oil through the rocker shaft - 1950 Super

[Guest n1gzd]

I just got my engine fired up for the first time. I did not hear any valve noise or any other strange tapping or rapping. However, I also don't see any oil comming out of the holes in the rocker shaft. If the shaft is completely drained how long does it take for it to fill up with oil and start squirting out the holes. Perhaps I did not wait long enough.

I should mention that my oil presure gauge was reading good oil presure.

Anyway, I did shut down the engine and drain the oil from the initial run-in (got dirty pretty fast). I took the oil out of the filter canister as well.

Then I removed the line that connects the bottom of the canister to the head. I verified that it is clear. Then I removed the tube that goes between the head and the rocker shaft and verified that it is clear. I also gently blew some solvent through the passage that goes between these lines in the head and blew it out gently. It seems to be clear.

I only just found out that there is a screen that I could check if I remove the fitting on the ouside of the head. I could check that but it seemed to be clear.

If people say that I should see oil comming out of these passages very soon after the engine starts idling then I think that the next step is to disconnect the tube from the rocker shaft and run the engine and see if oil is comming out it at an expected rate (what rate is that). I was thinking that it should not squirt but come one like it is pouring. If that looks ok then I was thinking that I need to remove the rocker shaft. Is this straight forward? Here are some questions:

1) What size plugs do I need to buy before I do this? I noticed that the local auto store has several kinds. There are brass ones and steel ones. Also, there are deeper ones and shallower ones. The brass ones appear to be the deep type. They come on sizes like "1", "1 1/8" etc. What size do I need? Is it hard to get the plugs out? Do you have to drill a hole in one and then hook something in the hole and pull. I suspect that you could use a metal rod to knock the other one out.

2) Could I get away with just removing the plugs, cleaning out the sludge and generally rinsing it (and possibly moving the parts while I do it) and it will be clean enough. I would like to avoid disassembling it if this is reasonsble.

3) What torques to I use to reassemble. I could not find it in the manual (just the torque for the head bolts which was 65-70 ft lbs.

4) Are there any gochas that I need to worry about. I am assuming that some of the valves will spring up a little when I re-install it. Is it hard to just push it back into place?

5) I assume that since I have hydraulic lifters I should not touch any of the adjustuing studs or nuts.

6) Since I am not hearing any valve noise now, is it a certainty that this little cleaning experiment will not cause it so starting making noises that it did not make before (I won't make it worse).

Rebecca

[critterpainter]

If I recall correctly, the oil going to the cyl head first passes through the oil filter and then to the head. I worked on a 51 Buick that had a plugged line at the restriction going into the oil filter. Easy to check, just pull the lid off the filter, drain it down, and start the engine. A small stream of oil should start flowing into the filter. If not then start searching upstream.

If oil is flowing into the filter, then fill the filter and check for outflow.

Bill

[Guest n1gzd]

Bill, I am pretty sure that there is no restriction going into the filter because dirty oil filled up the filter canister.

Rebecca

[Gene Brink]

Rebecca,

Do not think you need to worry. If everything is quiet you are getting oil (believe me when you are not you will hear plenty of clatter). I'd say drive it and change the oil frequently. No need for a lot of oil to be squirting about.

[Guest n1gzd]

I have not actually driven it yet because I did not want to do that unless I think that the rocker shaft is getting oil.

I was wondering if it takes a while at low loads for the oil to start squirting. Does the rocker shaft actually fill up with oil first before it squirts out?

Rebecca

[Guest n1gzd]

Another question. one another forum someone said that on the 263 none of the head bolts go through the water jacket (but they do on the 320 and 248). However, they said that the outside rocker shaft bolts can leak. Can someone explain how this can be?

Thanks,

Rebecca

[JohnD1956]

While making a BIG ASSUMPTION on my part, that this set up is akin to the Straight Eights going back to the 38 year, you may not see a lot of oil coming out of those rockers. Based on conversation with Zonda, on his 38, I believe the engine does not have valve guide seals and too much flow tends to get sucked into the cylinders.

Zonda found there were two small holes in the rocker one of which which sprayed oil on top of the valves, but only small amounts. In his case someone rigged up a home made oiler which dumped a lot of oil on some of the valves because it got plugged. And he was finding excessive oil burning. Then he dismantled that home made oiler and cleansed his rocker shaft and rockers only to find the oil flow was smaller but uniform and the engine stopped burning oil.

So if you have dry valves then, in my humble opinion and considering the rest of the quality work you already put into your car, it would be adviseable to pull the rocker and do a thorough cleaning inside.

JD

[Guest n1gzd]

I think that I agree that I should remove the rocker and clean it. I would like to do it on friday if I can figure out what size brass plugs to get (and where to get it locally). I would rather not take it apart until I think that I have the parts that I need. Also, I can't find the torque values for the rocker shaft nuts and bolts. I am guessing 30 foot lbs (rather than the much higher torques of the head bolts (65-70).

[Aaron65]

Going from memory, I believe the rocker shaft is torqued to 35 ft./lbs.

[Guest n1gzd]

That sounds about right. Do you know what size plugs I need. Is it the standard brass ones that look like freeze plugs. My local store has some starting at 1 inch (OD of plug).