I have been having trouble with my small block. My engine has about 1000 miles on it, with no problems Then I got a new set on aluminum heads. After the heads were installed I started the engine and it ran fine for 20 min. or so so I shut it off. Later when it was started in ran ok for a minute or two then I could hear the lifter making noise, so i shut it off. The motor is not getting oil to the passanger side of the engine. Here is what I have tried so far with no luck. Went and got a priming tool and primed and turned the motor 1/4 turn at the time many revolutions. The lifters would never pump up. The best I could do was get a drop or two out of the rockers. I pulled the intake manifold off oil barely came out around the lifters on the passanger side. But I pulled out the back lifters on both sides and the oil flow looks to be the same and to me looked ok. I then replaced the lifters, I changed the cam while I was at it. I tried to prime again. On the drivers side oil was coming out in no time. On the pass. side I kept turning the motor and priming over and over, with no luck. Oil finally came oil of the top ok two lifters on that side. The only thing that I have found wrong that I have not repaired is the front oil galley plugs and the cam plug oil is flowing past them. I dont think enough is getting past them. But I started to change the cam galley plug first since it was leaking the most. It looked like being staked was the only thing holding them in. I removed the metal that was blocking the cam plug were it was staked, But it wont come all the way out. By priming the motor, using the oil pressure it comes close but is not coming out. The motor is still in the car. how do I get these plugs out to replace them? I dont even know if this is the problem. I dont know what to do next. Also I might add I have 50 lbs. on oil pressure while priming.

Just a thought, what kind of priming tool are you using? If it is just a straight shaft without the collar on the top, it will not allow oil pressure into the top end of the passenger side of the heads. The collar that slips into the distributor hole in the block actually pressurizes the oil into the passenger side of the head to lubricate the top end. Without the collar, the oil is just draining back into the pan. BTW, I found this out the hard way myself!

I have the primer that has the coller that works like the distributor. But thanks for the post. I need any info I can get to help cure this problem.