Help with Big Block OIL Problem

[toomanycars]

I pulled a great running 67 383 last fall. I just put in my Cuda this week and it sounds horrible. No oil is getting to the top of the engine. I removed the valve cover and it's dry so I went further thinking maybe sitting on an angle all winter the pick up got plugged. I removed the oil pump and blew air into the pick up and it was not restricted. I ran the oil pump in a bucket and it has plenty of pressure. I installed the pump and ran it with a drill without the oil filter and plenty of flow. I put the filter on and ran the pump with a drill, still nothing making it to the top of the engine. Ang suggestions on what else to try would be appreciated.

 

[Chryco Psycho]

the rocker shafts are pulse fed through the cam so if you rotate the engine slowly while running the drill on the oil pump you may get oil fed up to the rocker shafts , , if the cam brg rotated it can bloc off the flow .

 

[Challenger RTA]

Reading your post It implies you had it running already.Remove rocker shafts As Chryco Psyoco said.The cam has to be in two different positions to feed each side separately. turn crank by hand with some oil pressure until you find them. If you don't get oil there is a blockage.Use an engine cleaning brush or wire to check or clear blockage. Remember if you are probing for cam hole with wire or brush not to shear of a piece with the cam turning.Go slow.The black mark is TDC you can see how far from TDC you will find one of them. Oil filter obstructed?

 

[Daves69]

1) Do you have oil pressure at the gauge port?


Challenger RTA posted the small block system. BB arteries are a bit different.



The rocker shafts feed through the #4 cam journal for both sides...........

As Cryco states, the oil feed pulses side to side with the cam rotation..

Rocker shaft oil feed.......

Stock rocker shaft oil feed holes for rockers are down and outward from the hold-down bolt CLs........

 

[toomanycars]

Thanks the images help a lot. I'll have to check the gauge port to be sure bout I don't think there is pressure there. Yes I had the engine running fine last fall and it was fine when I shut it down, it has a new oil filter. I'll try rotating it tonight while I have the pump going and post back.

 

[Challenger RTA]

1) Do you have oil pressure at the gauge port?


Challenger RTA posted the small block system. BB arteries are a bit different.



The rocker shafts feed through the #4 cam journal for both sides...........

View attachment 93626


As Cryco states, the oil feed pulses side to side with the cam rotation..
View attachment 93616

Rocker shaft oil feed.......

View attachment 93620


Stock rocker shaft oil feed holes for rockers are down and outward from the hold-down bolt CLs........
View attachment 93625

I posted both. the problem I think is on top.

 

[Challenger RTA]

I have seen this happen before. Remove rocker shafts and prob with brush or wire.When the engine fires up it pushes anything (oil gunk dirt rust) to the top oil gallery.It's not a straight shot and gets smaller. Drill was running 2-3 seconds before video started. Completely dry oil system. //Remember it has to be clocked correctly to get the oil!

 

[toomanycars]

Great Video, I hope I can make that happen soon.

 

[toomanycars]

I was able to fish a wire down the oil gallery from the head into the cam but couldn't get past the cam. No blockage and still no flow. I can blow air through it into the block but that is probably just slipping past the bearings. I did change the timing chain right before this issue but I can't think of anything I would have disturbed to cause this. I'm thinking I will have to remove the cam see what's going on.

 

[Chryco Psycho]

I have seen cams not drilled .

 

[toomanycars]

Still the original cam.

 

[Daves69]

IMO, "Plenty of flow" does not always equate to pressure. What is the pressure at the gauge port? If you have no pressure at the gauge port, you must have an open somewhere. If you can't even get oil through the filter, it's possible the pump is stuck in bypass, or even more remote, a loose oil pump rotor spinning on the shaft once it sees resistance.

When you have the primer rod and drill running (counter clockwise), can you feel any load building on the drill?

 

[toomanycars]

The pressure at the port is about 35 with the drill wide open. I gave it another try today and I finally got the oil to flow. I'm going to chalk it up to a Mothers day gift from my Mother that recently passed away.

 

[moparmike65]

Glad you got through it. One thing not mentioned here that I’ve experienced is excessively worn cam bearings which would result in good oil pressure when you start the engine but oil pressure at the top goes away as the oil warms up.

 

[toomanycars]

I am getting lower pressure than I like (about 35) have you tried the HP oil pump?