Started with a 324 block bored .030 over, used 303 crank, rods and oil pump, a Delta regrind 303 cam with Delta supplied Chevy lifters, ELG HL-1817 lifters. I had the 303 heads fitted with valve seats on the intakes due to excessive wear. seats weren't concentric to guides because the correct guide pilot wasn't used to cut the seats. Tried to start the engine and had no compression due to incorrect length supplied pushrods. Replaced the pushrods (hollow) after using an adjustable pushrod gauge to determine correct length. Started the engine and had serious lifter chatter, I believe. Replaced the heads and I saw carbon partially around most of the intake seats, leakage on the reworked heads. I have plenty of oil pressure when using a drill on the oil pump and saw oil gush from all of the lifters. When I ran the engine the first time to identify the chatter I saw very little oil from the rocker arms which I thought was strange since I had hollow pushrods. Now I'm hesitant to torque the new set of heads and put the engine back together. Tried to contact Ross racing but I know it's racing season and he's probably busy with that. I think this is one for an early Olds magician. Any input will be greatly appreciated this car, 53Olds 98 has sat idle from any work for about a year.
Olds engines don’t get tons of oil at the rockers like a small block Chevy, they kind of ooze oil. I’m not sure what you should expect with Chevy lifters and hollow pushrods? Are your new pushrods adjustable or fixed length? If they are fixed length, did you take the length measurement at zero lash or did you add in a 1/2 - 3/4 turn lifter preload?
ELG. HL 1817 is an Elgin industries hydraulic lifter for a SBC . Definitely hydraulic . Also,,,,,Olds engine are their own kind of animal,,,,,,it indeed needs an Olds expert to help you . I am curious,,,,,,the original reworked heads had carbon around the intake seats? Carbon ,,,,,intake seats ? Were the heads bad or just not properly repaired with new seats,,,,,,all valve grinders are not the same,,,,,sometimes they do a mediocre job . Tommy
He is certainly one of them. Paging Paul, white courtesy phone, Paul, white courtesy phone please......
First observation Doug would be that you do not require all hollow push rods. Way too much oil going up top. Tony recommends that the end push rods be hollow to add a bit of oil to the top end when using the Chev lifters. Did you use new rocker arm shafts? If not, then did you clean the bores of the sludge build up? Assuming that you had the rocker assembly apart, one shaft stanchion has the oil passage to feed the rockers and needs to be in the correct location to feed oil thru to the center of the shafts and to the rockers. Often overlooked. @Paul will see this and chime in. I would lay my bet on the valves not closing. My engine has adj rockers and hyd lifters with custom length push rods which is a bit easier to do with regard to the length.
Sounds like you may have multiple issues. Improper valve timing Incorrect push rods Poor machine work Incomplete or improper assembly practices Carbon around intake valves, you didn't mention backfiring out of the carburetor. Recheck valve timing and push rod length Oil pressure but little oil up top when priming, you need to rotate the engine to line up the oil galleys in cam journal that feed the top end Oil pressure when turning pump with drill, a priming tool is needed to direct the oil properly, one can be made from a spare distributor Oil gushing from lifters, did you check all clearances, cam journals, lifter bores... Rocker assemblies need to be closely examined, no galling, excessive wear, clogged rocker shafts... Hollow push rods should not be necessary but can be used at the four ends max.
Want to thank my new Olds guru friend Greg White who nailed it. When I got the 324 bare block it was cleaned and ready for machining. I didn't realize there is a pipe plug on the drivers side rear lifter gallery and didn't know this to look for it. Well, with the distributor out and a finger probe, low and behold I found a hole, threads but no plug. Another note of interest, the access plug in the back of the block was still in place, go figure. How did someone remove the gallery plug? My guess is they removed the threaded plug for cleaning than replaced the freeze type outer access plug. Anyway, now I have to separate the block from the rebuilt trans and deal with the 32 flywheel bolts and that darn gasket. Thanks to all the members for your input hope this may be helpful to anyone that might encounter this issue. Oh, my 303 block doesn't have a plug in this location I looked.
Doug you are not the first to be surprised by that find and won't be the last I'm sure. Glad you have it on the mend albeit a real PIA.
Further research found that with the nimble fingers of a neurosurgeon there is the possibility of installing the plug without separating the engine and trans. Gonna avoid the coffee that day and give it a try. also better have the telescoping magnet ready.
Just want to do a follow up and update on my Olds engine oiling issue. With the help of a fellow member I discovered that the rear driver side oil gallery plug was missing and now had to develop a strategy to install it. Do I take the engine and trans out of the car, separate it and install the plug from the rear of the block or look for a plan B? I read a post from another member who said it's possible to get to the plug from the distributer hole so I thought I'd give that a try. Anyway I managed to get the plug in with that method so I wanted to share some pics with some details. I hope I can get these in if not I'll try again later. Hope this can help some old or not so old old Olds engine guys.
Excellent job Doug , There are a lot of helpful guys on here,,,,it always helps to ask . Good looking,clear pics,,,,,engine looks good inside . By the way,,,in your second pic,,,,,is that a treaded boss next to the rag ? Does it have oil that comes out of it ,,,,looks like it is on top of a cam journal ? Tommy
When I see an Olds from '49 to '58 that has anything cept'n a 303, 324, or 371, my first reaction is to try and scratch my eyes out. Even a big 'ol 394......I had a fellow in San Pablo, CA build mine. His name is Larry Spengler. What a great guy. I started with a 371, although the original was a 303 bored and stroked to 380. The main mod was the cam. I sent the original to Ak Miller and he and Ed Iskenderian went into the cam shop in the middle of the night and reground that puppy, to who know what spec's. I'm sure they laughed, and slapped each other on the back, and said, "wait 'till he lights this up". Then it was all balanced by Al Blazic in Oakland. I didn't realize at that time, 1990, just who Al was. Man-O-Man, what a guy. Somewhere upstairs is a hellava engine shop!!!!!!! If you could here that old 371 idle, you'd never go back to choking chickens. I used to shift it at 6,000, and it never missed a lick. The car now rests peacefully at the NHRA Museum, so that old racers can enjoy seeing it. I can tellya, it put a lotta Chev's right up on the trailer, along with lots of others. Ak Miller and Ray Brock were among the masters no longer with us, and I can tellya, I got more than just a tear in my eyes just thinking about them. They are sorely missed around my house !! I posted this back in 2014, and it is just as true today, and I miss racing this puppy just as much.. I guess the point is, sometimes stuffing a lot of mismatched stuff into an old chunk like the "Rocket 88" is not always the answer....
VTW, Valley cover bolt,,,,I would have never guessed ! Like I said,,,,I would be lost working on an Olds . I might would figure it out after a while,,,I guess,,,,LoL . Tommy
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