Priming oil pump!

[Tripper]

Since the engine I'm putting in the Nova has been setting for a few years I started to prime the oil pump & it was getting pressure but I haven't been able to get the rockers to oil up. I just used a straight shaft tool & not one with the collar. Any ideas?!?

BoB

 

[smallfoot]

What are you turning the shaft with?

 

[Tripper]

What are you turning the shaft with?

Hand drill! Always worked B4!

 

[Sniper]

I'm not absolutely sure Chev lifters shut off the oil flow when the lifter is at the extreme open position. Some manufactures used this as a way to control oil flow, but there will be some cylinders that the oil hole on the side of the lifter is lined up with the oil galley somewhere on the engine. If you know for sure your getting pressure, bump the crank a 1/4 turn (with a Johnson bar) and this will move the cam a 1/8 of a turn. Moves the lifters just enough to line up a few with the oil galley. Doing this 8 times will put you back where you started if timing is an issue. Found a picture that should explain what I'm getting at with the oil flow cut off, it's not a Chevy but I think they may use the same idea. Ever notice that the oil stream pulses when your trying to adjust the tappets when it's running, that's because they incorporate this system...I think.

 

[Tripper]

I'm not absolutely sure Chev lifters shut off the oil flow when the lifter is at the extreme open position. Some manufactures used this as a way to control oil flow, but there will be some cylinders that the oil hole on the side of the lifter is lined up with the oil galley somewhere on the engine. If you know for sure your getting pressure, bump the crank a 1/4 turn (with a Johnson bar) and this will move the cam a 1/8 of a turn. Moves the lifters just enough to line up a few with the oil galley. Doing this 8 times will put you back where you started if timing is an issue. Found a picture that should explain what I'm getting at with the oil flow cut off, it's not a Chevy but I think they may use the same idea. Ever notice that the oil stream pulses when your trying to adjust the tappets when it's running, that's because they incorporate this system...I think.

Thanks, I'll try that!

BoB

 

[sgtpontiac]

Tripper

Since the engine I'm putting in the Nova has been setting for a few years I started to prime the oil pump & it was getting pressure but I haven't been able to get the rockers to oil up. I just used a straight shaft tool & not one with the collar. Any ideas?!?

BoB

I always understood that without the collar in place you won't lube the upper end .....or am I mistaken? that's why they recommend using a dist housing and shaft or the tool with the collar....

 

[smallfoot]

I've always thought that if you used a collar doing the pump up, you were just insuring contact with whatever tool you use. I get away with a long straight rod that I ground a flat, screw driver style tip. Put it in a drill and go slow and do ok, but it does make it easier to keep rods lined up with the collar. I just use a piece of rubber hose...

 

[sgtpontiac]

My understanding

without the proper fitment in the block...the oil galley to the lifters is wide open so no pressure builds...honestly, I've never tried it without the right tool...bought one years ago and still use it today...mine has two collars on it...one lower than the top one...fits in snug like a dist does...the lower one fills the oil galley area...the top one stabilizes the tool only....

 

[smallfoot]

Kool to know...Now ya got me looking for a large rubber stopper...

 

[donsrods]

We have gotten two motors built by a local race shop lately, one a 468 Olds for my Son Dans car, and one a 306 Ford for Dons T bucket. When we tried prelubing both motors we got oil to the lifters but none to the roller rockers. We ran the drill for a long time with the proper preluber tools , and still no oil.

We called Mike Thompson, who built the motors, and he said " Fire up the motors and watch the oil pressure. If you get pressure, run them for a little while and you will get oil up to the rockers." He said sometimes oil will not flow up there without the motor running because the oil bleed holes in the lifters are not in the right place when static.

We did that, and sure enough, oil started to get to the rockers. Both motors are now running fine with about 70 pounds of oil pressure.

This is especially true if you are running heavier oil. We are using 25-50 racing oil and it is pretty thick. Try that Bob, it might work for you too.

Don

 

[Tripper]

Thanks for that Don... exactly what I'm gonna do. FINALLY got it all back together & just found radiator hoses to fit & am fixing to fill the old girl up with water & hope to have her started & running shortly. I did put a oil pressure gauge & it had a steady 40 lbs... Fingers crossed!!!

BoB

 

[Tripper]

That was the ticket Don... motor hasn't run in 8 yrs... poured a lil gas in the carb & it cranked right up. Pretty happy camper right now! Got a lil more work to do but I should make the show in the morning!

BoB

 

[skull]

cool

sweet

Later

 

[earthman]

Very good. Now for some pix from the show.

 

[BlueNorther]

it's true on a Chevy engine the bottom of the distributor is part of the oil galleries. look at the body bottom there are two rings forming a groove that plugs the leak in that area, some very high end dist. even come with 2 o-ring grooves for a super tight seal.

a straight rod will oil the mains but no pre lube will get to the lifters and rockers.

back when I was building and racing chevy motors, I took an old distributor and cut the upper piece where the points mount, cut that off, ground all the teeth off of the drive gear, and cut the drive shaft as close to the bottom of the advance weight plate as possible, drilled out a 1/2" nut to slide down the shaft and tacked it to the shaft.

since it still had the clamp area still on the body it could be clamped in place on the motor and run by a big old 1/2" drive drill motor, using this modded dist. there was oil squirting out of the rockers

 

[donsrods]

Something funny happened when my Son Dan and I were priming the Olds motor we just got back from the engine builder. We were not getting any oil to the roller rockers, no matter how long we did it, so we pulled out the oil sender out of the top of the motor to see if oil was coming there. A stream of oil shot about 8 feet in the air and came back down on us before we could move !


I never thought oil could shoot that high !


BTW, we have started using a new oil in our non roller cam motors. It is Lucas Classic and Hot Rod oil, designed especially for motors that need zinc. When you feel it with your fingers it is super slippery. Mike Thompson, who built those two motors for us, uses it exclusively in every motor he builds.

It saves buying a separate zinc additive, like we had been doing.


Don