Thread: Noisy tappets after 3.5 rebuild, oil flow?

Originally Posted by rangieman

Oh and after all this watch your rocker gear for oil movement
Do you know you have to run the cam in as well about 2000 rpm for about 15 minutes

And thats my 3000 th post

Don't want to run the cam in if everything's dry. The engine might not last 20 minutes

Congrats on the 3000th I'm just glad to be a part of this memorable occasion

Originally Posted by Bulldog

Thanks for your help rangieman.

If i was to pour oil on the rockers, it may quieten the tappets, but then i can't look at the shafts to see if they have fresh oil on them - cos i put it there. That's my main clue to a solved problem. When that oil does end up in the sump (and i'm on a long test drive) the rockers are going to be dry again = not good...

Well when you are running the cam in with the rocker covers off you will get oil spray every where

And you will notice oil comming out of the rocker shafts after a while as its the top of the motor it takes a while for oil to pump up but not too long tho

It just might need a bit of a prime , doing it this way helps

Dont drive your car with the rocker covers off

Originally Posted by rangieman

Is ,nt the 3.5 supposed to lube thru the rocker gear as in oil comes up thru the block , i cant remember i dont think they lube thru the push rods as the push rods are solid its the 4.4 that lube thru the push rods

The head gaskets have holes that allow oil to be pumped to the head to the rocker gear
I wonder if the head gaskets are on wrong (but i dont think its possible) i stand corrected

Well i stand corrected too forgot the rover has the different set up with the rockers on the tubes anyhow id still do as i said before and take off the covers and pump in some oil and reprime the pump and run it till ya get oil squirting out the top may be messy but atleast ya know the oil is diong its job

Originally Posted by lokka

Well i stand corrected too forgot the rover has the different set up with the rockers on the tubes anyhow id still do as i said before and take off the covers and pump in some oil and reprime the pump and run it till ya get oil squirting out the top may be messy but atleast ya know the oil is diong its job

Rockers are off. There is a small amout of sump-type oil in there around the exhaust valves, but none flowing, squirting or splattering. Push rods have received no oil since i put them in.

Lokka, do you think i need to re-prime the oil pump even though the oil light has gone off on the dash?

Well i've primed the oil pump with vasaline again and still no oil flowing, squirting or splattering on the rocker shafts... Push rods still dry.

Anymore ideas, anyone, please...

Originally Posted by Bulldog

Well i've primed the oil pump with vasaline again and still no oil flowing, squirting or splattering on the rocker shafts... Push rods still dry.

Anymore ideas, anyone, please...

Is this with the motor running or are you using the old trick of the long screw driver in a power drill with the dissy removed

Bull Dog
Why not pull the distributor out spin up the oil pump with drill (I use 5/16 copper pipe squashed on one end) and play around maybe pull off the rockers and see if oil is coming from the feed holes in the head.
I had a similar issue when I did mine recently and had the same concerns as you but I think you should be careful stopping it and starting it until that cam is run in.
Mine proved not to be a problem it just took a bit of time to get oil everywhere and the lifters bled down properly.
Did you check the lifter preload??

Originally Posted by djam1

Bull Dog
Why not pull the distributor out spin up the oil pump with drill (I use 5/16 copper pipe squashed on one end) and play around maybe pull off the rockers and see if oil is coming from the feed holes in the head.
I had a similar issue when I did mine recently and had the same concerns as you but I think you should be careful stopping it and starting it until that cam is run in.
Mine proved not to be a problem it just took a bit of time to get oil everywhere and the lifters bled down properly.
Did you check the lifter preload??

I am doing it with the engine running. The cam has actually been run for an hour or so in another car (it was slightly 2nd hand) so stop/start shouldn't be an issue except for the obvious lack of oil. I didn't do the lifter preload, but i would think that may explain some noise, but not lack of oil on the rocker shafts. I should point out that i used composite head gaskets so that may affect the lifter preload.

Can someone please tell me... How much oil should i see on the rocker shafts. Is it an obvious flow? As i said earlier it looks like some oil has been there (a few mm's deep at the bottom), but the push rods are dry...

Djam1: the rockers are off, no oil coming thru feed holes