I sent the photo to Tom Langdon who said many fascinating things... here's a recap. #1... If my engine was converted to full flow, the "mystery hole" and the return hole (#2) would have been made bigger (at LEAST 3/8") to accomodate the large hoses that are used with a full flow system. (both of my engine holes are smaller than that, just 1/4") #2... If I remove the current plumbing from the #2 hole and put a screw-on pressure gauge there, I will read pressure at that location if the hole inside the engine wasn't plugged for the conversion. #3... If I don't get pressure there, I have to drop the pan and remove the plug from inside the engine to restore the system to stock. Once this plug is removed, I'll likely have oil to the head without the external line. #4... With the engine returned to stock, I will NOT need to have any lines running from the #2 hole (just screw the pressure sender in there). If I still can't manage to get oil to the head, I can keep that external line there to oil it if I have to. I'll know Wednesday night what I need to do. I dread having to drop the pan (especially with the new crossmember welded in place). But at least I know what I have and what I need to do to MAKE SURE everything is working like it's supposed to. MANY MANY thanks to EVERYONE for their input, I get sick to my stomach thinking about WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED, if you guys didn't chime in with some very worthwhile questions along the way. VIVA LA HAMB. Stacey
Sorry to hear you have a labor intensive fix ahead of you, but it looks like you're on the right track now. Good luck!
Sorry to see it come to a partial teardown...but at least that way you will KNOW what exactly is going on. Once you said you still had no oil to the rockers even with the hose between mystery and 2 I was starting to get worried. Your doing the right thing. The teardown will add to your comfort once you start driving the car...nothing worse than having that nagging little doubt always in the back of your mind as you cruise! Best of luck.
I don't want to sound like a pessimist, but I doubt you'll get oil to the head after removing the plug at the pump feed. In the previous thread, you said you plumbed oil from the mystery hole to hole #2 and didn't get oil to the rockers....so you probably need to pull off the side cover at least, and see what's going on with the holes in there, and pull a lifter and see what type they are. I'm assuming you have a 58 or newer block. There's a plug in the side cover area that feeds the hole that goes up to the head, you could pull this plug and see if oil comes out when you feed oil pressure into hole #2. The 58 truck shop manual has this pic, and warning not to use the 57 or earlier solid lifters which do not have the groove around them
I'm glad you're getting things sorted out, sucks about dropping the pan. It's intersting what Langdon said about he full flow conversion. The conversion on the 261 is different from what you have, but you said Langdon did the bottom end and he is the guru. On the 261 hole #1 was opened up to 3/4", the mystery hole is plugged and hole #2 was opened up to 3/4"
Jeez Stacey, I feel sorry for you. I'm sorry i couldn't have helped more but it was nice chatting with you. I can't tell you how happy it makes me that a girl loves this stuff so much. Keep us updated. BTW, I took the valve cover off my 235 last night because the engine was making a strange whirring/tappety noise when decellerating after running at highway speeds for a while. I was worried that I was having an oiling issue again. It turned out to be a loose rocker arm. I'm going to Melbourne this weekend and I don't want anything bad to happen.
stacey, if ya need extra hands/brain cells this sunday, i'm free all day and night. lemme know, i'll be there... tred.
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