Inliners International Forums General Discussion Engines 235 rocker arm shaft, lack of oil

I recently fired up my rebuilt 235 for the first time, and I only have oil to the rear rocker arms. The front ones don't seem to be getting any. I took the assembly off to check for anything wrong, all the holes line up and theres no blockage. The feed tube fron the head that connects the two shafts did have a hole where it bends back to the head, which I welded, and I also pinched the the open end of the tube some, but not completly. I'm using a staight grade 30 wt. oil which is what I used before it was rebuilt.The source for the oil is fed from the manifold side of the engine, up to the head. I never trusted that feeder tube thats in the lifter galley.
The car its in is a bit lower in the rear then the front, but I wouldn't think that would matter since the oil is under pressure, but you never know.
Any help or ideas would be appreciated.

I would 'hook it up' like GM made it to be.

Those lines rarely plug, especially with a "rebuilt" having new cam bearngs.

SAE 30 is the correct oil too.

Good luck.

I also have the stock G.M. tube connected in the lifter galley, which after thinking about it, if its removed and blocked with pipe plugs, would increase the pressure to the one instead of providing a two differant feeds ....or maybe I just think to much...

Thanks for the input John.I appreciate any info.

Is this lack oil to the forward rocker arms being observed with the engine running or with the oil pump being driven by a blade and drill motor in place of the distributor? How much oil pressure is there? Using the drill motor to drive the pump, observe how much oil is being forced through the tube through the pushrod gallery, etc. That tube should provide all the oil that the rocker arms need. I have never had a problem with the tube in the pushrod side.

What year is the 235 block and head? There was a change in the oil supply to the rocker arms in 1958 (or thereabouts). One of the junkyard 261s (a 1959 model, I believe) in my shop (that I have not yet taken apart) also has the tube running from the manifold side to the head for the rocker arm oil.

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Does this oil go through the cam bearings? Could one be in wrong?

The engine and head is a 55'. This is observed with the engine running. I used a drill motor to prime the pump,there was oil to the rockers, but can't remember if it was both sides.

I pulled the dist. and used the drill-screwdriver bit. Still no oil to the front rocker arms, came close to burning up the drill motor.

cant understand why you're only getting oil to one side .my 58 235 has a common carrier in the centre with sepparate front and rear shafts,for some reason the rear is the first to show but the front follows soon after.the front shaft is in the right way round?as its blocked at the outer end.haveing said all that it dose take forever for oil to show,I've come close to pulling the motor a couple of times when i've done an oil change,beginning to get the knack of priming now tho.

The oil tube coming up to the distribution block from the head feeds directly into the hollow front and rear rocker shafts with the open end of the feed tube pinched to regulate the pressure, so.... I would not only check to make sure the rocker arm feed holes in the shaft sections are clear and properly oriented but make sure the 'freeze plugs' are still in both front and rear ends of the shafts.