Hey - havent been on here in a while but I have a new 67 GT Convertible S-code project and am building my first FE. I need some engine help. When priming the engine with oil shaft and drill, I noticed the stream of oil coming from first lifter gallery (front of engine) is powerful enough to go through the 4th and 5th intake runners and flood the drivers side head and valve cover. The oil valley pan is designed with cut aways to allow this to happen, but the oil returns in the 428CJ heads I installed arent big enough to handle this much flow. So oil just pours out of my covers and I am sure soaking the valve guides with that much oil isnt good. Is this normal? Am I missing something?
Here are the pertinent details of the engine:
68 390 block, machined .010
Hydraulic lifters
Edlebrock Streetmaster 390 Intake
Needed gallery plugs installed - 4 in back of block, 1 inside distributor cavity
4 plug holes open in lifter gallery for oiling lifters
HV oil pump with hardened shaft
.090 Holley restrictor on rocker shafts
I see low oil pressure as a result of this. Spinning the drill at 700 rpms gets no oil out of the other gallery holes and none up the rockers even with rockers removed. If I finger plug the front oil gallery hole and spin the drill, oil flows through the other passages. Seems like a baffle or maybe a restrictor is missing. I thought about extending the valley oil baffle to block the stream of oil, but dont know if that messes something else up. I have been searching every available forum for answers and cant find anyone that has questioned this. Any guidance? Much thanks.
I have restrictors in my heads under the rockers because of excessive oil. But you shouldn't get low oil pressure from it? 332-428 Ford FE Engine Forum
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Greg
1969 Mach1 428 4-speed 3:89 gears,
31 spline posi "N" case, ported edelbrock heads,
full length headers, 292H Comp cam, 750 holley.
Born July 17, 1969
Greg - everyone complains of flooding their heads through the rocker arm which is why they use the restrictors. I did the same as you, but I verified the oil is coming from the very front hole in lifter oil gallery not the rockers. I could take the restrictor out and no oil would come out of the hole. It looks like the block is designed to do this because of the angle of the gallery hole and the fact that Ford cut-away the valley baffle pan to allow the oil flow through in that direction. I dont know what to do here.
I have an account request into the 332-428 Ford FE Engine Forum you linked me to. Not sure why it is taking so long to get the approval. It's been a few days. Is that the FE forum that George was referring to above? I was hoping there was a separate forum here on vintage-mustang. Thanks for the reply!
Thanks bartl - agree that is a great article. The one thing they dont mention as a problem to avoid, which is why I think I have a big one on my hands, is opening up the oil return holes in either end of the head to allow for return of the mass amount of oil that the front lifter gallery hole is going to supply the drivers side head and valve cover. Seems to me that if it was expected for that amount of oil to hit the head at 700 rpms then the oil returns would need to be opened up to accommodate it. No one seems to care about this mod, which leads me to believe that oil aint supposed to be there.
Here is a picture of the hole I can plug with my finger. Of course I have to take the intake back off to get to it. But remember the rockers are off, so there is no restriction there to oil flow. When I put my finger over this hole, I get oil through the rear lifter gallery holes and through the rocker. But with my finger removed, I can shoot a 2 foot arc of oil onto the garage floor. Do you think maybe I have partial restriction in the lifter gallery run itself? Not enough to completely shut it off, but enough to force the oil out the first large hole it sees? Yes the lifters are installed.
I would say you left a gallery plug out. That hole is in the end of the galery strait off the oil filter pad.
You will have NO oil any where it needs to be.
Here is a picture of the hole I can plug with my finger. Of course I have to take the intake back off to get to it. But remember the rockers are off, so there is no restriction there to oil flow. When I put my finger over this hole, I get oil through the rear lifter gallery holes and through the rocker. But with my finger removed, I can shoot a 2 foot arc of oil onto the garage floor. Do you think maybe I have partial restriction in the lifter gallery run itself? Not enough to completely shut it off, but enough to force the oil out the first large hole it sees? Yes the lifters are installed.
I guess I didn't understand your question and that picture helped!
Yea, if that hole is left open you will have no oil pressure. That needs to be plugged and staked, if not tapped and a set screw put in it. I had that one blow out on me and it left me with no oil pressure, I had to tear my motor down to find it.
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Greg
1969 Mach1 428 4-speed 3:89 gears,
31 spline posi "N" case, ported edelbrock heads,
full length headers, 292H Comp cam, 750 holley.
Born July 17, 1969
Wow, didnt expect that. That's an easy fix. So we are all straight that this is a hydraulic cam with hydraulic lifters? Not a solid lifter cam that requires all holes be plugged? If so, then I guess we are golden.
Anyone know what is the purpose of that hole in the lifter gallery? Does it serve the same useless purpose as the dizzy hole that gets plugged? Thanks for all the help guys!
Well, in order for the oil passages to exist, they are drilled out at the factory after the block is cast. Hence the oil gallery plugs. That's why there are holes at the end of the oil galleries. Otherwise they would not be able to drill the passages out. The passages are not cast in place. The one most people forget is behind the distributor, not in the lifter galley. B
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390 too much oil in valve covers - problem?
You get what you pay for!
