HI ALL IM JOHN FROM LAS VEGAS I RECENTLY PURCHASED A 1985 BUICK RIVIERA 307 OLDS V-8 I BOUGHT IT FROM A GENTLEMAN THAT STATED MOTOR WAS BAD (HE MAY BE RIGHT. AFTER A NICE CONVERSATION WITH A MEMBER HERE I WENT OUT TO WORK ON MY CAR TO TAKLE SO TROUBLESHOOTING THIS IS WHAT I FOUND....... FIRST AN ANOYING TAPPING TICKING NOISE CAR RUNS AND DRIVES JUST TICKS TAPS AND WHEN IM COMING TO A STOP THE OIL/CHOKE LIGHT COMES ON GOES OFF EVERYTIME. NOW FOR THE FUN I REMOVED DRIVERS SIDE VALVE COVER RAN THE MOTOR AND 3 OF THE PUSH RODS WERE NOT SQUIRTING OIL UP SO OUT OF 8 OF THEM 4 WERE SHOOTING OIL VIGOROUSLY AND 1 SO SO AND 3 NOTHING AT ALL.I REMOVED THE ROCKERS FOR THE 2 THAT WERE NOT SQUIRTING AND CHECKED FOR BLOCKAGE NOTHING THEN I TOOK A COAT HANGER AND TRIED TO UNCLOG NOTHING I HAVE TO BE HONEST WHEN I PUT THE COAT HANGER THROUGH IT SOUNDED LIKE I WAS GOING THROUGH A THIN PIECE OF SOME SORT OF MEATL THAT MOVED AND MADE A FLAPPING NOISE PUT ALL TOGETHER AND NOTHIGN STILL NOISY HELP PLEASE HELP JOHN LAS VEGAS

does anyone know if it is true that the push rods and rockers arms are made of aluminum

John,
The rocker arm pivots are made of aluminum, not the rocker arms or push rods. You need to get an oil pressure gauge on that engine before you do anything else. It sounds like the engine is very sludged up and may need some major work. Let us know what you get for an Oil Pressure reading at warm idle in gear. That will tell what your next step should be!
Tim

im sorry i have never used an oil pressure guage before i will have to get one and try john

some one told me i should get 83 or older olds motoer rocker arms and push rods and replace mine problem will be solved john

John,

One of the members of my "High Milage Registry," from Miller, Missouri, has an '85 Riviera with over 530,000 miles on it. He overhauled the engine at 350,000 and I don't think he had ever had a problem with rockers and push rods.

It sounds like your engine was neglected in the preventative maintenance department. Look for way to clean the gunk from the crank case and upper end using some additives before you go tearing into the motor.


Ed

oil pressure how do you test it with what kind of guage

OK John: I used to sell cars. With the Oldsmobiles, several cars with the 350 R Olds engine (and that engine groop) had a smoking problem. The oil return holes in the head seem to always clog. This causes smoke at startup and in many cases smoke all the time. As a rule I had he mechanic remove the rocker covers, poke out the clogged holes, replace the rocker arms on the driver's bank by the egr and I was always good to go. Hope this helps. Mitch.

I agree. Your hydraulic lifters aren't pumping because they are stuck.

When you pulled the valve covers off, what did the inside look like? If it was full of crud, I would pull the engine while it is still good, and do an overhaul.

You can pull the oil-light sending unit out and screw-in a 100-psi gauge (1/4" NPT). Having 20 to 40-psi oil pressure is essential, but it's basically a start.

valve covers did not have a lot of sludge inside john

Wow, does this ever bring back memories...and not good one!

I've had several of the early 80's Rivs with the 307. One engine I had to remove and replace a piston with a hole in it. When I removed the intake manifold, there was a glob of hardened carbon that was about 8" wide, 12" long, and about 1-2" thick at the thickest part! It blocked most of the return holes so the oil pump was probably starving and not pumping oil.

On another engine (also a 307) I had tapping noise throughout the engine. A mechanic and friend told me to replace the rocker pivots. Sounded crazy, but did it and the noise went away. They can wear out to the point that they can't be adjusted or shimed to where they will get quiet. A cheap investment before pulling or replacing the engine!

Try also running a good engine cleaner in the oil (that thin stuff that looks like kerosene) and then replace the oil with one higher grade. If you are using 10W30, go to a 20W40 or 20W50. See if it quiets things down. Also, try a semi-synthetic to clean out the carbon. And, no, I don't mean to start a debate/arguement on the merits of synthetic oil. It cleans out engines by dissolving carbon.

