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SBC - no oil to the heads

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by KCTA Chris, Sep 8, 2013.

  1. brandon
    Joined: Jul 19, 2002
    Posts: 6,370

    brandon
    Member

    think its a hyd. roller... im thinking front plugs or cam bearing
     
  2. cb1
    Joined: May 31, 2007
    Posts: 463

    cb1
    Member
    from Wisconsin

    What the heck happened?? Update??

    cb1
     
  3. Roothawg
    Joined: Mar 14, 2001
    Posts: 25,532

    Roothawg
    Member

    Whatever happened? I have a similar issue with the exact same cam.
     
  4. sunbeam
    Joined: Oct 22, 2010
    Posts: 6,342

    sunbeam
    Member

    Question if hydraulic lifters did they pump up If they did it's not in the block. Check the rocker to see if they are drilled at the push rod end.
     
  5. dirt t
    Joined: Mar 20, 2007
    Posts: 5,355

    dirt t
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    1. HAMB Old Farts' Club

    what did eng builder say?
     
  6. DDDenny
    Joined: Feb 6, 2015
    Posts: 20,666

    DDDenny
    Member
    from oregon

    In the mid 70's I built a 355 small block and had one pushrod that had an end insert that never got drilled, turned the rocker arm blue.
     
  7. seb fontana
    Joined: Sep 1, 2005
    Posts: 8,933

    seb fontana
    Member
    from ct

    PM the OP?
     
  8. models916
    Joined: Apr 19, 2012
    Posts: 379

    models916
    Member

    Early stock distributor will have lifter galley ring at the bottom. Needs to be indexed correctly to feed oil to the lifters. OR….you can grind the depression all the way around and not worry about position.
     
  9. KCTA Chris
    Joined: Jan 16, 2002
    Posts: 441

    KCTA Chris
    Member

    Found a couple things, front of block needed clearance for the timing gear with the roller conversion. My builder did what he could to make it right, had the block stripped again, watched new bearings installed and tossed the adjustable rockers for a new set. It's been a few miles ago. so things are going right.
     
  10. D.N.D.
    Joined: Aug 15, 2012
    Posts: 1,385

    D.N.D.
    Member Emeritus

    The adjustable rockers would not have any thing to do with getting oil to the heads, as it comes up through the hollow push rods to feed the top end stuff

    If one of the galley plugs are out you would have a mess on the floor

    DND
     
  11. sunbeam
    Joined: Oct 22, 2010
    Posts: 6,342

    sunbeam
    Member

    I had a sbc with a set of brand name roller rockers that were getting very little oil to the top end . Put stock rockers on and it oiled like crazy the hole in the rocker push rod cup didn't line up with the hole in the push rod. I though it was a flaw but maybe they thought roller rockers didn't need as much oil.
     
  12. The cam bearings on a small block chevy don't need the oil holes aligned with anything. there is a groove completely around the block side of the bearing. The oil hole only needs to be in sync with the groove in the block. The oil holes in the cam bearing only oil the cam journals. The chevy cam bearings must be installed on the specific journal . they are numbered and each has a certain position. The chevy cam bearings have nothing to do with oil to the rocker arms or lifters.
     
  13. D.N.D.
    Joined: Aug 15, 2012
    Posts: 1,385

    D.N.D.
    Member Emeritus

    No they don't need much oil as they can run in a mist, you can install restrictor with a .50 dia hole and they work just fine
     
  14. Bandit Billy
    Joined: Sep 16, 2014
    Posts: 14,005

    Bandit Billy
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    May not be applicable but on my 71 LT-1 SBC with solid lifters you install restrictors to limit oil to the top of the motor. Opposite would be true for hydraulic lifter applications.
     
  15. Fabber McGee
    Joined: Nov 22, 2013
    Posts: 1,381

    Fabber McGee
    Member

    I ran a 383 sbc in a sprint car in the early 80's with a hydraulic cam. I built the block for a solid lifter roller, but it failed the distributor gear in a short time and a friend gave me the hydraulic cam to try. I had put plugs in the rear lifter galley feeds and .062 (1/16) holes drilled from the lifter galley to front cam bearing oil groove. That way, the crank got almost all the oil and only a dribble went to the top. The hydraulic lifters worked fine with that amount of oil and the valve covers didn't fill up with oil I needed in the pan. Ran that engine 3 seasons before selling the car and had no oiling issues.
     

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