Do the trick flow 240 heads have restricted oiling to the rocker arms?
In cranking the engine over for about a minute or so, I only see a small amount of oil from around the rockers?
Pushrods look fine, too, but I just expected a bit more oil coming from the rockers?

I ain't up on these whether BB or SB so if BB, it oils when #8 & #6 are on TDC compression. pull the dist/intergear & preoil twice with the 5/16 hex shaft (CCW). SB- 20 deg ATDC #6 compression & 1/4 turn (90 deg) before #1 TDC so preoil twice (CW). If this is a cam breakin I would not do any more cranking other than to hit the 2 sweet spots (by hand with 1&1/4" socket/breaker bar to preoil then to the nearest cyls' TDC to line up the reluctor tooth with the magnet.

Did you make the cam bearing or the #4 cam journal oil the rocker shafts full time?
If not you won't need oil restrictor on any stock type replacement head with stock single shaft rockers

The engine has been running, likely more than an hour, and several miles driving.
Not my car, but I built the engine and the owner said smoke was coming out of the valve covers?
Pulled the valve covers and the rockers and pushrods all look good. I was thinking if it was a oiling problem, the pushrods would show signs of heat discoloration like I have seem before.
Pulled the rocker hold-down stud that get the oil from #4 cam bearing, and while spinning the oil pump with priming rod and cranking engine over with the starter, oil did shoot out of the rocker stand.
Repeated with stud in place (hold down off) and could see oil oozing out. It just seemed like less oil than I noticed on my other builds that have the traditional oiling setup.
Just wondering if the oiling holes in the trick flow heads are smaller.
The heads are bolted down with the recommended ARP bolts (screws), and not studs. I mention that because these Trick flow heads oil more like a small block where the oil travels up the bolt hole, and when using studs you are supposed to enlarge the bolt hole in the head for more clearance.
Anyhow, all the parts are the ones Trick Flow recommends.

Could it be blowby?

First time I hear that. Does it say so in the instructions? There must be plenty of engines using studs without having enlarged holes. Will mock up mine and see how much clearance there is.
Thanks

The better test for checking the oil flow is to turn the motor over very slowly while running the priming tool until the holes in the cam line up with the holes in the cam bearing. At that point oil should come gushing out between all the rockers.
If it doesn’t, Ive seen some builds where a couple of flats were ground into the area of the hold down stud adjacent to where is passes through the lower portion of the shaft.
You could also ream the lower hole on the shaft at the #4 stand about .030 or do to make a larger path for the oil to enter the shaft.

I can’t see it being the size of the oil passage in the heads....... EZ heads also have rather small passages....... no oiling issues with them.

One of the best tests (imo)to check oil flow up top is the old steel valve cover that’s got the top cut off, so you can see how the oil is flowing with the motor running.

All that said....... if your only symptom of a problem is smoke coming out of the valve cover breather, and everything inside looks good....... maybe there is no “problem”.

I'm scratching my head on this one? it might be blow by? but it does not look like anything smoking from the exhausts, just the breathers?
I did try some straight 30 weight diesel oil, but I don't think that would cause the issue?

The owner is going to pull the spark plugs and send me photos, and then we will run compression and leak down test.
Other than the smoke, it seems to run well, and no odd noises.

Seriously... how much smoke and under what conditions?

Was this a complete new build? If so, how much time has been put on it?

My gut feeling, which is certainly not a sure thing, is it's not a problem and the owner should go put some miles on it.

Gotta ask... how much experience does the owner have with old muscle cars?

I will be going over tonight to run compression test, and maybe leak-down too?
The spark plugs (from the photos) did not look too bad? The body ring of the sparkplug that goes in the chamber looked sooty black from idling, but not oily?
I am also thinking the smoking only starts after the engine has got to temperature. Oil still looks near new, constant 50 psi oil pressure (stock oil pump.)
could it be some coolant getting past the head gasket?
The cooling system does seem suspect, as it seems we are not getting any pressure when the engine is hot?
Running cometic head gaskets, and the block deck finish looked pretty smooth. The TF240 heads were checked by my cylinder head guy, and said they were good, but not sure if he checked the valve guide clearance?
The engine went together with no issues. Checked all the bearing clearances, side clearance, thrust clearance, rings gapped at 0.020". The engine spins over really nice and smooth.
I did use a Comp Cams Nylon thrust button for the first time, but there was about 0.010" clearance to the cover.

Maybe I will pressurize the cooling system and check for pressure loss?

I’d change the oil to something with the correct type of additive package for a high performance v8, rather than something where the redline is 2600rpm.

You can get a tank valve from O'reillys for less than $3. screw it into the coolant sensor 1/8 npt port & air it up to 5 to 10 psi. with the system full of coolant it just takes a split second of holding the air chuck on the valve to reach psi. I still think the blowby is problematic & people say rings will seat over time but the people at the motorcycle ring breakin site at www.mototuneusa.com say the ring breakin will take place or not take place immediately with a good breakin procedure & not over time. I dont know everything on that subject. Keep us updated

Well ran a leakdown test and cylinder #3 would not hold pressure at all. Not sure if it was the head gasket or piston rings?
Cylinder may have not been firing? not sure yet. Going to put a new head gasket on tomorrow and re-check leak-down.
All the other cylinders were good, showing about 39 psi when set for 40. Much more than 40 psi and the engine would rotate over.
All the valve gear looks fine, so I'm thinking oiling is good. I forgot to take a photo of the valve stems that show a nice centered contact pattern from the rocker arms.

Oops forgot on the Radiator pressure test, could not build pressure, but had a loose heater hose connection.
Need to retest the cooling system after replacing the head gasket.

On leak down tests in automotive engines if you start with #1 cylinder at TDC on the firing stroke it won't push the rod and piston down After #1 is done rotate the crankshaft 90 degrees to get #8 at TDC and test it and go from there through the rest of the firing order

I know what you are saying about checking at TDC.
After finding out #3 hole would not hold pressure, I got lazy and just puller the rockers arms off so I would not need to spin the engine.
What I was trying to say is the engine rotates over pretty easy, so I don't think there is any problem with the bearings.

Be interesting to hear what you find is the cause of 100% leakage.

if it isn't leaking past the valves it may be a hole in the piston

with the rockers still on, it would be normal to show 100% leakage on #3 (or any of em) if you were not on TDC #3 compression (it'd leak past the partly opened valves) & on the other hand if the rockers were off, you could still get a good test no matter where the piston is at even with the air haveing pushed the piston down when you apply the air which as you know it would do if you were not exactly at TDC. As said post the outcome. EDIT a cyl not firing would not cause it to read zero & I'm assuming the rockers are still off so you might pipe in 100 psi & see what % you get on em or if the rockers are now on get each one to TDC compression & repeat the test.

Tried another head gasket, with same problem.
With 80+ psi into the cylinder, pressure was less than 5psi, the leakage is blow by, no air past the valves.
No hole in piston that I can see. I even put some oil in the cylinder and it did not help?
Will pull the engine next weekend, but in the meantime, going to cut and drill some 1" thick plexiglass to make a pressure check tool that I can bolt over the cylinder of the block, and also bolt to the cylinder head to check each independently.
If it is just rings, I already have a partial set on the shelf, and may have that cylinder re-honed. Need to make sure there is no crack in the cylinder which would need a sleeve.