The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop 235 Rocker Arm Oiler

Well the truck gremlins have struck me again. When I parked my 1953 3100 last fall, I decided that I was going to pull the engine out so that I can go through it and replace all the seals and clean her up. It was a slow process working on it when I was able but I finally have it together and back into my truck. This past weekend I was able to get her fired back up. The engine sounded really good and was holding great oil pressure but I was not seeing any oil coming out of the rocker arms. Someone in the past kind if rigged up the oil supply line to the rockers on my truck. There is a metal line coming out of the head, goes to rubber line over rocker shaft, and back into the metal line on the rocker shaft. Rocker arm oil line Its not the best photo but I think you will see the basic idea. Anyway due to no oil coming from the rockers I removed the rubber hose where it attaches to the top of the head and still no oil. I know that my head does not use the drilled head bolt, I checked them carefully when I was cleaning them up for reassembly. My next step was to remove the pushrod cover and check the copper line that runs from the back of the lifter valley to the top of the lifter valley where it sends oil up to the head. I loosened the top fitting and once again no oil. Removed the lower fitting and was able to get oil flow when cranked over. I took this opportunity to take my air nozzle and back blow all the oil passages. Everything seems open now. Reassembled everything and I know have oil flowing out of the tube in the head, it flows ok, not a gusher but considering the size of the feed line I am happy. Anyhow the question I want to ask is, does anyone know of a supplier that sells or reproduces the rocker arm oiler? Mine is a hack job to say the least. I have another 235 in my 54 210 but I sure would rather not rob parts of it because I would like to get it back on the road next. I would even consider a used one will post in the parts wanted section next.

As posted in your Part Wanted thread, there are/were different styles of "oilers".

Every so often, different styles of oiler tubes/fitting show up on eBay.

235 261 rocker shaft oil oiler pipe

Thanks Tim, I did not think about ebay for some reason. I guess I need to remove what's left of my oiler and give it a good looking over to determine which one I am needing.

I believe the proper ebay search term is "oil connector". There are at least two types, one where the metal line from the pushrod area bolts directly to the connector, and the other where it fits into a hole in the head.
Jerry

The three types of rocker arm assembly oil connectors are shown at the first link in my post above.

There is also information on those pages that came from Dave's excellent blog site.
http://chev235guy.blogspot.com/search/label/235%20Drilled%20Head%20Bolt

Over the years, owners/shops might have mixed/matched/adapted the oil connectors/etc.

I need to take mine apart but I think I have the one where the line just pushes into the hole because that is partly what I have. What I believe happened is over years the line must of busted and they patched it together with rubber hose.

I decided that I needed to take the rocker arm apart to figure out which oiler that I need. The following is a link to a photo of the oiler off the rocker shaft: Rocker Oiler From what I can tell it appears that I need the one that just pushes into the hole such as part number 3779879.

Larry, from the picture, you have an 848 head on the motor. Those 848 heads entered production for the 56 model year and were found on 56 to 63 passenger car motors. I am not sure about the truck motors. They could also be found on Canadian Pontiac passenger car motors (261 blocks with the 848 head. Those heads had steam holes drilled in them for the 261 block Siamese cylinder bores). There were two eras for the 848 heads, the 56-58, and the 59-63. 59 is when gm Made it’s final design change to the oiling system of the motor. So for 59, the factory got rid of the steel line behind the side plate that fed the rockers from the rear cam bearing, and instead feed the rockers from a drilled passage direct from the oil galley, enlarged the oil feed oraface to the rockers, used a pinched off oil connector and created a sort of pressurized oil system. To make sure this pressurized oil dribbled out of the dribble holes for the rocker arms, as opposed to spitting over the arms and not oiling anything, gm moved the oil groove inside the rocker from directly intersecting the dribble hole to being off set.

So, if that head is a 56-58 casting date, and you can confirm that the rocker arms have the inner groove intersecting the dribble hole, you want the oil connector that is not pinched off but looped around. If you discover the Head is a 59-63 and the groove in the rocker is offset from the dribble hole, you would want to use the pinched off 59 and up oil connector.

That being said, lots and lots of the 55-58 oil connectors were pinched off when the rear cam bearing got worn and lost a little pressure, or the steel line got a little clogged, to help keep a little pressure inrocker shafts to get oil to the rockers, especially the end rockers. So if you use the looped version and find no or insufficient oil coming out of the rockers, especially Nos. 1 and 6, you might pinch the loop closed and see if that helps.

15 minutes with a torch, some brass, and a piece of steel brake line would put that one back in "like new" shape.
Jerry

You should be able to find one on ebay.

Go to ebay & in the search box.........type........3779879 .

PIC

https://s26.postimg.cc/fqyxx1yi1/Rocker_Shaft_Oil_Connector_1959_to_1962.jpg


George
'54 3600

I appreciate all the replies, I think I have it covered. Going to try and repair what I have if that don't work out will order one off eBay.