Stovebolt.com Forums The Shop Area The Engine Shop No oil to Rocker assembly.

'59 235, when adjusting the valves we noticed no oil was flowing through feed tude and rocker shaft. Removed rocker assembly and cleaned everything, no blockage at all. Pulled out flow tube and the plug located on the side(head) near the feed tube. Sprayed it clean with brake kleen again no blockage!!!

We were thinking is the head bolt between the feed tube and the plug where the oil supply comes from and can it be blocked or not drilled (no passage)?
Or should we run/plumb an oiling system via the oil filter assembly?

I would like to fix this correctly but I have no clue whats beyond that plug? Oil pump? Blockage?

Any ideas I'd love to drive this thing!!

thank you
JM

Hey JM

remove distributor, insert long round stock with a flat end and hook up electric drill. spin oil pump and see if oil will come to gallery. It will take a while till all lines are filled. If you have the oil pressure gage hooked up check the pressure.
What did you do to the engine? did you had the oil pump our.
Did you had the distributor out? If so you might have not engaged the oilpump with the distributor shaft. If you are a touch to high with the distributor the shaft will not slide into the pump gear.

good luck

Thanks Fritz
I actually just bought it, "just rebuilt".

I will play with the distributor and see if it is properly engaged.

Where do you measure oil pressure at on this lug? The one in the cab reads 1/2to3/4 up on the scale.

thx again,
JasonM

my 53 has a proper gage. Go get a pressure gage in
adapted and hook it into the block where the pressure sensor is mounted. Either put a TEE fitting in or remobve the sensor.

good luck

There has been plenty of talk about no oil to the rockers and about a mysterious special head bolt,someone has mentioned there is two different head gaskets for the 235. One is for the 54 on back and the other is for the 55-62,the differences is the hole for the oil passage and if I can remember correctly if the earlier gasket is put on the later motor it blocks the oil going to the rockers. If thats the case thats what I had done to the 57 235 I rebuilt for my 37,it got no oil to the rockers and what I did to get oil there was to take a cut off wheel and grind a groove about a 1/8 of a inch wide and about 1/8 deep through the threads on the head bolt and now it gets oil. It might seem crude to do it thay way but it works and I dont it 4 years ago and no trouble since. Jeff

If at some time in the past a earlier top end was installed the mechanic could have installed a plug in the block oil port and used a special drilled head bolt as per chev parts book instructions. Here is what the parts book says.

Drilled 235-261 Head bolt:

From 1938-62, only two head bolt part numbers are listed for 216, 235 and 261. Long and short except for a special drilled bolt, used when a 59-62 block is used with earlier top end* to reduce the oil flow to the rockers.

Note: Use with drilled bolt
Plug # 37 64 579
Install in block oil port near right center head bolt.
(This plug blocks the original oil path and sends it through the drilled head bolt)

* The cylinder head did not change but the rockers did.

A question my friend and I have about checking to see if I have the correct "drilled" head bolt.

Can we remove "that" head bolt, (inspect for type, and possibly grind the groove) as recommended by Jeff without ruining the head gasket?

How long is this bolt and how long should the 1/8"w X 1/8"d cut be along the threads?

Thank you,
Jason

I has also been reading some archives and there is talk about having to ristrict "TOO MUCH" flow to the top end.
Will cutting the bolt too deep/ long create too much flow to the top end if this is in fact the issue?
Thanks,
Jason

The factory bolt had a 1/16" hole up the center part way, to a hole out the side above threads. the 1/16" hole was to restrict the flow. I would reccomend making one yourself, rather then gringing the threads.

There is no problem removing one bolt and reinstalling it.

You're the man Dave!!
We will see, I have the truck at a good friend of mines. He will be cheking the head bolt for me and then we'll go from there!!

Thanks to all
jj