Valve train oiling

[James]

Originally Posted by Pfroman

My question is- If I turn the distributor shaft with a drill, will that bring oil all the way up to the special bolt in the head, or will it just bring the oil to the rear cam bearing (priming) for the cam bearing to force it to the head. If I turn the crank by hand will that push any oil up there or do I need significant oil pressure from the pump?

With the head off and with the help of an assistance, cranking the engine with the starter should bring the oil up the hole in the block deck. Be sure the fuel supply is disconnect from the fuel pump to prevent fuel from spraying everything (if electric fuel pump, be sure to pull the fuse) and causing a fire.

[Pfroman]

Originally Posted by James

With the head off and with the help of an assistance, cranking the engine with the starter should bring the oil up the hole in the block deck. Be sure the fuel supply is disconnect from the fuel pump to prevent fuel from spraying everything (if electric fuel pump, be sure to pull the fuse) and causing a fire.

Thanks James! I'll give it a whirl. Hoping I don't have to tear the whole thing down to get at a cam bearing......

[Pfroman]

Just wanted to circle back on this issue if anybody is interested. After removing and cleaning the valve trains very well, I decided to have a detailed look at the overhaul manual (which is well worth downloading if you haven't already). It seems the special bolt that allows oil up into the tube came in two different lengths 2-3/4 or 2-7/8. The shorter bolt requires one flat washer and the longer bolt requires two. I have the longer bolts which had only 1 washer when I pulled them apart. I added the second washer and voila' - she's oiling very well now.

Figured I'd post this just in case there is anybody else having the same issue.

Cheers,

[Jim A]

It seems strange that such an important system has a key element that could be easily missed.
I guess if mine has been working for 65 years, it should be OK going forward.
Nice find.

[Pfroman]

Yes- such a simple fix for a potentially bad problem! Glad I pulled everything apart anyway. Learned a lot about the system.