265 oiling question / high RPM lifter noise

Just re-ringed a 265, threw in a new (hyd) cam and lifters and the heads are fresh as well. I notched the cam myself and made it just a tad bigger to be safe. The valves are adjusted at zero plus a half turn. Cruising around town all is well but when I run it at about 55-60, which is about 2500+ with the 2 speed, I hear lifter noise. When I pull off the highway and come to a stop it quits just before I come to a complete stop and runs fine if I just cruise around again. Oil pressure is a solid 40 psi off idle and everything else seems to be great.

My first impression is that I need to adjust the valves a bit tighter but I've never adjusted valves more than 1/2 turn. I doubt the cam is going flat because in my past experiences the lifter noise is constant.

My second idea is a bit hard to explain but here goes. Is it possible that at higher RPMs the notch connecting the oil p***age to the lifters is p***ing by the oil holes so fast that it's restricting the flow, even though its p***ing by faster?

 

Any ideas?

 

The 265 oiling system is just not adequate for your lifters. There's a reason that Chev changed it early in the life of the SBC! I dot know of any easy way to fix it, sorry.

 

***

 

Would another 1/4 turn be pushing it? I would think that would help but I think it may be pushing it

 

I dount it's that since it's not above 3000 and it continues for a bit when the RPM's come down as I'm stopping but that's just my opinion. I think I may readjusting them a bit tighter and see if it helps.

 

do you have the correct rear cam bearing in it?

 

Yeah, the two hole and it's lined up perfectly.

 

If the distributor is turned much past factory setting on a 265 it can restrict or block oil supply to the lifters/rocker arms. There is a flat area that intersects the oil gallery. About 45 years ago a buddy had three twos on his 265 that required turning the distributor to clear the vacuum advance unit. Drove us nuts trying to find why no oil. This MIGHT be a possible cause...Good luck! Frank

 

This is what I was thinking, maybe he used a distributor NOT originally for a 265. Butch/56sedandelivery.

 

Does the rear journal on the camshaft have the notch in it ? A 265 should have it.

 

You can only use a cam with a wide cam journal on the rear! You have to special order the cam for a 265 or 283, if you use a normal sbc cam with a narrow rear cam journal, squeek squeek, at about 2000 plus rpms, no oil goes to the rocker arms. 1/2 turn is fine, 1/4 turn is fine

Who is this? I just saw you were in taylor.

 

Are you adjusting the valves while the motor is cold? It Should be warm. Are you adjusting the valves starting with TDC and doing the following:
Exhaust: 1-3-4-8
Intake: 1-2-5-7
Crank engine one revolution which will bring it to the firing postion for the #6 Cyl. and do the following
Exhaust:2-5-6-7
Intake: 3-4-6-8

 

1955 265 camshaft:

 

Yes to all of the above...original distributor, warm motor and I adjusted the intake as the exhaust started opening and the exhaust as the intake is almost closed. I notched the cam myself which is "old timer" approved. I've never heard of a large rear journal cam, sounds interesting, I'll look into it for sure!

I adjusted the valve to 3/4 turn per the rep at Comp. Buuuuuut my buddy BellM checked his old manuals and after I did some research on old car manual project I learned that almost ALL sbc's were spec'd at 1 FULL turn.

Anyway, the problem is still there after a test run just a bit ago and KKustomz post has sparked some interest.

Anyone else have any ideas?

 

Read some of this!

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=416175&page=7

 

If I remember some 265 if not all didn't have valve notches in the pistons.

 

This is true. These don't. I did check clearances with my handy clay. Plenty of room.

 

ditto

 

Hell, I think the book says 1 1/2 turns from zero. We all go closer to zero, but there's a lot of lee-way since the manufacturer says 1 1/2

 

I believe you get alot better vacuum readings with just a 1/4 turn "in" from zero. Please correct me if I'm wrong!!...... I'm finally a member!! SWEEEET!!

 

I'm 99% sure it's lifter noise. MAKE IT STOOOOPPPPP!!!!!

 

stop whining and tighten them up a bit.

 

oookaaaay

 

Go by Joel Gamez shop over at 79 and 95, Mark Clark will tell you exactly what went wrong! You dont happen to have a narrowed 9" in that car do you?

 

WHO THE **** IS THIS? ...stalker

 

It's been 45 years ago, but I built a '55 265 and used a later 098 Duntov cam and lifters. I ground the slot in the back cam journal, but I also had to grind a small notch on the outside of the lifters where the oil groove on the lifter did not line up with the oil p***age in the block. I cannot remember the details exactly but I did have to grind them. Do you have an old lifter to compare with the ones in your engine?

 

The only difference I found was the location of the hole within the groove. One was low one was high. Everything else looked the same.

 

Rockers are not hitting the stud,because the slot is not long enough?