Priming Oil to the Rockers

[mrtodds77]

I am getting ready to start up my 69 FJ40 with a new 2F rebuild and I want to be safe.

I have primed the oil with a drill in the dizzy for a few minutes but I still don't get any oil up to the rocker arms.

An SOR tech and someone from this group said you won't see oil on the rockers until the cam shaft is moving. So I ran the starter for a while and the cam moved and the valves went up and down but still no oil to the rockers. I can't run for too long or I will lose my battery charge.

Should I lube up the rocker arms manually and then try to start it up and run for a few minutes to see if the oil is getting to the rocker arms? Or is there another trick I can use to prime the oil up there before I try to start it.

When I put the rocker arm back together after cleaning it I was careful to align the intake hole in the rocker arm shaft to the oil intake rocker arm pedestal. But I guess its possible for it to have moved slightly. How can I tell if this is still aligned? To me it seemed like a very hokey design.

Thanking you in advance for your help. Also, I live in Simi Valley, CA. If anyone wants to come over and help birth the new motor.

 

[Bluegrass40]

You can rotate the crank until you get the oiling holes to line up. Just rotate a bit then run the oil pump a bit then rotate and run pump. When they are aligned, you will get oil to the head and rockers.

 

[Bluegrass40]

You can rotate the crank until you get the oiling holes to line up. Just rotate a bit then run the oil pump a bit then rotate and run pump. When they are aligned, you will get oil to the head and rockers.

 

[mrtodds77]

Hmmm. OK but I am not understanding what needs to line up. As I understand it now, there is one main hole on the rocker arm cross member and it points down all the time. I don't think the rocker arm tube rotates. That hole should be aligned down the 4th rocker arm support shaft where the oil is supposed to be coming up from. When the oil comes up this shaft it fills the tube from the inside and pushes oil out of the smaller holes at each rocker arm. This should lubricate the shaft and drip out the rocker arm holes onto the lifters and the push rods. To me this should be aligned all the time. Can anyone explain what i am missing?

 

[Bluegrass40]

@mrtodds77

There is an oiling hole in the cam that lines up with a passage in the block which feeds the head and rocker. Here is a picture of that hole in the cam. There is also another hole 90 degrees from the hole shown

If you look at the fsm, you can see the oil path.

The images shown are 2F but I believe the oiling path is similar to the F. Others may chime in otherwise.

 

[Bluegrass40]

Let’s see some pics of that motor! I need inspiration for my rebuild!

 

[Bluegrass40]

Not sure if this helps you, but when the timing hole on the cam timing gear is straight up the oiling holes in the cam are very close to what I think it the position needed to oil the rocker

 

[mrtodds77]

Great! This is good stuff. Now I see what is going on. It seems like a miracle oil is getting up there at all. I guess turning 300 times a second with 60 PSI some oil eventually gets up there.

So it seems like your saying that if I rotate the crank a little and then run the drill in the dizzy and keep rotating and drilling that eventually by luck the hole in the cam will line up and I can get oil up there using the drill primer method. But is this alignment then when the #1 piston is at TDC?

 

[Bluegrass40]

I wish I knew which piston was where when thathole lines up.

As a disclaimer, I am doing my first rebuild, so I am by no means an expert. But... if I were you (famous last words) I would pull the rocker arm assembly and then run the drill/rotate the crank. That way you are able to see oil much faster and know that you are aligned. Then put the rocker asm back on and prime again till you see oil out of the rockers.

Also, it will take some time (not sure how long) to get oil up to the head so don’t just turn the drill for a few sec and move on.

If you do all of this, pleas take note of what piston is where and post.

 

[White Stripe]

Keep the valve cover off and watch it as it runs with a bottle of oil. Pour oil on the valve train a bit until u see it doing it on its own. Have two people. If after 30 to 60 seconds no oil shut it down. That's what I would do. Turkey baster would work too

 

[Bluegrass40]

Wait. Just standing in front of my crank and cam and realized that there are two oiling holes in the cam journal and they align with the back two most cam lobes. So I would start by rotating the crank till the back most pushrods is at the height of its Travel (or the back most valve is fully opened... same thing). It that does not give oil, then rotate the cam till the next valve forward (#11) is fully opened. I will be that one of those positions will work (or some position close to it).

 

[Solace in Solitude]

I’ve never even had the head off an engine...

But, I’ve read that the head gasket has to be oriented correctly... otherwise, the gasket blocks the oil path to the rockers.

Hopefully, it won’t apply to you... e.g. hopefully, you will soon see oil “gushing”... well, dribbling over your rockers.

 

[mrtodds77]

I’ve never even had the head off an engine...

But, I’ve read that the head gasket has to be oriented correctly... otherwise, the gasket blocks the oil path to the rockers.

Hopefully, it won’t apply to you... e.g. hopefully, you will soon see oil “gushing”... well, dribbling over your rockers.

Yes, the head gasket was installed properly. I know this because I installed it backwards first and had to do it over. When you spray the gasket with copper it looks the same on both sides.

 

[mrtodds77]

Wait. Just standing in front of my crank and cam and realized that there are two oiling holes in the cam journal and they align with the back two most cam lobes. So I would start by rotating the crank till the back most pushrods is at the height of its Travel (or the back most valve is fully opened... same thing). It that does not give oil, then rotate the cam till the next valve forward (#11) is fully opened. I will be that one of those positions will work (or some position close to it).

From looking at the pictures the only oiling hole on the cam that matters is the one going up to the rockers. This one is aligned with rocker arm 6 numbering from the front back. So I think that is the one that needs to be at the highest or fully open when the oiling hole is aligned. Do you agree?

 

[mrtodds77]

Here is the rebuilt engine before I dropped it in.

 

[1MOA]

Let’s see some pics of that motor! I need inspiration for my rebuild!

Go for it. That engine is not a hard rebuild at all

 

[Rock40]

@mrtodds77, I just went through this issue with an "F" engine and what others are telling you is true. Remove the valve cover, spin up the oil pump with a drill and if no oil at the rocker assembly rotate the flywheel a few degrees by hand. Repeat until you get oiling on the top end. I had NOTHING on the rocker assembly of the "F" for quite a while but 50psi in the bottom end. Suddenly the oil started really pouring out of all the rocker oil galleys once things lined up. I'd discourage you from starting the motor prior to verifying that you have oiling throughout.

 

[SteveH]

I found that the drill (and hence the oil pump) had to be going CCW (so 'reverse' on your electric drill) for this to work.

In which direction are you operating your drill motor?

 

[73FJ40]

I found that the drill (and hence the oil pump) had to be going CCW (so 'reverse' on your electric drill) for this to work.

In which direction are you operating your drill motor?

I believe the distributor rotor turns clockwise in normal operation, so it's interesting that the pump only works going CCW..

 

[Rock40]

I believe the distributor rotor turns clockwise in normal operation, so it's interesting that the pump only works going CCW..

CCW? the "F" only worked clockwise. CCW and it just blew bubbles into the oil pan....