I have fixed an old distributor to put a drill on and build the oil pressure up.How much oil should I expect to see come out the top of the pushrods and how long should it take once I start turning distributor? I have heard some people say it's very hard and takes a long time to get oil out the top with a drill.Thanks for any replies!!

It's a lot easier when you have a buddy or two. Have one check out your oil pressure gauge. I usually like taking it up to 60psi, if possible. Have another, or yourself if possible, look at the rockers. Keep it spinning until you see oil coming out. I'd say roughly anywhere between a good 30seconds to a minute. Others may agree or disagree...that's what I've done, and so far has worked really good. Good luck.........and careful with the double and triple posts :D graemlins/thumbsup.gif

Your best bet is to hook up an oil pressure gauge and prime it until pressure is constant. The oil should come out of the pushrods enough so that the rocker balls and nuts are completely saturated. Sometimes it takes a while. You need to prime the oil pump before you install it or it will take a pretty long time. By putting the oil pump in a bucket of oil and spinning it (by hand)so that it starts pumping, you get a film of oil on the gears and housing of the pump. When you go to prime the engine, the pickup will suck the oil in and the pump will "grab" the oil (static pressure) and it will pump fairly quickly. I have installed a pump before without priming it, and it took a good 5 minutes to start flowing. The oil just doesn't have anything to grab onto in order to get up into the gears. The sheer volume of oil in the pan eventually causes the pump to take-up the oil and start pumping.

Yeah, gotta agree...your best bet is priming the oil pump...forgot to mention that. I primed the pump in my hand, then again after I bolted it on the motor. I simply poured oil in it little by little, then turned the pump with my fingers until all the oil was "sucked in." Then I'd pour more oil, etc., until it stopped "sucking in" the oil. Once bolted on, I'd turn the whole reciprocating assembly over by hand, this is with the oil pan and intake on, then with a home made tool my grandfather made for me, I'd stick it down the distributor shaft area, engauge it onto the oil pump shaft, then hook up an electric drill to it....but you gotta make sure you have the rear oil pressure whole plugged...or else your gonna have oil shooting out of it and all over your freshly painted block...happened to me graemlins/clonk.gif Then once it's bolted in, hook up an oil pressure gauge to it, and prime it up again.

Sorry for triple post.I have a gauge screwed into the motor and it shows about 80 psi and you hear the pump grab and sounds like it should be pumping but there isn't much oil out the top.What would cause this when everything is new? THANKS!!

Did you build the motor or someone else? Could be some debris somewhere in the oiling system/path. I hope it's something minor. Just remember, the oil that comes up and out the pushrods isn't going to be gushing oil, it'll come out, and I don't believe you'll need much more pressure, because once the oil reaches up top, it has pretty much gone through and lubed the whole motor.

It took about 7-10 minutes on the last engine to get all the puchrods flowing from back to front, it seems to help if you turn the crank some while turning the pump so the lifters move up and down and inline with the oil feed channel to the lifters.

It's best to rotate the engine a 1/4 turn every so often. It can take a while. Keep going until all the bubbles are gone. It is quite a load on the drill. I almost burned up a variable speed 3/8" drill by running it a part throttle. A 1/2" drill is best. You will find out how much HP is lost just running the oil pump.

I'll try turning the crank and see if that helps.Thanks for all the replies!

If you have a 65-66 block, cam must have a groove machined in rear journal to feed top end oil. later blocks have machined groove in the block. you have to have one or the other or you will never get oil to lifters/push rods.

Use a 3/8 air drill and leave the electric one in your toolbox. As long as you have a decent compressor, you can hold the air drill wide open without worrying about it overheating like an electric.

If I'm not mistaken the rear cam bearing had a groove in it which the parts company said the purpose of it was so you would'nt have to machine a groove in the cam.Do you think it should work ok like that? I apprecate your post because it is a 66 block. THANKS!

Originally posted by bsmith411:
If I'm not mistaken the rear cam bearing had a groove in it which the parts company said the purpose of it was so you would'nt have to machine a groove in the cam.Do you think it should work ok like that? I apprecate your post because it is a 66 block. THANKS! =
If it is a 66 block you need a cam with a groove in the rear journal on the cam itself & the early rear bearing with the groove.
The later blocks have the groove behind the cam bearing like a small block as was already posted.

The groove in the bearing is not enough. You have to machine a groove like the original cams had. I been there.

I ran the drill for a little while longer and oil is coming out of all pushrods. Does this mean they have had to install the correct grooved bearing and grooved cam?

In my case I could not get any oil out push rods(priming oil pump). If the motor is in the car you just as well fire it & see how much oil gets to rocker arms. If it's on engine stand ask the people who did it. Mine would not oil top end without groove.
Good Luck