Priming the engine/Oil pump

sidecar · Post by **sidecar** » Sun May 11, 2008 5:56 pm

If you are still worried about the rockers and shafts then your only option is to strip them down and check. I bet you don't find anything wrong though! If the rockers a a good fit on the shafts, i.e not knackered then there will be very little clearance for the oil to escape.

I admire your determination to make sure that it's right, it's the difference between a "that will do" build and a "that is right" build.

Pete

Chorlton · Post by **Chorlton** » Sun May 11, 2008 6:21 pm

OK Just had an idea and it showed the problem.

I have a spare V8 that I intend to rebuild. I whipped off the complete rocker assembly and bunged it on the one in the car, spun the pump up on the drill and hey presto, a nice visible show of oil from that one, but near zero on the other, so I suspect its the rocker shaft probably fitted wrong or some problem there, so its strip down time for them tomorrow.

Ill need some new split pins now

Daft question. Thes rocker assemblies arent handed are they? could he have put them on the wrong sides?

Sorry for the dumb qurstions but Im a 4 clyinder bloke who is trying to get the hang of 8's

sidecar · Post by **sidecar** » Sun May 11, 2008 8:33 pm

I don't think that they are "handed"

Good luck, post up what you find!

Pete

mgbv8 · Post by **mgbv8** » Sun May 11, 2008 8:36 pm

Yes mate
The rocker shafts need to be fitted the right way round.

The rocker shafts are handed and must be fitted correctly to align the oilways.
Each rocker shaft is notched at one end and one one side only.
The notch must be uppermost and towards the front of the engine on the right hand side and towards the rear on the left hand side.

sidecar · Post by **sidecar** » Mon May 12, 2008 5:43 am

What I ment by not handed is that each shaft could be fitted on either head. If you bought a shaft you would not be asked whether it was for the left or right cylinder bank. They do have to be fitted so that the lube holes are facing the right way as I stated in an earlier post.

Chorlton · Post by **Chorlton** » Mon May 12, 2008 11:10 am

Well Ive just stripped one of the rocker shafts down and its buggered, worn to bits. I suppose its my own fault thinking that when someone tells me the engine is rebuilt, he rebuilt it using the original worn parts !
God only knows what the cam and bottom end are like!!.

I took both old rocker shafts off the engine I am rebuilding and put them on the engine in the car and the oil flowed nicely, as it should.
So Im going to put complete new rocker assemblies on. Maybe there will be someone at Beaulieu this weekend selling them, if not its a phone call to Rimmers.

Thanks for all the advice.

Eliot · Post by **Eliot** » Mon May 12, 2008 11:32 am

As sidecar says, you must make sure you align the oil holes. So they are not handed in that they are all the same, but they must be fitted correctly.
I was stuck on this for a while, as the pictures didn't make it totaly clear.

Chorlton · Post by **Chorlton** » Mon May 12, 2008 11:39 am

Oh I double checked them and all the oil holes are in the correct place, it still stumps me why the old rocker shafts work but the cleaned up ones which were on the engine when I got it doesnt.

C'est la vie. Ill buy some new assemblies and do it properly. I was just getting excited (as you do) about firing up the beastie for the first time.

sidecar · Post by **sidecar** » Mon May 12, 2008 12:12 pm

Sorry to hear that its not going too well.

The weak point of the Rover lump does seem to be the drive chain, I guess if the oil has not been changed often enough the rockers are one of the first things to f--k up!

You should take a VERY careful look at the cam and the followers as again Rovers seem to like eating these parts.

When you fit the new shafts bare in mind that it will take a minute to fill them with oil when priming the system so don't expect to see any oil flow straight away.

Pete

CastleMGBV8 · Post by **CastleMGBV8** » Mon May 12, 2008 4:49 pm

Chorlton,

Have you checked the oil ways in the rockers themselves as I suggested earlier, if the oil is getting to the inside of the rocker shafts then that can be the only obstruction if the shaft are positioned correctly.

Also as someone mentioned earlier, with new rocker gear don't expect to see a lot of oil coming out of the bearing areas but it's important that the oil is getting to the pushrod ends of the rockers otherwise they will wear prematurely.

Kevin.

mgbv8 · Post by **mgbv8** » Mon May 12, 2008 5:32 pm

Also make sure the oil hole in the rocker post is clear and if shims have bee fitted make sure they have the oil holes lined up too.

Chorlton · Post by **Chorlton** » Mon May 12, 2008 5:50 pm

Im stumped as to why they dont work, but have cleaned up the ones on my rebuild car and fitted them and they work and flow oil niceley.

As I said I will be buying a complet new pair of rocker assemblies which should dort the problem.

r2d2hp · Post by **r2d2hp** » Mon May 12, 2008 7:43 pm

I replaced my pump gears and packed the pump with vaseline while it was on the engine stand. Some weeks later when engine eventually made it back into the car I tried spinning up the pump with an electric drill and could not get any oil pressure. Pump was also very difficult to spin with the drill.
On removing the gears and oil filter I found the vaseline was now so thick it was having trouble going through the small gauze filter in the pump and what had got through was in the oil filter.
Cleaned it all out and tried again with drill and oil pressure has come up but takes a long time to register on the gauge.

Have just removed rocker cover and tried spinning with electric drill and hardly any oil is seen comming from the rockers. loosened off the pedestals and tried and oil pours over the head when I start the drill so as Sidecar mentioned it maybe that a good rocker set does not show much oil when cold.

I do have a question now though, having loosened the pedastals and spun oil pump with a drill will I have any problems will cam follower preload. Have tightened down the pillars so will all be ok?

CastleMGBV8 · Post by **CastleMGBV8** » Mon May 12, 2008 8:00 pm

Chorlton

If your seeing a lot of oil from the old rockers they are probably quite worn. How much oil and from where are you expecting to see from the new rockers. I still think it's blocked oilways in the rockers themselves.

I would take them off the shafts clean them so you can try blowing through from the pushrod end. If they are blocked then take them somewhere they have an airline and blow them through.

If you buy new ones you may have the same problem because of the protective wax they put in the pushrod end, they should always be cleaned before use. I had a couple that were sods to clear.

Kevin.

sidecar · Post by **sidecar** » Tue May 13, 2008 5:45 am

r2d2hp wrote:
I do have a question now though, having loosened the pedastals and spun oil pump with a drill will I have any problems will cam follower preload. Have tightened down the pillars so will all be ok?

It will be fine!