Oiling

Discussion in 'Street/strip 400/430/455' started by 41speciman, Oct 29, 2018.

  1. 41speciman

    41speciman Well-Known Member

    When the factory started up engines the first time did they know that top end was oiling or rockers getting oil ? One 455 I have oils like mad out of some pushrods only some just barely get lubed after first start up.
    The latest one took long time to start oiling rockers during breakin and have not pulled covers to check again yet if makes sense did the factory have any issues like this ?
     
  2. chris lee

    chris lee Gold Level Contributor

    when every single part in an engine is brand new it's good to go......hopefully
     
  3. Stevem

    Stevem Well-Known Member

    What brand lifters are you running?
     
  4. LARRY70GS

    LARRY70GS a.k.a. "THE WIZARD" Staff Member

    Make sure all the push rods are turning.
     
  5. 41speciman

    41speciman Well-Known Member

    Pulled valve cover driver side fired it up 2 out of 8 are oiling all pushrods are spinning has rohds lifters Kenne Bell pushrods and roller rockers all new parts again oil pressure is 80lbs lifter were all tight in bores. If a plug came out in front galley either side oil pressure would drop surely. So just having oil pressure does not mean its oiling the top end properly I made sure plungers were not stuck before lifters put in did not soak or try to prime them I need oil from all pushrods
     
  6. johnriv67

    johnriv67 Well-Known Member

    Could the Rhodes be bleeding oil at idle speed instead of pushing it up through the pushrods? That's my best guess. Maybe at a higher rpm when the lifters pump up the top end will get more oil, and then you're sure of the problem.
     
  7. LARRY70GS

    LARRY70GS a.k.a. "THE WIZARD" Staff Member

    On a new engine start, it can take a while for the oil to get up there. If the valve train is quiet, I wouldn't worry about it.
     
  8. Schurkey

    Schurkey Silver Level contributor

    I have every expectation that GM-Ford-Chrysler-AMC-Toyota-Nissan-VW-Fiat and every other major mass-market manufacturer has NO idea if each individual engine is "getting oil". They fire them on natural gas via a "carb hat", and if the gauge shows oil pressure...good to go. Wouldn't surprise me to discover that only a sample of engines--not all of them--are even test-fired.

    "Soaking" a lifter does NOTHING useful. I won't fire an engine without pressurizing the lifters (on the bench, or in the lifter gallery) to verify that they pass oil, and to check the leakdown rate.

    Could easily be that some lifters are "plugged" with anti-corrosion preservative, once they've been run, and exposed to an unending supply of hot oil, the stuff will melt out and the lifters will push oil up the pushrod tubes as you'd expect.

    USED lifters are essentially oil filters. Last set I took apart were filled with sludgy crap. It's amazing they worked at all. I cleaned 'em up, and they're going back in a "rings-and-bearings" rebuilt engine.
     
  9. TexasT

    TexasT Texas, where are you from

    I'd like to recommend disassembly of new lifters too. For the time it takes well worth it to me. Doesn't take much to score things up in a new engine.
     
  10. LARRY70GS

    LARRY70GS a.k.a. "THE WIZARD" Staff Member

    Probably a good idea with a flat tappet lifter. Pretty sure that isn't an option with roller lifters because of the cross bar.
     
  11. 436'd Skylark

    436'd Skylark Sweet Fancy Moses!!!!!

    Very little oil is needed on the top end. If it's quiet then move on.
     
  12. 41speciman

    41speciman Well-Known Member

    It has 3 20 min of run time each letting the thermostat open at 160 and 3 on driver side you can see oil getting on the roller the others are not just the oil I pourd on before start up so Im thinking that it need a cruze down the freeway for 20 miles and then check again if some started oiling the others will also. But its supposed to snow again so hopeing I can sneak a ride in before it does. So I put some oil on top put covers back on and will head out will post when I get back thanks all for the time to help out
     
    Buicksky likes this.
  13. Schurkey

    Schurkey Silver Level contributor

    The lifters I pulled apart (one at a time, so that the guts don't get mixed from one lifter to another) were OEM hydraulic rollers. Dogbones, no cross-bar.

    Point taken on aftermarket rollers, though. Plenty of them that cannot be disassembled "in the field". One hopes that any engine getting aftermarket roller lifters has regular maintenance so that sludge isn't a problem.
     
    billiegoat likes this.

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