I’ve been trying for way too long to get my used 283 ready to swap in to my 40 coupe. It runs good, good oil pressure and compression, steady temp. I’ve replaced the clutch, oil pan gasket, timing chain and gears, distributor, gaskets, everything else stayed as is. Here’s the problem: several rocker arms are not getting oil. They did in the past as there is dry oil film on them. Pushrods are clean and open. Rocker arm holes are open, no sludge. No burning, discoloration or bluing on the rocker arms, pivot balls, pushrod ends, or valve stems. No lash ticking, so I’m presuming the lifters are pumping up(?) Could only a few lifters be sludged up enough in the cups to be dry? I would like to save myself some time and work and NOT have to pull the intake to change out lifters. That would make me want to get in to a cam change and PP heads. Any suggestions? Oil them up, run it and check for oil after so long a time? I’ve never had this problem on a SBC, usually it’s pumping and making a mess. And yes, I’ve worn out the search function without getting close. Thanks!
I'd put the original distributor back in and see what happens. They had some funky grooves in the housing on the early ones, that lined up with the passages in the block.
What cam is in it?Some of them needed a flat on the rear journal to oil the top end,or what squirrel said check the dist.
Adjust your valve lash before you go too far. A little too tight will stop oiling to the rockers that are too tight. Set them at zero lash, plus 1/4 turn, and then restart the engine to see if they all oil after this. Or just back off the offending rockers until they begin to flow, and you'll know if it's a lash adjustment issue.
From Comp Cams. I suspect this is your problem SBC - 1955-57 models have an oiling groove in the rear journal. The listed part numbered cams will not fit these models, so if you require a camshaft with the oiling groove, please call us at 1-800-999-0853 or click here to contact us, and we will assist you with placing an order.
@squirrel the distributor that was in it was stock HEI. Replaced with single point Delco. Don’t know if rockers got oil during first test run with HEI, or not. @sdluck stock 63 cam as far I know. Only a few rockers not oiling. @Johnny Gee three on driver side, four on passenger @1971BB427 Good tip! I’ll try that. Thanks! @greg32 not an early model. Engine is a 63. Some are getting oil fine.
@squirrel probably 20-30 minutes the first time, to check temp and oil. Had set for a couple years before that. Ran great! When that was good, did the clean up, distributor change, timing chain, clutch, gaskets. I had changed VC gaskets prior to first fire up, so didn’t see that rockers were not oiling. Second test fire up there was a knock right off that I couldn’t find, but it went away. Second and third fire up totaled only about 10-15 minutes, after knock subsided, to set timing and watch vitals. Leaking VC prompted shut down and subsequent discovery of dry rocker condition. Thanks for any input!
this cleans sticky lifters pretty well for not much money. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Rislone-High-Mileage-Engine-Treatment-Additive-16-9-oz/23598497?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=13308&adid=22222222222017144502&wmlspartner=wmtlabs&wl0=e&wl1=s&wl2=c&wl3=10359499711&wl4=pla-4578091554428093&wl5=&wl6=&wl7=&wl10=Walmart&wl11=Online&wl12=23598497_10000006953&wl14=rislone+engine+treatment&veh=sem&msclkid=122675e0198514ba8b4b11c32988f90a&gclsrc=ds
get a spare dist and spin it with the gear removed and see what oils without running the engines,remember to rotate the crank occasional.
Thanks! @sdluck I have an old one already set up for priming if I can find it. Easy Peasy! @overspray. Will do!
Well, I finally got oil to all the to all the rocker arms. Drilled an old valve cover to make it easier. Loosening the dry ones, as suggested, got it flowing good. Thanks for all the suggestions. But not without another kick in the jewels. Blue smoke from the left bank.!! Snake bit!! And a lot of wasted time!
On a "used" 283 in maybe unknown condition it wouldn't be unusual to need new valve seals. With less oil getting to the valve train there would be less oil to find its way past the valve guides and into the combustion chamber, especially on the intake valves. Now that you've gotten more oil up there some of it can get past the guides. Bad valve seals and guides tend show up as blue smoke during idle and decelleration when intake manifold vacuum is at its highest. You might get by for now with putting in some new umbrella style valve seals. It might need new valve guides as well but you could probably get by for a while with the old ones. Also make sure the oil drain back holes in the heads aren't plugged up with sludge. You don't want excessive oil accumulating under the valve covers.
Don't let the blue smoke bother you yet. Make up a air fitting for the spark plug holes and charge each cylinder to hold pressure. Then use a spring compressor to disassemble the springs and replace all the seals, and reassemble. It could be they're damaged, or dried up and cracked. This is a cheap, easy repair, and may result in no more smoke when done.
@harpo1313 My bad. Five minutes +/-. Think it would get better or worse with more time? @ClayMart Good point! The blue smoke coincided with the increase in oil flow. It didn’t do it before then. @1971BB427 Thanks! I’ll check that out before I pull these heads. I have a set of Power Pak’s if it comes to R&R. I have a spark plug/air adapter. There is also the old rope in the head trick. THANKS, GUYS!!
Funny story, my last model A build, I built a 355, comp thumpr cam, flat top pistons, double hump heads, etc, all new stuff, nothing half ass. When I got the car running I was in love. I climbed in it and pushed the clutch in, threw it in reverse and started letting the clutch out, and it was moving! I was so happy! I backed it out of the garage and let it sit there running. I walked back in the garage and my wife walked in and said "why is it smoking so much?", I turned around and blue smoke was rolling out of the pipes! I was so pissed.... couldn't believe my new engine was burning oil like that! Turns out, my valve covers didn't have a baffle on the pcv port, and it was sucking oil out of the cover lol. Pulled the pcv and it eventually quit smoking. Swapped the valve covers and went on...
That would have really pissed me off!! All that stuff is hooked up stock on mine. Manifold breather, carb base PCV to rear vent, and no vent valve covers.
Started on the seals today after Easter vacation. The first two were hard plastic and cracked. No o-rings on the stems. I’ll update when they’re all done and I run it again.
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