oiling problem

[W Head]

Hey Guys, A friend purchased a .40 over 409, completly rebuilt and never fired (paid $6,000.00). Yesterday the engine was put on a test stand, pre oiled for 10 minutes and fired. The driver side is fine, but the pass. side will not oil the rockers and Hyd. lifters will not pump up. The engine has been togrether for over a year. Any ideals before he takes the engine apart?? :? I know the lifters should have been put in oil for several hours, but the engine was complete.

W Head

59 El Camino 348-3,2s
59 Impala 409-2,4s

 

[JimKwiatkowski]

Your problem is the dist blocking the oil passage,I'm 90% sure

 

[dq409]

Ditto,,, Pull the distributor and grind off the vertical block between the two horizontal ones, then reinstall.
Or install it with the vacuum pod pointed to the passenger hood hinge,,,dq

 

[W Head]

Jim, don't understand, please explain!!! Dist. rotated too far one way or another and covering oil passage???? :?

W Head

 

[JimKwiatkowski]

The oil groove on the dist does not go compleatly around the dist,either grind groove so it goes all the around dist or repostion the dist like dq said

 

[SS425HP]

I have a friend with the same problem. We did the distributor deal, and it didn't help. The rear cam bearing is the culprit. If the shop doesn't know, or doesn't pay attention, they can get the rear cam bearing in so that it doesn't feed one side or the other. The only way to fix is to remove the motor and redo the rear cam bearing.
Hope it's just the distributor, but sometimes it isn't.

Good luck

Fred

 

[JimKwiatkowski]

Fred,I belive thats for the drivers side not getting oil.

 

[JimKwiatkowski]

W head,If the dist trick does not work,I'll re-post a old thred to help you out

 

[64ss409]

This is the area on the distributor that is being referred to. I ground out the blockage with a 4 inch Makita grinder.
Ron

 

[oil4kids]

Cam bearing rotated

Last time this happened to a member it was misalignment of the rear cambearings, it has 3 holes and it must be aligned correctly

to verify try this: take a 2 ft piece of 3/8s straight bundy brake tubing, flatten one end in a vice use a 9/16 sockt over the end

pull the distributer put tubing into dist hole and align with the oil pump shaft

put the end that is flattend and socket and turn with an electric drill and watch with a flashlight

look at where the oil comes out while under pressure in the block

 

[carcrazy_skeith]

I had a freind that built a 396 and had bearing failure and found out that the first year 396 took a different rear cam bearing than later blocks, very possible the same problem with the W engine. :?

 

[oil4kids]

396 rear bearing

The 1965-66 396 engines have cams with a groove in the middle of the rear bearing journal to distribute oil to the lifter galleries and upper engine. This groove is 3/16” wide and 7/64” deep. The 1967-90 production cams without this groove can be modified for use in early engines. The 1967 and later blocks had an annular groove in the rear cam journal boss, making the cam groove unnecessary

One “urban legend” claims that “an early grooved cam in a later block will cause a massive internal oil leak.” This is not true. They say there is no problem using an early-style grooved rear journal cam in any later Mark IV engine but Im not doing it

 

[mercsrus51]

No Ioil To Pass Sideq

Tis Is The Disstrb. Ours Was In 180 Degrees Wrong, No Oil To Pass Side....please Check This B4 You Go Pulling Engine Apart,, Everyone Telling Nitemare Stories Try The Distrb....deal And Filing That Groove All Around .that Will Be The Real Test ...

 

[oil4kids]

180?

Am I missing something here? How the heck could you put the distributer in 180 degrees out---the freakin vacuum advance would face the firewall- dat dont look right..............

 

[JimKwiatkowski]

Merc has a Mallory dist without a vacuum advance.

 

[astumbo2002]

I had the same problem on a solid lifter 409 engine. The machine shop installed the cam bearing in the wrong position and blocked the left side oiling hole. Only way to check that I know of is to pull the engine, take out the rear cam plug and look to see if all 3 holes are open.
Danny

 

[W Head]

oiling problem update from W Head

Hey guys, My buddy pulled the flywheel, (engine on test stand) pulled dist., took out the two plugs in back of engine on both sides of rear cam plug, spun the oil pump with drill. Oil came out driver side hole, nothing on pass side hole. Must be cam bearing installed wrong. He is going to pull cam this week end. Will keep you up dated. Boy is he up set with guy he paid $6000.00 for the engine. :takethat

W Head

59 El Camino 348, 3-2s
59 Impala 409, 2-4s

 

[desapience]

180 out is common error.

Am I missing something here? How the heck could you put the distributer in 180 degrees out---the freakin vacuum advance would face the firewall- dat dont look right..............

Being 180 out means that the rotor shaft is 180 out, not the distributor housing!

no1:

Denis