late 70's?..........231 oil issue

[h2obio]

Hi all,

New to the forum

I have a modified 231 that was dropped into my '60 Willys. The port side started ticking, so I pulled the valve cover and there's no oil coming through the push rods/rocker arms even tho' the oil pressure gauge is reading 40psi min. I'm assuming the oil pump is bad and about the pull the other valve cover. Any advice on other possible causes and process to replace the pump?

Thanks, Ron

 

[olds307 and 403]

40 psi isn't bad. It could be sludged up, strange that all of them aren't feeding oil. The covers are known wear items, causes low oil pressure and the front cam bearing dies first.

 

[KYMalibu]

Hi all,

New to the forum

I have a modified 231 that was dropped into my '60 Willys. The port side started ticking, so I pulled the valve cover and there's no oil coming through the push rods/rocker arms even tho' the oil pressure gauge is reading 40psi min. I'm assuming the oil pump is bad and about the pull the other valve cover. Any advice on other possible causes and process to replace the pump?
11:42 pm

Had a sim problem with my 355sbc no oil blued my rockers n springs, bent a pushrod and finally noticed but it had already killed a lobe. I had normal oil pressure, the whole time. Figured it was the cam going that cause the no oil to the rockers/springs, I figured wrong. Long story short, I ended up using the same shortblock with a diff combo and with a new pump and still had no oil after over an hour of priming and turning the engine over. Still no oil to the rockers, at this point the engine was already in the car, yah I know dumb.

But the point to my whole story, was i got all 16 to oil properlty before I fired it. After much disguset and throwing tools at my haste to get a motor together w/o being 100% at the cause and having it tore down. I took a long shot and sprayed compressed air down the oil sending unit fitting on the rear of the block w/o dist or primer in. Got plenty of oil right after np, figured it blew w/e out that was clogging it. I only tried this after reading of someone finding a peice of gasket maker stuck by those rear plugs with the same prob, only he tore it all the way down.

 

[Bar50]

Melling offers a cast iron (I think) wear plate, it's steel and sandwiches between the oil pump housing and filter adapter. Pack the oil pump with Vaseline when you reassemble it.

The Turbo 231 front cam bearing has a groove around the outside to offer additional oil flow to the starved side.

 

[ttype]

fuel pump arm? some have a wear plate on 'em where they ride the cam... just an idea. try there too after sussing out the low oil flow to upper valve train.

r.

 

[lilbowtie]

ditto Bar 50 - the drivers side overhead gets supplied through the front bearing - some cams are grooved and some bearings are grooved. The wrong combo and you cut your oil supply - I've done it. If this is an older build go with the booster plate but the front cam bearing is a high wear item.

 

[h2obio]

Thanks all, It's an older engine, but was rebuilt and the seller claims it has low miles, which appears correct. I fired it up again and the oil begins to come up through the rockers, but is just sort of seeping; seems like it should be spurting out?

Ron

 

[lilbowtie]

I think you will find as soon as you start driving you will get lifter noise again from not enough oil - You will Know what to do.

 

[h2obio]

Thanks, guess I better research a new oil pump.

 

[pontiacgp]

Thanks, guess I better research a new oil pump.

before that why not flush the engine and put in some fresh oil with a new filter. I would remove a quart of oil and put in a quart of ATF, run the car till it's at operating temp and let it run for about 10 minutes, drain the oil and replace the oil and filter