327 oiling HELP

[asphaltracer]

Hey guys I have a 1963 327 engine, we just rebuilt.  The engine had very low miles, but was sitting for like 30 yrs.  All we did was rings, brgs, (hydraulic) cam and lifters, oil pump and valve springs.  The oil pump is an M55A.  I have 60lbs of oil pressure on the guage, (its a mechanical guage)  while priming the  pump with a drill and the drill is laboring, so the guage seems to be fairly accurate.  The problem, is that I can't get any oil to the rockers, no matter how long I run the drill, In fact their isn't a single rocker arm getting oil.  I cleaned all the pushrods and blew compressed air through each one.  Any suggestions, HELP.
Thanks in advance. 

[frontierjoe]

Did you soak the lifters with oil, if there the old one's they may need replacing.

[frontierjoe]

I'm pretty sure if you start up it the oil will come. I don't ever remember getting oil threw the push rods when priming. If you have pressure I wouldn't be afraid to start it and see what happens.

[Ford14]

Ya! like joe said. the cam needs to turn so the lifters pump the oil.

[moselli]

I could be wrong, but I think you should hold up and check a few things before you start this motor.

If my memory serves me correctly, the oil to the lifters is supplied through the rear cam bearing which has a groove (annulus).  If you have oil pressure and no flow to the top end through the lifters, push rods and rockers, you may not have this grooved bearing or a full bearing and camshaft without a groove.

I have always been able to get a flow of oil to the top of a small block Chevy engine before I started it.

Some or our motor guys may be able to confirm this.

Regards,

Moselli

[rcr22]

Early 327 chev needed a rear grooved cam bearing, also the oil hole in bearing  needs to be lined up with drilled passage in block

[asphaltracer]

I did rotate the engine while priming, no difference.
Moselli,
We didn't change the cam bearings, so if that is a problem, then it was always there, (but I'd have no way of knowing that unless I end up disassembling the engine.) I agree with you, I had always gotten oil to the top with a drill, It may not have been to all the rockers, but most did get oil.
Any other suggestions before I yank the engine out and take it apart?

[no74falcon]

asphaltracer, e-mail me... no74falcon@aol.com 

[moselli]

Check the cam that you took out.  This may tell you something.

There were some cams that had a groove in the rear journal and this facilitated oiling to the top of the engine with a full bearing.  I'm betting the cam you installed didn't have this groove.

If it were my motor, I would take it down and check this rear cam bearing.

Good Luck,

Moselli

[asphaltracer]

Moselli,
I'll do that, I have everything I took out, will keep you posted,
thanks!

[chief57]

do you have a distriibutor housing in place? the pro tool has the likeness of the bottom of the dist. on it. if you are just using an extension type tool the oil just falls back into the pan. you can see it when you are primimg it down the dist hole. the groove around the dist. feeds the galleys as it plugs the big hole in the block. you may not have a problem at all!

[Dirty 750]

Just rebuilt a 94 350 in Oct, and had the same problem, check to see if the rear cam bearing is pressed in all the way, remove the plug on the back of the block to make  sure, the bearing should have an oil groove in it, the hole does not have to be lined up thats what the groove is for. We tore that thing apart 3 times and put 3 different oil pumps in it before we found the problem, but make sure you pop out the plug, thats the best way to check. Do you have oil pressure when you 1st start it, then as temp comes up the pressure drops? If so thats more than likely your problem, as oil gets hot it acts like water, takes the path of least resistance and heads back to the pan, when we finally got it right we had 72lbs off the drill and 67 when installed and idling. Good luck and hope it helps.

[asphaltracer]

Just wanted to give everyone an update, we pulled the engine out, and took the rear oil galley plugs out, and the center one had some sort of felt material packed in their.  We pulled it out with a tweezers, put the plugs back in, spun the pump with a drill and almost instant oil to the top.  It just proves that you can never assume anything. Even though the engine had low miles on it, had we removed the plugs during the disassembly process, we would've found the problem.  Well, not much lost accept time and a few gaskets.  Plus a valuable lesson learned.  Thanks to everyone that offered their help.