Technical sbc oiling problems

i just finished my 86 355 sbc. when priming the oil system the p***enger side doesn't get any oil, left side get oil all the way thru the rocker arms. any ideas?

 

While priming the oil system did you rotate the crankshaft a few revolutions?

 

^^^^^ This^^^^^ Had the same issue when priming one too and turning the crank got oil everywhere quickly.

Lynn

 

Use a priming tool, old distributor will work with a few mods.

 

Why would turning the crank shaft matter? Upper main bearings are fully grooved. Or at least should be


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Basically to burp air or too much ***embly lube out, especially in valve train?

 

I had the exact same problem, my brother gave me his oil pump primer shaft and I used that and had the same problem. Took the motor out and put in another one and had the same problem. I discovered that when I used my modified distributer housing both sides of the engine pumped oil. There is an oil p***age in the block that needs to be blocked with the distributor housing to get pressure to both sides.

Pat

 

To oil to the top end, you need oil in the lifter to feed the pushrod. And to get oil in the lifter you need to get it near the oil supply hole in the lifter bore. An oil priming tool, or modified distributor housing, is the thing to use. Once all the air is out of the system things will oil up as they should.

 

Did you pull the plugs out of the front of the lifter oil galleys?
If yes were they reinstalled?

 

1934coupe is correct, "I discovered that when I used my modified distributor housing both sides of the engine pumped oil"

Just went through the same thing with a fresh 383 SBC. Pulled distributor and used a priming tool and electric drill and only got oil on left side rockers. Nothing changed after a good 10 minutes of spinning the pump. Dropped distributor in and used the starter motor and got oil on right side after just a few seconds.

 

Exactly what's said here. Need base of distributor (see lower right pic, note the groove) to bridge the gap so oil will continue going forward down the right galley. Other wise oil just water falls back into the oil pan.

 

^^^^^

 

As opposed to just a shaft to spin the oil pump, an actual priming tool has a machined collar that replicates the lower distributor housing to get the correct oil flow. Most look something like this:

 

Sbc rarely has oiling problems, if you lubed it well during ***embly and aren't running super high com. like 13 or 14 to 1 just start it up an watch the oil pressure gauge i would be much more worried about the new cam living lol pre lubing is fine i guess personally i never have the most i did was turn it over with the plugs out til i had pressure 5 seconds you good and high volume pumps i worry when its -20 outside the high volume pump will leave all the cold oil in the top of the block so that's something to ponder um i have 11.2 com an high volume high pressure pump live in canada an cringe in the winter some days but once i get on the road with that cold dense air making the motor sound like it's going to blow the heads off i happiest guy on the planet