimize the amount of oil being sprayed around doing little or nothing. Most of this only requires time, some hardware and information.

yep.. still here in Alaska. thank you for the generous offer. i will do the mains at 9/32 for sure.

they are the ones with the milled flat rocker stand type.

I would never tube a block again. I don't know what kind of machinery you have available there but doing that by hand is a PITA. Worse yet is peening that tube never seems to work out well, the lifters do not move freely and with a flat tappet cam that is essential. If you really want to block the oil then bushing the lifter bores is the way to go.

Now having said that, it's a waste of money for what you have and are doing. I would block the oil to the drivers side galley though with a set screw.

Your best money would be spent on the oil pan and pickup. A 5/8 suction tube feeding the pump will do more than any other mods. You can also have the cam journals grooved to supply full time oil to the rockers.

I have a write up over on forabodiesonly.com in the small block engine section with some photos. I haven't been there in years but the thread is still a sticky.

yes read Guitar Jones oiling writeup and Sanborns' oil writeup at www.moparchat.com then scroll down to & click on "circle track chat" & it too is in a sticky. ALL the info you will ever need & decide how much is needed for your app.

You just peen the tube over and hit it with a paper roll. Takes 5 minutes. It's easier to do by hand if you drill it first then ream to size.

Like I said, it's easy enough to do by hand.
And getting the inlet as big as you can in important. 1 inch isn't too big.

What size hole do you drill in the bush and where do you position it?

I've done it 3 times. And it's always a PITA. Not what I would consider easy. Great if it works for you but I won't do it again.

Lots of time and energy when into that block I bought from you last year. I have built a lot of small blocks that ran pretty good and held up well with simple mods but I like your thinking for all out serious builds. Running alcohol is my biggest issue and the extra wear and tear it does to an engine but I love the price and not ever having cooling issues. My next engine will probably use Shaffers Oil as I hear good things about it and alcohol.

True. Lots of time, trial and error. Study of how the system works. Trying to fix cranks, oil pans, etc. That thing kept me awake nights for awhile. The 360s are much more of an issue at higher RPM.

I've done the tube deal, once, looonnnggg ago. With all due respect, that's some hilljack BS. Never again.

wow! thanks for all the input. a lot of good ideas. the 2 other stickies on the other sites were pretty awesome ideas. a little more in depth than i need to go with this build but for other builds down the road great info. i will do some of those things suggested.

Hey we're the best!

I wouldn't waste my time. Deburr the block where the oil drains back, smooth the entry to the rear cap, blueprint standard oil pump, get a good oil pan, call it done. You're not turning enough RPM to hurt anything if properly clearanced.
All the oil mods suggested aren't going to hurt, but unnecessary in my view.
If I was going to change anything I'd look at bushing the lifter bores instead of the tube in the block.