Hope this helps before you have to replace the engine.

Joe

Here's a link to a parts house that sells the pivots. I'm only posting this so others will know what they look like; this parts house has these pivots WAAAAAAY overpriced:

http://paceperformance.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=194847

You gave a link to stamped rocker arms. Where are the pivots, and how much do they want?

They call that a rocker arm on the Web site, but that is the part that 'pivots' up and down, and the part I replaced on my Riv years ago. I may have used the wrong name, but to me, the rocker arm is the long tube that goes from the front of the head to the back, with these pivots on them on Chevy small blocks. If I remember correctly, the Olds 307 doesn't have rocker arms; these rocker pivots bolt directly to the head.

Hope this helps quiet the engine.

I looked in my Haynes manual which covers these Rivieras and found this caption under a photo: "Pay particular attention to the rocker arms closest to the EGR passage (arrows) at the center of the head - these tend to show more rapid wear - 350 Oldsmobile built V8 shown"

The arrows point to the fifth and sixth rockers on the drivers side. The third and fourth, and the fifth and sixth rocker assemblies are tied together with bridge. Advance Auto's online shopping website shows two rockers, two pivots, and 1 bridge for less than $10.00. The part was a Sealed Power part. #R882

You've already got the vavle cover off, it might be worth checking out.

Ed

Ed,

If they cover cars that old, you would be a WHOLE lot better off with a subscription to www.alldatadiy.com than with a Haynes manual.

Joe

Guys,
Good advice on the noise, but the real problem is the oil pressure. Until that issue is resolved, nothing else is really important. When I worked at an Oldsmobile Dealer, cylinder 3 and 5 were usually the ones with worn pivots, some even had the push rod plugged up. Invariably, the cars with the issue were ones that had very little done for maintenance. The problem was made worse by the location of the EGR valve right next to thoes two cylinders. All that being said, ticking valve train components are secondary to oil pressure issues!
Tim

The Haynes manual came with the car. I've never really used it for anything. I knew it was in the back of the file cabinet and I was curious to see if there was a good picture of a rocker and pivot and discovered the picture and the caption - it reitterated what had been said earlier - the Olds engine has a rocker with pivot and the ones closest to the EGR can go bad. The manual is already back in the file cabinet.

My step son's car needs lower ball joints; perhaps I'll pull the manual out again should I decide that's something we want to undertake.

Ed

As for the oil pressure,

1. Flush the engine
2. Go up one grade in viscosity
3. Never, ever use a Fram filter
4. If the oil pump is outside the block (don't remember) then install an oil pump kit, including a new spring and bypass plunger piston.

Good luck!

does anyone know if the oil pump is outside the block and to test the oil pressure i have never done this any one have the best advice on where to get the best test equipment and how to use it

This is what you need first, as Tim has said, twice (he's right). Even a cheap gauge will work just fine. If you don't know what to get, go to your local auto parts store and ask. They have gauges with instructions.

The Olds 307 oil pump is inside the oil pan to check the oil pressure put a known working oil pressure gauge into the tapped hole in the front of the block where the oil pressure sending unit is installed the sending unit wire should be tan in color the fitting size in 1/8 pipe plug the pressure should be per shop manual at slow idle minimum of 7 PSI 1500 - 3000 RPM 35 PSI min.mum with trans in neutral at normal operating temperature. The sending unit is near the water pump the oil sending unit only has one brown wire connected to it and is mounted on the engine block.

John,
One of the upsides of a list is that there are many good intentioned people who really don't know much about your particular car or it's issue, but they are trying to be helpful. Your oil pump is inside of your oil pan, not external. You still need to hook up an oil pressure gauge to your engine to determine what your oil pressure is. Oil pressure gauges are available at most any auto parts store, you want a mechanical style gauge. If your oil pressure is too low, all the engine flushes and higher viscosity oil in the world isn't going to cure it, at best they will mask the issue for a short while. If your oil pressure is with specs, then you can move on to other remedies.
Tim

We've been talking about this 304 for four days, and still don't know whether it has proper oil pressure because John doesn't have a gauge, and doesn't know how to check it. There have been lots of helpful suggestions, but none of them were followed because: If John wants the best, he should hire a professional who has invested in the best tools, and who will guarantee his work. John, there is a learning curve involved here. Let's move on.

ok i was pm from a gentelman thank you im on the way to get and oil pressure guage the socket and test ill will let you all know by the weekend thanx to all i just need a lil direction