thanks for reply, doc41 and toyvo, I started rebuild engines about 12 years old. 235 56 chevy two door. OK so this is what happened no oil in valve train, 4.3 chevy v6, 88 rat truck.
So I went to this for answer,http://www.aa1car.com/engine.htm worked out good for me got to thinking about what I had done. So today I pulled the base and pump and replaced oil pump and screen. a little wear on pump due crud that I did not get after cleaning block, total rebuild, I could see oil all over cam and lower half even timing lower sprocket and chain, got it all back together and primed by starter, no plugs no electrical hookup to distributor, still no oil to lifters.
OK, so I put the plugs back in and fired it up and still no oil to lifters, just a little hear and there, so I watched it and said what the heck and did a clack adjustment on the lifters.{loosen adjuster til clack is heard, tighten til clack stops}
as soon as the first one started to clack oil came up and started to run down, did all 12 and am now on happy wrench puller,notta more pretty than seeing oil go drip drip drip off the end of 12 lifters at idle, so engine runs good, no noise and smooth, getting oil top to bottom, knock wood.
Where I went wrong I can only think is I adjusted the lifters before I primed the engine.and the lifters never got a chance to pump up. Shoud have just snug the rockers and readjusted after startup. funny, all I had to do was back off on the rockers, well I got a another new oil pump and screen,engine runs smooth, donn't get muck better than that.
But maybe, somebody will put a 4.3 in a ole chevy and have no oil in the top half and run accross this.
jbennett
40 burb
