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I'm Thinking I Should be Getting More Oil

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It doesn't look really bad - there's a steady drip. I'm not near my books but are you sure the holes are supposed to face down and "out"?
 
Could someone post a video of their rockers while at idle? I bet you’d be surprised at the amount it’s actually doing.
 
The rocker shafts, while possible to install with the holes incorrect, it won't necessarily stop oil flow (with stock rockers). As long as the end plugs are installed properly, and the cam bearings installed correctly, it should oil. Now, with aftermarket rockers, as previously shown, might not oil properly due to a hole alignment mismatch. The original rockers have a channel in the middle of the rocker, and the aftermarket ones don't. As mentioned previously, shafts that have the diagonal grooves is what you need to fix this. If you look at early and late hemi rocker shafts, there is a groove for proper oiling, and this is what you are missing as OE wedge shafts only have a hole. The grooves help the additional hole get oil.

IMG_3780.JPG
IMG_3798.JPG
 
69Bee said:
The rocker shafts, while possible to install with the holes incorrect, it won't necessarily stop oil flow (with stock rockers). As long as the end plugs are installed properly, and the cam bearings installed correctly, it should oil. Now, with aftermarket rockers, as previously shown, might not oil properly due to a hole alignment mismatch. The original rockers have a channel in the middle of the rocker, and the aftermarket ones don't. As mentioned previously, shafts that have the diagonal grooves is what you need to fix this. If you look at early and late hemi rocker shafts, there is a groove for proper oiling, and this is what you are missing as OE wedge shafts only have a hole. The grooves help the additional hole get oil.

View attachment 563673 View attachment 563674
Click to expand...

I'm thinking this is the problem, not having a groove through the oiling hole in the shaft. The Crane rocker has a groove in the center, going around inside but the oil passage for the top hole is offset from that (towards the outside of the rocker). So there is not a good way for the oil to get out there without a groove in the shaft. There is some oil getting there but I'd like to see more.

I thought about making a groove at each hole, but I didn't read or hear anything about this being mandatory. It makes more sense now that they are necessary for better oiling.

These are the shafts that I installed.
20160423_093248-1.jpg
 
1967coronet440 said:
Here’s Andy’s 470 with t&d rockers, also had a dry sump



Here’s some crane rockers on a small block, crappy video but you can see the oil slinging around



Some t&d rockers, look to be the same as mine


Click to expand...


We're getting into some high hp, external oiling, ect. engines here. I'm basically stock except for the hv pump. I'd like to see that kind of oiling up top but I don't think it's going to happen. I think 69Bee is onto something with not having the grooves in the shaft.
 
69Bee said:
The rocker shafts, while possible to install with the holes incorrect, it won't necessarily stop oil flow (with stock rockers). As long as the end plugs are installed properly, and the cam bearings installed correctly, it should oil. Now, with aftermarket rockers, as previously shown, might not oil properly due to a hole alignment mismatch. The original rockers have a channel in the middle of the rocker, and the aftermarket ones don't. As mentioned previously, shafts that have the diagonal grooves is what you need to fix this. If you look at early and late hemi rocker shafts, there is a groove for proper oiling, and this is what you are missing as OE wedge shafts only have a hole. The grooves help the additional hole get oil.

View attachment 563673 View attachment 563674
Click to expand...
Exactly what I did and it fixed the issue. Recheck everything while you have it apart.
 
FWIW my 440 with stock shafts and Isky ductile rockers there is lots of oil up top. Stock style pump with a Hi pressure spring carries 75 cold 35 psi hot at idle. I would be concerned with galling the shafts and little or no oil cooling the springs. If I run it with the covers off it is a big smokey mess. Time to dig into it I say.
 
I'd consult with rocker arm rebuilders in Anderson CA
know them for 40 years
They can advise or do the banana grooves or maybe swap for some of their hard chrome shafts
do your rockers have bronze bushings?
the above two items necessary with normal spring pressure and long life, high spring pressure and endurance racing or super high spring pressure and drags (with iron rockers but I've bushed rollers also)
 
wouldn't excessive oil pouring out up top diminish oil pressure? is this not the reason for oil hole alignment on the cam bearing once every revolution?
 
Im running 440Source rocker shafts with Erson ductile rockers and the shafts have the oiling holes drilled through on shafts, 2 holes. I have about the same amount of oil as the OP, also using an HV pump. the only thing I may do is put a banana groove on each oiling hole, but otherwise its just fine.
 
eldubb440 said:
wouldn't excessive oil pouring out up top diminish oil pressure? is this not the reason for oil hole alignment on the cam bearing once every revolution?
Click to expand...

They do have cams with #4 oiling constantly, or it's the bearing but I would think a resistor would be needed. I'm not up on the details.

Lining up the oil passages in the cam, by hand, then priming with a half inch drill, I'll have oil all over the place. Now with the engine running, like you said, the oil passages are getting cut off every revolution.
 
5.7 hemi said:
Im running 440Source rocker shafts with Erson ductile rockers and the shafts have the oiling holes drilled through on shafts, 2 holes. I have about the same amount of oil as the OP, also using an HV pump. the only thing I may do is put a banana groove on each oiling hole, but otherwise its just fine.
Click to expand...

You stated two holes in the shaft, two at each rocker location? I only have one at the bottom, just like the stock ones.

This has become an interesting thread!
 
khryslerkid said:
They do have cams with #4 oiling constantly, or it's the bearing but I would think a resistor would be needed. I'm not up on the details.

Lining up the oil passages in the cam, by hand, then priming with a half inch drill, I'll have oil all over the place. Now with the engine running, like you said, the oil passages are getting cut off every revolution.
Click to expand...

working as designed, I would think
 
eldubb440 said:
working as designed, I would think
Click to expand...
Yes, when useing the original stamped rockers. They more or less work off of a gravity feed as long as there is oil being fed through the shaft. The ductile rockers look to me as needing a little help from some pressure to get the oil through the holes that go through them at two different locations. Very well why the shaft might need the banana grooves. Just thinking out loud.
 
khryslerkid said:
Yes, when useing the original stamped rockers. They more or less work off of a gravity feed as long as there is oil being fed through the shaft. The ductile rockers look to me as needing a little help from some pressure to get the oil through the holes that go through them at two different locations. Very well why the shaft might need the banana grooves. Just thinking out loud.
Click to expand...

yes, "stock configuration" came to mind as I was typing......... that being said, I put a 383 together in like '87 when I had no clue. I used Crane ductile iron rockers, I remember great oil pressure, I daily drove it for over 2 years, and everything looked great when I eventually pulled it apart....... I should have not touched it, but at the time it was a temporary mill while I played with a 440; and many of the parts, including the rockers were intended for use in the 440.
 
disclaimer, lol....... engines are not my field of expertise....... I always defer to guys here who do that type of work......
 
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