Inliners International Forums General Discussion Engines 235 oil

here we go again,seems to take for ever for oil to reach the rockers,(oil coming out of tube)oil pressure light goes out straight after starting,one lifter is very noisy untill oil arrives at the top end,no other rattles or noises,I've also got oiling problems when hot,very smokey after engine stood for a few moments,hazey there after,i've got the head off again to get the guides checked..head is very damp in 3&4 head bores and oily around 4,5,6 valve guides. so it looks like new guides for that but i'm stumped for the first one,am I right in saying oil for the top end comes from the centre bearing,so any problems here will cause trouble up above,what would a worn oil pump cause where can i get a new one??I thought these were a straight foreward engine,simple etc but this one's realy trying me patience,maybe I should have got someone else to rebuild it.

Dear Blue;

Without seeing this I would guess; there's a restriction in the line that goes 'up there' or in the passageway that runs from the rear cam bearing.

Do you have an oil pressure guage to tell what the pressure is etc?? Are the shafts for the rocker assembly clean and the holes pointed down??

Good luck.

Blue58,

What year is your 235? Chevrolet used different methods for getting the oil to the rocker arms. The 1953-1958 (or 1957? I forget) used a tube from near the #6 tappets to the upper center of the block. The later engines did not use the tube. Some later engines were fitted with an an external tube when the internal passage gets blocked. The tube and fitting with the earlier blocks can also get blocked, as John mentioned. Here is one many posts that address this problem. 235 oil questions . Here is another post . Search this BB for other discussions.

Getting the oil to the rockers has always been an interesting adventure with these engines. My first experience goes back to 1955, when I amazed my father (and myself) by solving a noisy rocker arm problem with his 1947 216; the tube that should stick into the hole in the head to route oil to the rocker arm shaft had slipped out. I put it back in and the 216 ran well for another two years.

thanks for that.I've had a look and it seems to come into the head via a waisted head bolt,up the side of the bolt,then into the rocker assy thro another tapping near the top of the head,there is a plug blank there,I wonder if the oil is going walkabout at the block to head seam,any way the head is at the machine shop now and i've asked them to check the face etc

Dear Blue;

Spin the oil pump & see how much is comming out of the block etc.

Good luck.