409 oil feed problems....
- Thread starter denson1932
- Start date
First time I did this, I had no 1/2 inch drill that had enough RPM, went to Walmart, only place open on a Sunday. Got a Black & Decker, as the last cylinder was primed, some bad smoke came out of the drill and it quit. I returned it about 3 hours after I bought it and got my money back. Did manage to find a Dewalt that had done the trick without quitting.
Don
Don
Get a bigger drill................I see a sales marketing program to be had.
denson1932
Well Known Member
most all day Sunday to disassemble the 409 engine, remove and re-install the rear cam bearing, then re-assemble. Yup I got the bearing in wrong the first time but now that it is fixed we finally got oil to all 16 rockers. Fixed it without taking the intake off, but most every paper gasket was ruined had to make some of them. luckily I don't have to make my living as a auto mechanic, I would starve to death....
In re. to priming, just want to share this experience. When I got my 348/434 returned from the machine shop, the bottom end was together. I bolted on the Edelbrock heads, rockers, push rods, etc. I previously bought one of those priming tools for BBC/SBC. I guess one size fits all. From what I recall, I got some oil to the rockers on one side but none to the other side. I tried for a long time but nothing was happening. I also noticed that the collar on the shaft of this tool, that holds it in place and limits the wobbling, was allowing a lot of oil to bypass it and come to the top. This certainly didn't see correct so I went to the machine shop with the tool. Advised him of this issue and he felt the collar may be just a bit to small. Left it with him and returned the following day. He had made another collar identical to the bought one only a slightly bit bigger. It was really hard to tell when you compared them both. Returned home and tried it. It worked perfectly. Oil didn't bypass it and went to all the rockers. I do believe I used this same tool to prime my 406 SBC and didn't have any problems with it. I did that one before the "W" engine. I don't suspect the distributor shaft is larger in that engine. Maybe just a coincidence. All I know is that the slightly larger collar worked, Carmine.
How did you repair the cam bearing without removing intake and having lifter's fall down ,,,, interesting!!!!!!!!
poison ivy
Well Known Member
still a question of mine!
poison ivy
Well Known Member
my measurements; oil pump drive 409.. .483 dia, 6.487 + - .007 length w.o. sleeve, 6.687 with sleeve.
Darren Blake
Active Member
I'm having the same issue now. I looked up this post. I have the primer from ShowCars for a 409 and cannot get oil to the passenger side rockers. I have turned the engine over while operating my electric drill and still dry as a bone on the passenger side. My machine shop installed the cam bearings, I hope I don't have to pull the pan for a 3rd time (I replace the oil pump shaft with the correct 409 shaft instead of the BBC shaft). I called Show Cars and they said I could have air lock. Not saying my machine shop didn't screw up, however is it possible I'm missing something here? I've had my Big and Small block Mopars act similar, however after turning the crank a few times I could get oil to both sides.
Four years ago, when I did my 09 the first time. I had oil, on the Pass. side. Couldn't get any, to the Driver's side Primed and Primed and Primed. 
I started thinking, maybe my machinist screwed up. In my case it turned out to be a piece of Rust, in the passage. Don't know, why it got there, since the block was Hot Tanked. Of course, this doesn't help you. Maybe, try a different primer. Quite a few guys here, have made primers, out of old distributor's
I started thinking, maybe my machinist screwed up. In my case it turned out to be a piece of Rust, in the passage. Don't know, why it got there, since the block was Hot Tanked. Of course, this doesn't help you. Maybe, try a different primer. Quite a few guys here, have made primers, out of old distributor's
denson1932
Well Known Member
OK i see my old 409 posting is back....so i will re-visit and confirm the cause of no oil to the passenger side head whilst priming oil pump was that i installed the rear cam bearing incorrectly...a small block cam bearing has 2 holes 180 degree apart...get one hole right you got the other hole right. 409 there are 3 holes in the rear bearing but they are not 120 degree apart...so if you don't notice that, you get 2 out of the 3 holes lined up...thereby cutting off the oil path to one o the heads! Luckily i persisted in the primer test until the problem was solved...This is the same engine i had to tear apart 3 times to get it right, !st time the stupid aftermarket 409 oil pump shaft (where pinned) was jammed tight in the rear main bearing saddle. 2nd tear-down for the cam bearing, 3rd teardown to find a terrible metallic sound on run-in which turned out to be a little crease in the front side of the timing chain cover...the loose side of chain would slap against the inside of the cover but it sounded like the belhousing clutch tin cover against the flywheel! Ask me if i want to build another one....
Darren Blake
Active Member
Thanks everybody. Dam, this sucks but my first 409. However it's got to be done right for the customer. Thank you so much for the help. I'm going to try to play with the oil pump primer and see if that is the issue first. I've heard of people mentioning to pull up a little on the primer as some of the primers were incorrectly machined. If that doesn't work, I'll be moving on the to front of the timing chain cover then the disassembly process. I just want to make sure I exhaust all possibilities before I disassemble all the way down. I just went through this on my 440, it had a knock that I was just certain was a rod, however when I got it on the stand it turned out to be a crank pulley that the bolts were just loose enough to make a knocking sound. Talk about a misdiagnosis!! Lol. Thanks again everyone.
On quick check to make first, spin the oil pump with your priming tool. Pull it out and check for oil on the tool. If the end of the priming tool has oil dripping off of it, you've have oil flow and your priming tool is not fitting properly in the block. If no oil is on the priming tool, then you most likely have an incorrectly installed cam bearing or the pump may be air locked.