Technical oil pressure

this may be a newbie question but I will ask anyway........when I pre lube a sb using a cut down distributer....im not getting oil to the rockers......im using a drill to turn the distributer and i am getting 40 lbs pressure at the gauge..........thanks Larry

 

takes a while SOMETIMES

 

Try having someone crank the starter while the engine is being primed. Bump the starter, or use a socket on the crank pulley bolt.

 

buy a chevy eng. primer from sumitt they are cheap enough u need the middle plug wheir the dist clamp goes then u will get oil to the top end and rockers

 

YEA, takes some time to get the oil up in every rocker. I have already burned up drills doing it!! Take your time. May take several priming attempts!

 

On the old GM distributors, the oil ring in the shaft is not 360 degrees around. If you don't position it exactly the way it was run in the engine, it will block oil to the lifter galley. Much better to use a real primer with the aluminum hourglass in the middle.

 

Also since it was not mentioned,and I am not saying this to make you look stupid make sure you are spinning the pump clockwise !

 

He's getting 40PSI pressure, so it's spinning the right direction.

 

You will not get oil to the lifters on a Chevy by just using a rod that looks like a screwdriver. Get an old distributer, take off the cam gear and modify the top so that you can attach a drill motor. Then you WILL get oil to the lifters. If you look at the distributor you will see a groove on the distributer housing. This is where oil travels to the RH side of the block to the RH valve lifter oil supply hole. Study the block, distributer and an oil pressure schematic and you will understand the oil system.

 

As noted, giving the crank a full rotation is basically essential to fill "all" of the galleys. It's not a big deal to have a helper. Just let the drill motor run for 30/45 seonds, stop...turn the crank 90 degrees, run the drill for 30/45 seconds, stop...
You get the idea.
And as noted, it might require a little higher power drill motor thAn what you have to spin the pump fast enough to get the rockers wet. Not a big deal as long as you used a good oil or high pressure assembly lube on the rockers/balls/pushrod ends.

Mike

 

You need to have the part that seals the lower cam area, as mentioned look at the distributor and this will make sense. Also it helps to rotate the engine a bit when doing the priming.

I also just put some assy lube on the rockers when I assemble it so they are not dry, and lifters have soaked in oil before put in so they are ready.

 

Might want to read the OP's post again. He is using a cut-down distributor.

On another note, I understand why you need to turn the crank a bit while priming on those engines that oil the top end through passages in the cam journals (Mopar), but I can't understand why you need to do it on an SBC. Don't the lifters have a narrow area around them that is exposed to pressurized oil, which then flows through the lifter and up the pushrod to the rockers? Or are the oil feed holes in the lifter blocked depending on where they are at in the cam lift cycle?

 

ya it can bust those 1/4 drills i use the 1/2 inch ones.