The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Mystery oil line - mismatched head

A few weeks ago I asked what this oil line was for, and I found out it was providing oil to the rockers, because the oil passage from the engine block was probably blocked. I pulled off the head and found the engine block's oil passage . It turns out that the head DOESN'T have the same oil passage . Mystery solved!

Where can I find the correct head and how much should I expect to pay for it? If it's too much, I'll probably just replace the "mystery" oil line with better tubing, and replace the head when I need to rebuild the engine.

Just curious, what engine/year would this head come from? Maybe from a full flow engine? I'm finding out that the previous owner did some questionable things just to get the truck back on the road.

Post the various casting codes and serial codes/numbers on the block and head and people here will help identify its "origin". Post both head codes/numbers and block codes/numbers because you could (or, most likely you do) have parts from different years/models.

Here is some information about rocker arm lubrication and here is some information on how to get oil to the rocker arms when certain-year heads are used with certain-year blocks.

You have the right head, there is never a matching hole in the head. The head gasket has the triangle cutout in it that allows the oil to flow from the hole to and up around the head bolt to the rockers.

Dave, thanks. That makes perfect sense. I checked the entire vertical oil passage from the top of the head down to the horizonal oil passage and didn't find any blockages.

Any suggestions on how I should troubleshoot not getting oil to the rockers?

Get the correct gasket, reassemble. Check for oilflow around the bolt like Pre68 said.

One of the aftermarket tool manufacturers used to sell a tool that installed into the head after removing the center head bolt (with the engine assembled). By pouring the head bolt hole full of oil, inserting the tool, and smacking it with a big hammer, a clogged oil passage could be cleared with hydraulic pressure. The tool was just a close-fitting punch that allowed the oil to be forced backwards through the oil galleries, hopefully clearing a clog. I made my own tool, using a piece of hardwood broomstick whittled to fit. Worked like a champ!

Now that you have the head off, try squirting some carburetor cleaner down the oil passage and forcing it through with air pressure.
Jerry

Hotrod, thanks for the suggestion. Here's the oil passage on the engine block, where it meets the head.

Think I'm gonna first drain the oil (it's old oil anyway) and leave out the drain bolt. Then I'll fill the oil passage with carb cleaner. If there's a block, the oil passage should fill to the top and I shouldn't get anything coming out of the drain. Then I'll apply some air pressure and hopefully stuff will come out of the drain.

Suggestions?

I seem to remember a problem with a camshaft bearing that would turn in the block and choke off that passage, but the 272/292/312 Ford V-8's also did that, so it might be my CRS kicking in!. If you choose to reinstall the external line, go with a piece of 3/16" steel brake line routed around behind the head. It looks better, and it won't starve the lower end for oil the way a larger line might. You really don't need a lot of oil flow to the head to keep the rocker arms lubed. The 216's got by with a 3/16" oil line through the block for many years.
Jerry