Edelbrock Heads - Loose Rockers, Oiling Question?

Not much, certainly isn't squirting out the holes when it is running. I'd like to see more. Got at least one, maybe more that are squeaking and not clacking. Push rods are clear and some had a fair amount of oil in them but just not coming out very much at the rocker hole.

Before this I backed them all off while running until they started clacking then hit them down 3/4 turn after they stopped making noise. None of them really spewed oil at idle and slight revving also didn't produce near the mess I was expecting.

Is that enough oil coming out of the lifter hole? Am I cranking them down too much? Would I be better off with only 1/2 turn after stopping the clack? Would I be better off with 0 lash plus some fractional number of turns instead?

Some have mentioned that the improperly installed front cam bearing will starve the driver side but this is the passenger side.

To be sure, the big end of the push rod goes in the lifter and the pressed in ball end goes at the rocker? Could the previous owner have restricted the lifter galleys in some way? He put the TA 212 cam and lifters in it so I'm hoping not. I've emailed him to see if he remembers from 2013.

 

Greg,

your oil at the lifter looks just fine.. You adjustment procedures are fine.

How much oil is in the head, returning to the block, after it runs for a bit.. if your unsure..

Try this test

Start engine with valve over off and let it warm up. Observe oil flow during this time. Your looking for oil in the bottom of the head, flowing to the return holes..

Once the engine is warm, hold it at 1500 and then 2000 rpm, for 1 minute at each rpm. This simulates slow and medium speed driving down the road.

Look at your oil flow. You should have a steady light to moderate amount of oil flowing thru the heads.

If it's not "spurting" this could be because the oil hole in the rocker and the oil hole in the pushrod, are not lined up.

JW

 

OK, I'll do that. Here's some pictures of the top of the valve stem, rocker arm, push rod and rocker ball. Anything look out of place or abnormal here?

Also, can I apply a dab of some bearing grease or white lithium grease around the tips of pushrods to promote a seal and/or grease the rocker ball and roller to help with this until I can get oil flowing?

 

Lubriplate grease works perfect for prelube doesn't get hard and ive been using fer years

 

that all looks fine Greg.

This is the best top end pre-lube..

http://lucasoil.com/products/grease/extreme-pressure-valve-train-grease

sealed or not sealed is not the issue.. alignment might be.

See how much oil you have up there..

JW

 

I used my white lithium grease I used since 1985 on the rockers when I put it together then doused everything in oil. Should I put the lube on both ends of the push rods? I didn't this time and never have before. When I've built Buick motors before I've only used assembly lube on the bottom end and the rocker shaft of conventional Buicks and this time on the ball of the stud rockers.

I'm inclined to put it on top of the valve stem, the rocker ball and both ends of the pushrod when I rework everything this weekend.

The stuff both of you listed looks like it is pretty sticky stuff.

I will confirm that the hole in the rockers all are accessible from the pushrod as well.

 

I always put it anywhere two things touch, both ends of pushrod, valve tips,stems etc etc always work the lifters a few times by hand with the pushrod to ensure its not sticky and allow the oil to work down in there

 

I always wondered if the holes in the push rods lined up with the holes in the rockers.

What are the holes sizes in both ?

 

I haven't measured but the holes do line up. I pushed a single strand of straight copper wire easily through the installed rocker into the pushrod without any restriction or issues.

 

OK, Update: Progress!

When I took all the rockers out, all the pushrods have scuff marks on the barrel where they ride in the guide plates. So, I think everything is spinning.

I reapplied the new assembly lube on every point that contacts metal on metal without pulling the intake. All pushrods are hollow and most had some oil in them, even the driver side. Everything was oily and nothing was dry.

After warming it up, the passenger side started slinging oil like I would have expected. The drivers side was another story. Some were starting to see oil seep out the top and one or two slung oil but 2 out of 8 still look pretty dry. Maybe I didn't let it run long enough but it sure made a mess on the passenger side so I shut it off so I could put that valve cover on.

I'll try it again tomorrow after I put a caliper on the 71 350 car. Been dragging and pulling. Too many irons in the fire.

Pictures for the curious. Thoughts or other ideas? The previous owner of the short block said it was built by a Turbo Buick guy and he didn't restrict the lifters. The motor is supposed to have TA double grooved cam bearing(s) so I'm hoping a Buick builder and a double grooved cam bearing doesn't mean the thing is clocked wrong. If it were, none would get oil, right?

Would turning up the oil pressure a turn do any good? It is mostly backed out with only a turn or two on it. Lots of adjusting bolt still showing.

 

The nuts are probably loosening up because you don't have offset rockers so the rocker move side to side slightly when the push rods are going up and down with each cycle.

A set of poly lock nuts should cure the problem;

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Proform-66935-Poly-Lock-3-8-in-/161128379641?hash=item2583fff4f9&vxp=mtr

If you want to make the rockers not swivel when going up and down look at Larry's post, number 8 the link that says look at post 12 and read that entire thread. GL



Derek

 

I've never been a big fan of those grooved cam bearings at the #1 position. Even the double grooves just seem like they won't flow enough oil over to the driver side to supply all those lifters and rockers especially for a street car. I always groove the block and use a regular #1 bearing. I'm sure other people can add their own observations and they must work somewhat or there would have been more complaints by now. IMO that is why they added the second groove way back. Maybe somebody already mentioned it but could the #1 bearing be pushed in too far or not far enough thereby blocking some part of the grooves? It should not be flush forward or rearward.

 

So what would happen if I filled the pushrods up with oil right before firing it up?

 

Get oil faster to the rockers.

 

I can agree with this to a point. I'm not running offset rockers on my Eddy heads, but am running polylocks and have had no issues with anything loosening up. As has been noted many times, the valve train is a bit noisy with these heads, even more so than I anticipated. But I've had the covers off multiple times to check and recheck preload and they've not come loose with the polylocks properly snugged. It's cheap insurance in my opinion.

 

I switched to polylocks some time ago but still had squeaky rockers. Now that I've re-prelubed everything with the thicker assembly lube and reassembled the rockers, I've finally gotten the driver side to oil.

Wow, that was a challenge.

Now I just have to clean up all that oil splash and get the heating problem resolved.

The issues I'm having are certainly interesting.