NO OIL pressure

[RustyBuckets]

Hey folks, installed vortecs, and new cam on 79 350 motor.
I can get the girl to start up and it sounds fine but ive got no oil pressure.
With the valve covers off I dont see oil movement at the rockers.
I did not remove oil pan during the build.

Before I start it up each time, I pull the distributor and prime the oil(usually takes 10-15 minutes with drill and prime tool)

Another snag ive got is I could never seem to get one of the rockers on cyl 1 to tighten enough and all the way snugged down if its not engaged by the lifter its floppy and it rattles.

Hope ya'll can help out, Im so close to pullin her out of the garage.

 

[GTME94]

Are you saying you get oil pressure with the priming tool after the head swap but not when assembled with a real distributor? If that's the case it seems like your dizzy isn't engaging the oil pump drive.

 

[RustyBuckets]

while the tool is priming no oil pressure shows on the dash.
The dizzy only fits all the way in if I get the pump drive lined up right so I am assuming it is engaged.

 

[Irishman999]

I am thinking cam bearings....

 

[shortboxchevy77]

Hey folks, installed vortecs, and new cam on 79 350 motor.
I can get the girl to start up and it sounds fine but ive got no oil pressure.
With the valve covers off I dont see oil movement at the rockers.
I did not remove oil pan during the build.

Before I start it up each time, I pull the distributor and prime the oil(usually takes 10-15 minutes with drill and prime tool)

Another snag ive got is I could never seem to get one of the rockers on cyl 1 to tighten enough and all the way snugged down if its not engaged by the lifter its floppy and it rattles.

Hope ya'll can help out, Im so close to pullin her out of the garage.

If you are using an actual priming tool or using an old dizzy that has been modified for priming and it is taking that long to prime you have a serious issue. Also, oil pressure should register on the gauge if it is a full mechanical gauge at all times. If it is an electric gauge it should still register with the key on. Try spinning the oil pump backwards with the priming tool and then go back to priming, this will often cure priming issues that crop up sometimes with chevy oil pumps. The reason one lifter feels a little dead is more than likely because it has bled down, it should come back once you get the pump to prime.

 

[89Suburban]

If you are using an actual priming tool or using an old dizzy that has been modified for priming and it is taking that long to prime you have a serious issue. Also, oil pressure should register on the gauge if it is a full mechanical gauge at all times. If it is an electric gauge it should still register with the key on. Try spinning the oil pump backwards with the priming tool and then go back to priming, this will often cure priming issues that crop up sometimes with chevy oil pumps. The reason one lifter feels a little dead is more than likely because it has bled down, it should come back once you get the pump to prime.

Great post

 

[RustyBuckets]

how long am i spinning the pump backwards?

 

[shortboxchevy77]

how long am i spinning the pump backwards?[/QUOTE

5 to 10 seconds normally does the trick.

 

[shortboxchevy77]

Great post

Thank you sir.

 

[chengny]

When using a drill mounted priming rig you should feel the drill try to torque harder when the pump has filled the system. It should spin pretty quick for a second or two and then slow down and you should have to fight it a little to hold it.

But whatever, this is not right:

With the valve covers off I dont see oil movement at the rockers.


Even just using the priming rig you should see oil coming from the holes in the pushrod end of the rocker arms (at least the back ones). With the engine running and the oil pump supplying the system, you definitely should have flow from all push rod holes. Small streams of oil should be running down the outer edges of each head and flowing down the drain holes at the back.


And this indicates stripped threads on either the rocker stud or the adjusting nut or maybe a collapsed lifter. I can't really tell from the description:

Another snag ive got is I could never seem to get one of the rockers on cyl 1 to tighten enough and all the way snugged down if its not engaged by the lifter its floppy and it rattles.


Before I start it up each time, I pull the distributor and prime the oil(usually takes 10-15 minutes with drill and prime tool)

How do you determine that the system is primed? Normally it is considered to be primed when oil is observed at the highest point (i.e. the holes in the tops of the push rods).

One last question - are you using a modified distributor for a priming tool? A SBC cannot be primed all the way with just a shaft driving the oil pump. You need to use an old distributor. There is a collar on a SBC distributor shaft outer housing that seals off the end of the cam passages and forces oil up the pushrods to the lifters.

 

[RustyBuckets]

I prime until oil comes out of the top of the pushrods, which takes a long time.
Ive attached a picture of the tool

 

[shortboxchevy77]

I prime until oil comes out of the top of the pushrods, which takes a long time.
Ive attached a picture of the tool

I've got an old dizzy that I've ground the teeth off the gear and cut the rotor mounting plate off the shaft. Its the perfect priming tool since it allows proper oiling to get to the top end of the engine, and not costing me anything is an added bonus

 

[RustyBuckets]

Ive heard that works best, but this is my first project and I didnt have one layin around so the cost would be a whole new dizzy. I will try the reverse and let ya'll know how it worked

 

[RustyBuckets]

Reversing the primer seemed to make priming much quicker, but on the even cylinders the only rockers that primed where 2 and 8 exhaust only.
I was periodically rotating the crank while priming.

 

[MrMarty51]

I've got an old dizzy that I've ground the teeth off the gear and cut the rotor mounting plate off the shaft. Its the perfect priming tool since it allows proper oiling to get to the top end of the engine, and not costing me anything is an added bonus

I built one of those too. Shoves the oil to the left side of the engines top end.
Without it, there`s oiling only 1/2 of the engine.