No oil in the rocker cover.

[martyn yates]

Replaced the head gasket put the engine back together and then found I had a leaking heater vale . Took the rocker cover off today as I wanted to retorque the head and with the cover off easier to get to the heater valve. When I took the cover off the rocker assembly and head was dry no oil at all. Checked the obvious there was oil in the engine.
I have remover the rocker assembly and cleaned the holes in the shaft , checked the oil gallery in the head this also was clear. Any ideas !!

[philthehill]

Is the oil transfer hole in No:1 rocker pillar in place and clear. No: 1 rocker pillar should have the oil transfer hole as per photo below.

Rocker pillar 2.jpg (27.05 KiB) Viewed 1123 times

The rocker shaft securing pin was transferred to No:2 pillar but the oil way was still retained in No: 1 pillar.

[svenedin]

Did you disassemble the rocker gear? There is an oilway near the front of the cylinder head that supplies oil to the the rocker gear. The oil passes through the rocker pedestal BUT it must be the correct rocker pedestal that has the hole in the base.

Perhaps the cylinder head oilway is blocked?

Lastly, is there any possibility it was a bad gasket/wrong gasket and it has covered the oilway to the head?

Pictures to follow.....

Stephen

[svenedin]

Arrow points to oilway hole

IMG_9337.jpeg (2.41 MiB) Viewed 1121 times

Pedestal for cylinder 1 (at front of engine) has an oilway hole
Pedestal for cylinder 2 is the rocker shaft locking pedestal it has a dimple but NO oilway hole

IMG_9338.jpeg (1.56 MiB) Viewed 1119 times

[martyn yates]

Thank you for your reply.
The oilways in the pillar and head line up and are clear, the rocker shaft is free of blockages, the correct gasket was used and was fitted correctly and does block the oil way in the block which corresponds with the head.
Having cleaned everything will set the valves this morning start her up with the cover off a d see what happens.

[svenedin]

I’d either turn over on the starting handle or spin on the starter rather than start the engine in these circumstances. Running the engine with the top end dry could cause severe damage.

Stephen

[philthehill]

As an aside and regarding the rocker set up in the photo above.

1. The adjuster screws should be replaced with non oilway/non hollow screws as the screws with oilways are prone to breakage at the waist.

2. The anvil faces of the rockers are poorly finished and will be prone to rapid wear.

[svenedin]

As an aside and regarding the rocker set up in the photo above.

1. The adjuster screws should be replaced with non oilway/non hollow screws as the screws with oilways are prone to breakage at the waist.

2. The anvil faces of the rockers are poorly finished and will be prone to rapid wear.

Fair enough. Not my work!

Stephen

[Bill_qaz]

I’d either turn over on the starting handle or spin on the starter rather than start the engine in these circumstances. Running the engine with the top end dry could cause severe damage.

Stephen

Running the engine for a few minutes under no load to check oil is coming to rocker gear will do no harm providing oil pressure is actually OK OIL light going out?
If worried lube rockers with oil can before running.

[martyn yates]

Ok set the valves this morning when engine cold, started up the engine with the cover off and I'm pleased to say I have got oil in the head. Looks like cleaning and flushing every accessable part did the trick. So all good oil in the rocker and heater valve not leaking.....but she running lumpy, che kec plugs and leads and dizzy cap , colour tuned no improvement. I've let her go cold and rechecked the valve clearances to be sure, and retoqued the head bolts. Started up very lumpy on tick over almost like the choke is on. Going inside now to scratch my head

[paul 300358]

Did you replace the rocker cover? It will run rough without the cover if you have a pcv valve.