Another Rocker Oiling Question

[Ricks56]

My 56 is not getting oil to the passenger side rocker arm assembly. I have removed the assembly, found the rocker shafts clean and clear. I checked the passage thru the head, clear and clean. I put carb cleaner in the oiling hole and let set. The level did go down a small amount. Cleaned out the hole several times then tried to blow 120 psi air down the hole and could not.
Here are my questions...

The motor was supposed to have been rebuilt sometime around 2012. Internals appear very clean. The driver side is getting PLENTY of oil. Are both sides fed from the same cam bearing? The motor is believed to be a 312 and was made in Jan 1956. Not sure what was replaced for the rebuild. If it has a crossed drilled cam, maybe the holes were not lined up when I tried to blow out the passage? Is it possible that I have to turn the motor over until the holes are lined up?

I figure I will have to pull the head next spring and check the head gasket and the oil passage in the block. Does the fact that oiling on the driver side of the car is more than enough indicate that the cam bearing is passing oil ok? Also, I read somewhere that there was TSB from Ford about a fix for an imbalance in the oiling (assuming that both sides are fed from the same cam bearing). Any thoughts?

Thanks!
Rick

[WestCoast]

the bearings are ok, there is a shallow passage between the block and head that the oil has to travel thru to get to the rockers, that passage makes a 90 degree turn, runs between the block and head, then makes another 90 degree turn up thru the head to the rocker arms, there is no way to clean that passage other than removing the head and cleaning the carbon build up there, that passage isn't very deep maybe an 1/8" deep, and its very easy to plug because of the heat there, it cooks the oil and plugs it, no one of fords smarter ideas,, the passages are separate on each head, so one may oil and the other one wont, that problem is made worse if the heads were milled, doing that makes the oil passage even shallower, it is necessary to take a small metal pointed electric tool to deepen the passage when head is milled, all ways make sure that passage is cleaned well when replacing the heads. or you can get the after market oiler, it screws into an oil port on the side of the block and runs copper tubing up to the top of valve covers, there is a hollow bolt used to let the oil get to the rocker arms, ugly as hell but they work, when you get the head off, look near the center of the head near the top, you will see the passage, its about an inch and a half long, use detergent oil and change often to prevent the plugging in the future ,you can see the slot in the head gasket for the oil to travel thru

[bbrocksr]

Originally Posted by Ricks56

My 56 is not getting oil to the passenger side rocker arm assembly. I have removed the assembly, found the rocker shafts clean and clear. I checked the passage thru the head, clear and clean. I put carb cleaner in the oiling hole and let set. The level did go down a small amount. Cleaned out the hole several times then tried to blow 120 psi air down the hole and could not.
Here are my questions...

The motor was supposed to have been rebuilt sometime around 2012. Internals appear very clean. The driver side is getting PLENTY of oil. Are both sides fed from the same cam bearing? The motor is believed to be a 312 and was made in Jan 1956. Not sure what was replaced for the rebuild. If it has a crossed drilled cam, maybe the holes were not lined up when I tried to blow out the passage? Is it possible that I have to turn the motor over until the holes are lined up?



I figure I will have to pull the head next spring and check the head gasket and the oil passage in the block. Does the fact that oiling on the driver side of the car is more than enough indicate that the cam bearing is passing oil ok? Also, I read somewhere that there was TSB from Ford about a fix for an imbalance in the oiling (assuming that both sides are fed from the same cam bearing). Any thoughts?

Thanks!
Rick

If I remember right both sides are not fed from the same cam bearing One side is fed from #2 bearing and the other side from #4. The cam journal has a small groove around it for the oil to flow from the main bearing port to the upper passage leading to the head. as the cam bearings wear the bearing material protrudes up into this groove restricting the flow. That's when you had to install the "external oiler". Probably not your problem if your getting good oil flow to one side
Bill

[streetdreams]

Cam bearing may be mis-installed. Both sides fed from same #3 cam bearing. Therre are three holes in bearing. If misinstalled, a feed port to one of the heads can be partially or fully blocked.

[Ole Don]

Before removing the heads, remove the spark plugs, and spin the engine over o the starter. If you have oil flowing from both sides equally, the problem lies further up. The cam should have a groove in it. I have seen one new cam with such a small groove, the oil flow would have been much too little.

