1951 Chevy 235 No oil going to the rocker assembly

I'm not saying this is the case, but just for something to check. I had half a batch of lifters (hydraulic) go bad in the stock 235 in my '57 Chevrolet. The lifters actually cracked in half like an easter egg. I took them to several mechanics and they all said they had never seen it. We attributed it to bad metal. Anyway, I suppose if something went bad with the lifter oiling it might stop things up.

I am not very knowledgeable in this area and it might not even be possible, so I guess it'd be a last resort.

Brandon

 

Is this 55 belaire problem with a straight 6 or a v-8? a 265 v8 from this year can have a top oiling problem if you change distributors. the shafts are different on the 55's. At least, that's what my dad told me hundreds of times after spending months chasing that problem on a 55 model 265 (sometime back in the early 60's). Must've been one of his favorite stories.

Keith

 

Doesn't the oil filter have a restricted fitting. It is a byp*** type filter that just takes some oil, filters it and dumps it back into the motor. If there is no restriction, too much oil will flow through the filter and not leave enough oil for the rest of the engine. Try plugging the filter lines.

I agree that the hole at the end of the camshaft is to prevent pressure buildup. It will leak more with air than with oil.

Is a high volume pump available for this engine?

 

Have a 1951 chevy with the oiling system same as the one being discussed235engine w power glide trans .have been through the same procedue .replace oil pump litters checked oil control valve replaced every thing I know if anyone has figured out this problem please let me know Chevy 51? Emaynard42.yahoo.com

 

Has this issue ever been resolved or no? I don't have any lifter/rocker noise but it looks as though I'm not getting oil to my rockers on my '51 235 either. My oil pressure reads perfectly on my gauge and the motors running smoooooth so maybe I'm wrong

 

stefans If your engine has not been apart I would put a mechanical guage in the oil port in the side of the head and see what it says. if its lower than the original pull the side cover and clean out the line and fittings in there

 

If your rocker shaft HAS been apart .... The rocker shafts are plugged on one end. The plugs go on the outer ends. The rocker arms for '49-'53 engines are stamped 1, 2, 5 or 6 & must be placed in their proper place.

Chiltons Auto Repair Manual 1940 - 1953.

 

I'll have to pop the valve cover off and have a look

 

If you need the positioning, let me know, I'll post it.

 

Alright I'll have a look today. Thank you my friend

 

Is it possible that the rear cam bearing was installed wrong and blocking the oil p***ages?

 

Going back to the original poster, I was wondering if this early 235 was FACTORY EQUIPPED with hydraulic lifters, from the factory?
The original poster was going to check his lifters ..... never heard from again.
That was in May of 2011.
Back in 1951, the year of the car in question, only the P.G. / 235, came with hydraulics.

 

Never compare the oil coming out of the rocker area of a 216 / 235, to the oil coming out of a SBC rocker area.
The 216 / 235 oil coming out is slightly more than a trickle.

 

Sure would like to hear from the original poster as I have the exact same issue. Rebuilt an original 1951 Chevy 235 from a 4 dr. sedan w/Power Glide (hydraulic lifters). After running over 10 - 15 minutes w/20 lbs of oil pressure, it became obvious no oil was ever going to appear at the rockers. Checked the obvious line from lifter galley to head...free of obstruction. Pulled engine and dis***embled sufficient to visually confirm all oil p***ageways and ports were clear from mains, to cam to lifter galley. even removed the main oil galley rear plug.. no obstructions. Stumped!!??

 

subscribed.
Just last week I started a 52 chevy truck with a 235. Been sitting for years.
Grandpa worked on this motor, the truck came with a 216 and uncle gave him the 235.
Grandpa was getting old and never finished building this truck. But the head at the very least was rebuilt, uncle installed the head because grandpa could not lift it. But uncle left the final adjustments for grandpa.

So I step in several years later, the generator is froze and need to break it loose with a pipe wrench so the motor will turn over.
It starts and runs dang near perfect, no choke connected and no reason to connect one. It starts and runs and ready for work.
But grandpa never did bolt down the valve cover. After it has been running for several minutes, I remove the valve cover and can see the valves nearest the firewall get some oil, stare at it for a few more min and the next set of valves get some oil, few min later the 3rd set of valves get some oil and by this time I turn the engine off.
I think grandpa saw a oiling issue and why he never ****oned up the valve cover, and now I am looking at it. Going to start with fresh oil.

 

Very old thread. There is sometimes a special head bolt that has a flat side or is drilled. It has to be installed in the correct location. The best easiest fix. Run a oil line from the pressure guage port on the side of the block to the cyl head. The small steel line from a 73 up chevy Pk is small and wont flow too much oil to the rockers.

 

Thanks, Wolf.
I'm familiar with the special oil bolt. My engine is a 1951 "splasher" which predates that particular design (there is no oil bore from the block to the head). The oil path on this one is from pump to main oil galley, to rear main bearing, to rear cam bushing, to top of block behind the lifter cover. From there it travels through a short length of tubing up through the head to the rocker shaft. The external fix will work, but only satisfies my rockers... I'm not getting oil to the lifters and they're hydraulic. Gotta fill that lifter galley!

 

I think the line to the head might back feed through the original line and pressurize the lifter gallery a bit. I never liked hyd lifters on a stovebolt. I always swapped in solid lifters.

 

OK, Wolf... tighten your shoe laces and read this!

Since we were able to crank up nearly 30 lbs oil pressure on a shop gauge with a drill, we knew insufficient oil pressure was not our problem. The only logical explanation remaining (to which you indirectly alluded) was that we were bleeding oil internally someplace. After examining the interior of the block for anything obvious, we checked the fit of the cam to the bushing and it seemed snug enough. The next opportunity for excessive loss was the drain hole behind the cam bushing. So...

We drove the cam bushing to the rear a little more to partially cover the drain hole. Then we reversed the cam plug and drove it in sufficient to partially block the same hole from the opposite direction (all told, about 75% covered). Reinstalled the cam, cranked up the drill and... WHALLA! Ample oil now flowing to the lifter galley and through the oil line to the rockers.

Not exactly a "text book" fix you'd read in a shop manual, but it worked. Hope someone in the future finds it useful...

 

It is recommened that in Chevy early 6s that the cam bearings be staked by using a round nosed punch through the p***age from the main bearing to the cam. Motors Manual shows it well.