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| | | Forums66 Topics128,174 Posts1,057,048 Members48,458 | | Most Online14,466 Apr 26th, 2026 | | AD Chevy Trucks Over 6,000 pictures Brad Allen has an awesome collection of Chevrolet factory pictures that he has set up from film strips. Check them out!
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on the Internet for over 30 years! and not clogged down with Ads! Again, thanks! | | | | Joined: Jul 2010 Posts: 39 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Jul 2010 Posts: 39 | Hey folks, I'm in the process of getting ready to fire up a completely rebuilt 1962 chevy 261 engine and while priming the system with an old distributor shaft, I noticed that the only place oil was coming to the top of the engine was through the middle of the rocker stand, and doesn't seem to be distributed either direction away from the center. There is a good 40psi of oil pressure, but my worry is that something is hindering the distribution of oil throughout the entire rocker assembly. What could be going wrong here?
-Nick | | | | | Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 29,868 Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) | | Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 29,868 | Are you cranking the engine while you're running the pump? Unless the rocker arms are moving it's not likely the oil will be distributed evenly. Just fire the thing up and don't obsess about it. Pour a little oil over the rocker shafts if you're worried about a dry start. Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt! There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
| | | | | Joined: Jul 2010 Posts: 39 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Jul 2010 Posts: 39 | Yes, actually I've fired up the engine. Rocker arms are moving, but it seems a lot more dry than I think it ought to be, and as mentioned, virtually no oil away from the center of the rocker shaft.
-Nick | | | | | Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 29,868 Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) | | Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 29,868 | Has the rocker assembly been disassembled and cleaned? On a full rebuild, I can't imagine the rocker shafts not getting scrubbed out thoroughly. Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt! There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
| | | | | Joined: Jul 2010 Posts: 39 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Jul 2010 Posts: 39 | Yep, disassembled and cleaned completely.
-Nick | | | | | Joined: Nov 2011 Posts: 1,611 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Nov 2011 Posts: 1,611 | Are you using the correct connector for your engine, there are several styles. Also, do your rocker arms match the shafts? Are the shafts installed upside down so the oil cant flow out? | | | | | Joined: Jan 2014 Posts: 3,690 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jan 2014 Posts: 3,690 | Read Pre-68 Dave's article. Not sure if there's anything unique about the 261 rocker oiling, but this should help you understand some potential issues. http://chev235guy.blogspot.com/search/label/235%20Rocker%20Oiling?m=0Paul's suggestion about the shaft being upside down is a good one. That would be easy to do. Holes need to go down.
1951 3100
| | | | | Joined: Jan 2000 Posts: 2,074 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jan 2000 Posts: 2,074 | Some of these had a single drilled head bolt for oil to the top. This gets confusing as Chevy kept making changes to this oil path. Read all of pre68Daves info. | | | | | Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 29,270 Bubba - Curmudgeon | | Bubba - Curmudgeon Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 29,270 | | | |
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