bit conserned about the rockers

[mmjosh]

hi last year when i was doing my morris i have been concerned that there i no oil getting up on to the rockers and is dry as a bone and every engine that i have seen if you take off the oil cap it is all oily inside so what is the problem with my engine as we have had it running and it was dry when i bought it then i drained the oil and then ran it with some flushing liquid throungh then some new oil and its still dry.

[PSL184]

You really only get a "mist" of oil most of the time but if nothing is coming through it could be the oilways are blocked or the oilways weren't lined up when the rocker shaft was fitted...

[andrew.searston]

if the oil ways are blocked then how have you done an oil change as the oil wouldnt go to the sump????

[mike.perry]

There is an oilway from the cylinder head up through one of the rocker shaft pedestals, No 1 or 2, and in to the rocker shaft from where it drips out of small holes on to the rockers.
Check that you have the correct pedestal lined up with the oilway in the head and check that the hole in the rocker shaft is lined up with the hole in the pedestal.

[bmcecosse]

You are right to worry! The rockers should be drenched in oil. Assuming the engine has oil pressure (do you have a gauge fitted?) - there must be a blockage in the supply up to the rocker shaft - the oil travels up through the head gasket - through the cylinder head - up through a pillar (so needs to be the correct one - with a hole in it!) and into the hollow rocker shaft - then along the shaft and into each of the rocker bushes.
I would advise removing the rocker shaft for inspection. Unfortunately - this means loosening all the head nuts - so you at least need to drain down the water - and ideally you should lift the head and refit with a new head gasket. It's up to you - but you can't ignore no oil going to the rockers!

[mmjosh]

looks like i am going to put a new engine in perhaps a 1098 if any pop up for sale

[bmcecosse]

What about the Gold one ??? Or - is THIS the Gold one ? It's only a 30 minute job to whip the cylinder head off - so don't do anything rash just yet!

[mmjosh]

the gold one is now painted green and needs a total rebuild but i was going to put a 1098cc in the series II anyway

[bmcecosse]

Painted green - oh no!! What's wong with it that it needs a total rebuild ? Have you stripped it down ? It's really not a big job to whip the head off your engine and find out what's happening to the oil..........

[mmjosh]

rings and shels and all that stuff

[bmcecosse]

If that's all - not too bad then!