No oil through passenger rocker arms

[Yeahrightgreer]

Lads,

Recently picked up a car that had been dormant for alitte over a year. Engine is 440. Was said to have been a strong runner.

I started the process of waking her up. After replacing the oil, filter and priming the engine, I had good oil pressure but noticed nothing coming through passenger rockers. Any of them. I thought maybe upon cranking or start up once the holes lined up it would come through. I fired her up and after waiting a few seconds and oil rushed through the drivers side and nothing through passenger. Decided to shut the motor down.

What would y’all opinions towards my next course of action or things I should check?

I have not adjusted or had the rocker arms off but I cannot speak for the previous owner. Does look like the heads were gone through In the somewhat recent past.

 

[khryslerkid]

You could take off the whole rocker assembly on that side and run a wire down the oil passage to the cam. Pull it out and see what it looks like. Maybe gunk in the passage clogging things up.

Worse case scenario, cam bearing has spun or moved.

 

[Fran Blacker]

KK can the rocker shaft be upside down?

 

[khryslerkid]

KK can the focker shaft be upside down?

Lol, if the Focker shaft was upside down I believe you would see the oiling holes showing in his pics.

I'm trying to remember if the bolt hole at the oil passage is larger than the rest?

 

[33 IMP]

KK can the focker shaft be upside down?

Yes it can, but if oil is being supplied to the shaft, there will still be oil to the rockers. The oil will not be supplied to the load side (the bottom of the shaft) and the rockers will burn up.
My first thought was the cam bearing not installed right, or turned. I ran into this problem with a 1955 chevy 265. I had to modify the cam bearing to supply the rockers.

 

[Fran Blacker]

I put a 318 shaft in the wrong, drove pushrod through rocker, no oil. Why I asked.

 

[Yeahrightgreer]

I know a few things but I am still pretty new to the engine thing. Especially internally. I’d like to K.I.S.S. As much as I can and learn along the way.

Is removing the shaft assembly as simple as unbolting the several bolts on the shaft and lifting it out?

 

[khryslerkid]

I know a few things but I am still pretty new to the engine thing. Especially internally. I’d like to K.I.S.S. As much as I can and learn along the way.

Is removing the shaft assembly as simple as unbolting the several bolts on the shaft and lifting it out?

You will have tension or pressure on some of the rockers when you loosen the bolts. Turn the bolts evenly as you loosen them.

 

[Daves69]

Do you ave a service manual? If not, downloads here.......
http://www.mymopar.com/index.php?pid=31

Maybe you could pull the circled bolt first and check for sealer on it plugging the oil feed.............

 

[khryslerkid]

Good advice on what Daves69 said about just pulling the one bolt. That's where the oil passage is. I had assembly lube clogging my one side before I started it for the first time.

Also take notice as to where the oiling holes are pointing. Should be pointed down and toward the valves. Take pictures if you can.

 

[Jerry Hall]

If everything is installed correctly, then take the rocker assembly off and run a pipe cleaner type wire through the oiling hole. You said the engine was a strong runner and if something wasn't installed correctly you should already see damage. It looks like this is not the case,so some sludge has probably blocked the oil flow from sitting.

 

[Cranky]

Rocker shaft orientation has always been a problem with Mopar....gotta know how they go.

 

[khryslerkid]

Rocker shaft orientation has always been a problem with Mopar....gotta know how they go.

I was looking for a good example on YouTube and the first one I found the guy was installing the shaft with the holes pointing up! So I went to the comments and a guy asked about the holes being up in the video. The reply was to have them pointed down and towards the pushrods. So the guy was going to change his because his must have been installed wrong.

I left two comments in that video. One to the Poster and one to the guy in the comments.

 

[Daves69]

Rocker shaft orientation has always been a problem with Mopar....

Along with the rockers on the shaft!

 

[khryslerkid]

Oh, make sure the plug at each end is in the shaft.

 

[62 Dart Convertible]

IF all is assembled correctly, your problem maybe you didn't run engine long enough to prime the passenger side rocker gallery. The oil supply to the rockers is not full time, but for a small phase of cam rotational position. Pull dizzy and prime again whilst either bumping starter or turning engine by hand in small increments at least 2 full revolutions (= 1 cam revolution). You will then know if you have oil supply to both rocker shafts.

 

[miller]

If you look in the manual, under rocker arms/shaft, note that the oil feed hole to the rocker shaft, is slightly offset to one side.
Those shafts work on either side, but the oiling holes in the shaft MUST be located right, by the manual. If the shaft is installed 'backwards', the offset feed hole isn't located right, and is partly blocked. It would be worth pulling that shaft, and make sure it's installed right.
Stock rocker oiling is not direct...meaning, the #4 cam bearing feeds one shaft, then the opposite, as the engine rotates. So, yeah, some rotation might be needed, if everything is installed right.

On the safe side, with that rocker shaft off, you could pre-oil, to see if your getting oil through the oil port from that side. If not, you need to find out why not.

Be sure the rocker shaft itself is clear, on the inside, while your at it. All pretty simple, and effective, if things are lined up.

 

[Yeahrightgreer]

I appreciate it gents. I’ll check today after work today hopefully if it’s not raining.

So @miller would I be able to pull the shaft, and then lightly prime the engine to see if anything comes up through the passenger side oil gallery? Then assuming it does, reinstall the shaft correctly with the holes lined up and proceed to prime to see if flow continues?

Sorry I’m thinking out loud

 

[miller]

Then assuming it does, reinstall the shaft correctly with the holes lined up and proceed to prime to see if flow continues?

Yes, you just want to be sure the shaft itself, is in correctly. It won't hurt a thing, to be sure your getting oil through the 'block' port, that feeds it.

In case your new to the game...do this...
Understand the parts and pieces off the rocker shafts, are under ALOT of pressure. So, it must be done right. Simply because the engine is together. Slowly, evenly, break each rocker shaft bolt loose...only loose. You need to keep every separate part, rocker arms, push rods...in their original location!! You can slip a wire rod under all the push rods, if needed to help.
Then, slowly, evenly, back out each bolt, until their free. You will be relieving pressure off valve springs, at the same time. Keep all the parts on the shaft in place. You'll go back on the same way...unless the shaft is backwards.

Pull the shaft, and take note where the oil feed holes are. There's two, only since the shafts can be mounted on either head. Decide if the holes are in the correct position. If not, lay the shaft on the bench, slip it off all the parts, flip it, and re-mount all the parts in the same order. Go by the book! That simple little mistake is done all the time.

Once things are right, put the shaft back in place, and run the bolts down, by hand.
Once it's time to bottom, and tighten the bolts, it must be done evenly, the length of the shaft. Do NOT force anything, but allow the parts to settle into place, as you go along. Take your time, and you won't have any problems.

Nuff said...

 

[69Bee]

Easy stuff first, did you turn the crankshaft when you were priming the engine? If not, the cam is not aligned with the hole on the side that would not oil...