[WestCoast]

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bbrocksr, your wrong this time ,both sides of the engine rockers are feed from the same cam bearing, so I believe the passage between the head and block is plugged on one side, unless the hollow bolt that goes in the oil passage hole has been replaced with another bolt that is not hollow , the one that goes in there is hollow and has a hole drilled in it to allow the oil to be forced into the rocker shaft

[miker98038]

For the minimal work in pulling the plugs, I'd give Don's method a try.

This is the link to rocker arm oiling on John Mummert's site

http://www.ford-y-block.com/rockeroiling.htm

[Ole Don]

I think the hollow bolt is used on the aftermarket top oilers. All the Y blocks I have taken apart have the oil flowing up the hole in the head, through the aluminum stand, and into the hollow shaft. If the rocker set was assembled incorrectly, the oil hole may end up being turned the wrong way cutting off oil to that side. If my rusty memory is right, as you look at each head from the side, the oil comes up in the second stand to your right. Simply flip the whole assembly upside down and see if a less than 1/4 inch drill bit goes in further than the diameter of the shaft. If not, you found your problem.
Tim McMasters has several very well done how too's on Youtube for this. Google is your new friend.

[Ricks56]

Many good ideas here. I have a couple more things I want to try this fall, then will pull the head next spring. If none of that works I'll just put an external oiler on it until it's time for a rebuild. I missed out on a kit on Ebay so hopefully another one will come up for bid this winter (unless one of you fine gentlemen have a kit they don't need )

I'll let you all know if I have any luck before winter.

Rick

[Ricks56]

Although it would help if I could get a definitive answer to the same cam bearing feeding both sides or not. Somewhere I read where a guy had the same problem. He temporarily blocked off the oil feed hole in the rocker stand on the side that was getting all the oil and ran the motor until the plugged side cleared. I probably won't be that lucky but it may be worth a shot if the feeds come from the same bearing. I have been running Sea Foam in the oil for a while so there should be plenty of detergent in the oil. I was hoping that with time it might clear itself but that is probably wishful thinking.

[WestCoast]

there is a hollow bolt used for the top oiler, but there is one hollow bolt that goes thru the rocker shaft and stand, if it is not put in the right place the rockers wont get any oil

[jimvette59]

I have run a copper line from a 1/4 pipe plug on the outside of the engine in the oil galley through the hollow stud in the valve cover on high mileage engines. It worked for me back then.

[miker98038]

The center cam bearing, #3 I think, feeds both sides. If you take a look at the cams on Mummert's site, he address the shallow groove mentioned by Ole Don. I'm changing a cam right now, but I'm away from the shop. Best I recall the bearing in question had 3 holes, all oblong, one supply, and 2 out to each bank. With the cam groove. Seems to me some ealier engines might have had the cross drilled cam, in lieu of the groove. In that case, the engine must be rotating to supply the oil. Since you're apparently running dry on one side, it's got to be either a blockage or a cam bearing incorrectly installed. Mummert says the groove problem only shows up after some miles.

Last grasp at straw. Are the curved end tubes in place, or if they're plugged, are there bleed holes? I think with the rockers off you've eliminated that, and I've never heard of one side robbing all the oil from the other.

[WestCoast]

ricks55, both sides are definitely fed by one cam bearing, if I may make a suggestion, go on ebay and buy a motors manual or a chiltons book covering the year your working on, it will save you a lot of time, or ask in here some one may have an extra one, I will look, I might have an extra one packed away

[Ricks56]

Originally Posted by WestCoast

ricks55, both sides are definitely fed by one cam bearing, if I may make a suggestion, go on ebay and buy a motors manual or a chiltons book covering the year your working on, it will save you a lot of time, or ask in here some one may have an extra one, I will look, I might have an extra one packed away

Thanks! I do have an old Chiltons and a repro factory manual. No grease on them yet but it's coming!

[My Old Blue]

Did a quick search on rocker oilers and came across this thread and had a question. I pulled the valve covers off my 312 56 Country Sedan today and really was taken aback that one oiler tube was missing and the other bent over other direction. This motor ran for many years in this condition before put in storage. I'm not ready to pull the heads yet and rebuild, however I plan to locate replacement oiler tubes and install for now; anything I need to look out for replacing the tubes?