another stupid question, why don't you have an oil pressure gauge connected to the engine? I always do this when priming an engine...so I know what's happening. Also, can you post a picture of the priming tool you're using? I know you said it's a Summit tool, but it would help to see exactly what you're doing. We can guess about stuff forever...but visuals, and numbers, really do help solve problems
5 quarts total with stock pan. I measured the pickup height to make sure it wasnt too close or too far from the pan floor. And no, no rag, although I cant say about the pump bypass. See my next reply....
I pulled the intake off and have good coverage through the lifter valley. I did notice there is a “hole” in the casting of the distributor tower. Whenever I run the priming tool, oil blasts out of it. When standing at the back of the block, the hole is oriented at about the 1:30 position and is angled slightly upward. And it is good pressure. It looks like a factory hole as opposed to someone drilling it. However, it seems likely to me that that is where all of my oil pressure is going. I havent looked at any pics of other blocks tomsee if it’s supposed to be there or not. Its not tapped with threads.
Right at this moment I dont have a spare gauge, I have to run to town to buy one. But rest assured, I have plenty of pressure after the gushing mess I have on the shop floor. Here is the tool I am using.
Ok I'm sorry. Is the lower bushing of priming tool sealing correctly (not too small around) and positioned at the right height?
I would have to measure the height on everything. It sits in the slot snug and has almost no wiggle to it. I will measure it against a couple of distributor bodies that I have. someone else suggested that maybe the oil pump is stuck in bypass and thats why its spitting oil up through the distributor tower.
I use a priming tool that is an old distributor, with some modifications. It always works. Compare an old 283 distributor to your priming tool, see if you can spot any significant differences? I see one...it might be the problem...
All good pointers and advice. I guess I always point this out but if you use a heavy 1/2" drill motor for priming try not to put too much more weight (downward pressure) as there is a chance of scoring the face of the oil pump cover. Another stupid question......have you blown air through EVERY pushrod to verify a clear passage of oil? In the early/mid 70's I built a 355 for my drag car, used new GM pushrods and found one pushrod that had not had the hole in the end insert drilled completely through. It actually burned up that end and one rocker arm.
I recently used one of those speedway primers with similar results to the op. After wasting a bunch of time I took the gear off the bottom of one of my Mallory YC distributors connected my drill to it and bingo, we had it all.
Forgot a photo of my oil primer, note set collar to limit downward pressure as I have a very heavy Milwaukee 1/2" drill motor, also has a nylon thrust washer. Turned the end to also use a 3/8" drill motor.
To clarify my post, I had less than 30psi with oil to one or two rockers (#7 also) with the tool. I operated the drill at least a total of 15 minutes while turning the crank before I gave up and modified a distributor. Pressure jumped to 60 instantly with plenty of flow everywhere. I could feel/hear/notice more resistance against the drill instantly also.
After Johnny Gee suggested the tool, I compared it to an SBC dizzy and the lower bushing was taller on the tool than on the dizzy. So I cut apart a junk one, ground , modified, etc. I no longer have oil pushing up through the distributor shaft well and flooding out the bypass hole. The intake is still off and I can see the lifters and the valley flood with oil almost instantly. #7 exhaust pumps up much faster than before, and now #2 intake is also pushing oil. But those are the only ones. Yesterday I pulled all the pushrods on the even side and blew air through them and they are all clean/clear. I have not pulled the odd side yet. I pushed down on all of the pushrods and the lifters bounce back, so no collapsed/broken springs. I still need a pressure gauge for the front bung, but looking at the fill in the valley, it floods pretty quick. I also need an electric 1/2 drill as my 3/8, the chuck wont accommodate the cut dizzy shaft unless I grind that down as well. The batteries in my cordless wont run for 10 minutes without the drill getting pretty hot.
You should be able to feel the drill almost stall as it starts to build pressure. It will get very difficult for a 3/8 drill to turn. It should happen within a few seconds of spinning the drill. Sent from my iPad using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
That’s exactly what I did with this one. Ground off the teeth, and cut the top of the shaft just below the weights plate.
Actually since lazy me didn't look at your photo's I assumed the oil flow you described was coming out of the right lifter oil galley (which it was actually) and you was using one of these.
Nope. Coming up the distributor tower around the lower bushing of the priming tool. Using an actual SBC distributor body with properly spaced lower bushings stopped that. While it increased the lifter valley oilling, it only added oil to #2 intake rocker. Im going later today to buy a bigger chucked electric drill and a pressure gauge as my cordless just didnt have the oompf to sustain use.
What I was wondering when I suggested removing a couple of lifters was that it would allow you to insure that the oil is flowing thru the oil galleys to the lifters. I meant to suggest that you try moving the lifter for #2 over to another cylinder location TEMPORARILY while you rotate the oil pump. Don't turn the engine over except maybe by hand. Then see if that lifter oils on the other cylinder.......or if the lifter you switched to #2 now allows oil to #2. Kinda like switching spark plug wires to find a miss. Buy you a Kobalt brushless drill for about a $100 at Lowes. It WILL turn the oil pump and you will have a nice lithium battery brushless drill for future use. If it doesn't do the job, you simply return it and they refund your money..........but I bet it will do the job. These brushless drills have awsome power for their size. I almost never use my corded drills anymore.
Yes, but still hemorrhaging none the less from right oil galley. Instead of the oil water falling back into the pan, oil had no choose but to go upward.
So, new drill and a pressure gauge on the front bung. Between 60-80 psi at the front, depending how fast I run the drill. With the intake off, it still floods the lifter valley almost immediately. With the intake on and the “priming tool” clamped in with the dizzy hold down, I still have good pressure. Now Im getting oil at #2 and #3 intake, still good flow at #7 exhaust and intermittent at #7 intake. I rotated the engine through 270 degrees with running the drill in between. Not much difference. The only thing I changed was I backed all of the rockers off so everything is loose.
This is going to be my next step. I know the even number pushrods are blown out, I still need to do the odd side. And thank you for the advice on a drill. I dont need one very often so I went with a Chicom HF special. Generally my Dewalt 3/8 works for what I need, I cant ever remember needing a bigger drill, hemce my not having one. I have a pneumatic one that may be 1/2, but I havent used it in more than 20 years. I suppose if I go further down this rabbit hole, I may need one though.
The Jalopy Journal
