No oil to top end on fresh build . HELP!
07-02-2018, 09:51 AM
#1
Teching In
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: S.E Indiana
Posts: 41
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
No oil to top end on fresh build . HELP! Looking for some tech help on my build . I have a fresh everthing 408 build thats not getting oil to the lifters or pushrods . I only have a couple minutes of run time , but it carried 65 Lbs. of pressure at idle . All lifters are soft/spongy . Lifters are new LS7's . Do I need to just run it longer ?? Kind of lost at the moment . Makes all kinds of noise right now ! Any input would be greatly appreciated
07-02-2018, 10:41 AM
#5
TECH Senior Member
07-02-2018, 01:20 PM
#7
If you don't give them ANY oil, then you've got metal on metal contact and the lifters are gonna chew themselves up in the few seconds it's gonna take for the oil pump to get oil to the galleys. You're also going to have zero oil IN the lifter, which means they aren't going to do their job of actuating the valves properly until they fill with oil.
Since you have oil pressure, I can only assume the oil barbell is still in place. Was the motor thoroughly cleaned? Like, hot tanked and then all the oil galleys cleaned out? Was the system primed before first start-up? I primed mine using a garden sprayer and had oil out of the pushrods in less than a minute.
One thing I always do is take the pushrods and use compressed air and brake cleaner to spray out the holes and make sure there are no obstructions. Granted it's highly unlikely you have 16 clogged PRs, but it never hurts to double check.
Since you have oil pressure, I can only assume the oil barbell is still in place. Was the motor thoroughly cleaned? Like, hot tanked and then all the oil galleys cleaned out? Was the system primed before first start-up? I primed mine using a garden sprayer and had oil out of the pushrods in less than a minute.
One thing I always do is take the pushrods and use compressed air and brake cleaner to spray out the holes and make sure there are no obstructions. Granted it's highly unlikely you have 16 clogged PRs, but it never hurts to double check.
Trending Topics
07-02-2018, 01:21 PM
#8
That is odd. I know this doesn't affect pumping up the lifters, but did you measure PR length prior to installing your top end?
Where are you getting your oil pressure reading at? just curious.
Where are you getting your oil pressure reading at? just curious.
07-02-2018, 01:48 PM
#9
Teching In
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: S.E Indiana
Posts: 41
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
If you don't give them ANY oil, then you've got metal on metal contact and the lifters are gonna chew themselves up in the few seconds it's gonna take for the oil pump to get oil to the galleys. You're also going to have zero oil IN the lifter, which means they aren't going to do their job of actuating the valves properly until they fill with oil.
Since you have oil pressure, I can only assume the oil barbell is still in place. Was the motor thoroughly cleaned? Like, hot tanked and then all the oil galleys cleaned out? Was the system primed before first start-up? I primed mine using a garden sprayer and had oil out of the pushrods in less than a minute.
One thing I always do is take the pushrods and use compressed air and brake cleaner to spray out the holes and make sure there are no obstructions. Granted it's highly unlikely you have 16 clogged PRs, but it never hurts to double check.
Since you have oil pressure, I can only assume the oil barbell is still in place. Was the motor thoroughly cleaned? Like, hot tanked and then all the oil galleys cleaned out? Was the system primed before first start-up? I primed mine using a garden sprayer and had oil out of the pushrods in less than a minute.
One thing I always do is take the pushrods and use compressed air and brake cleaner to spray out the holes and make sure there are no obstructions. Granted it's highly unlikely you have 16 clogged PRs, but it never hurts to double check.
07-02-2018, 01:52 PM
#10
Teching In
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: S.E Indiana
Posts: 41
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I would assume builder checked PR length , he's a pretty thorough and meticulous guy . Oil pressure reading is coming off factory sensor and gage .
07-02-2018, 05:00 PM
#11
How did you verify there's no oil going to the top end? Just based on the noise or did you pull valve covers while it's running to check? If the builder primed the motor before firing, he should've seen that there was no oil coming out of the pushrods.
07-02-2018, 05:44 PM
#12
Teching In
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: S.E Indiana
Posts: 41
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Yes , verified with valve covers off . Motor was primed in the car . Valve covers were on it at that point .
07-02-2018, 05:55 PM
#13
Honestly as much as I hate to say it, the motor needs to come apart. Sounds like there is a major blockage in the oil galleys. The OPSU gets oil from the very start of the drivers side oil galley, so if neither side is getting oil, somehow it's blocked after that. (Assuming of course, the OPSU is still in the factory location)
The only thing I can think of, is that somehow a lifter is stuck in the bore and is completely blocking oil. What kind of lifters are you running? LS7s?
I would pull the heads, that'll let you see what the lifters/cam looks like and see if something is stuck.
The only thing I can think of, is that somehow a lifter is stuck in the bore and is completely blocking oil. What kind of lifters are you running? LS7s?
I would pull the heads, that'll let you see what the lifters/cam looks like and see if something is stuck.
07-02-2018, 06:11 PM
#14
Teching In
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: S.E Indiana
Posts: 41
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Yeah , new LS7's and sending unit is in stock location . I was hoping not to pull it back out , but most likely will . Probably drop transmission and flywheel and pull the back cover off and see if I see anything back there first .
Any other thoughts or ideas let me know . I won't be doing anything until the weekend most likely .
Any other thoughts or ideas let me know . I won't be doing anything until the weekend most likely .
07-02-2018, 07:09 PM
#16
I disagree. If the lifters were soaked and the system primed before startup, it should be ready to go right off the bat. When I fired my motor up for the first time I had oil out of the pushrods in the time it took for me to check the gauges on the instrument cluster, climb out of the car and make my way to the front.
07-02-2018, 07:10 PM
#17
Yeah , new LS7's and sending unit is in stock location . I was hoping not to pull it back out , but most likely will . Probably drop transmission and flywheel and pull the back cover off and see if I see anything back there first .
Any other thoughts or ideas let me know . I won't be doing anything until the weekend most likely .
Any other thoughts or ideas let me know . I won't be doing anything until the weekend most likely .
07-02-2018, 08:05 PM
#18
TECH Enthusiast
If you installed the old camshaft thrust plate, sometimes the orange gasket gets mashed flat and the oil galleys will dump pressure between the thrust plate and block. That plate is cheap insurance for only $15. Just something to check if you have to pull it apart. You should be able to feel the gasket above the steel plate surface.
07-03-2018, 09:56 AM
#19
Teching In
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: S.E Indiana
Posts: 41
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
If you installed the old camshaft thrust plate, sometimes the orange gasket gets mashed flat and the oil galleys will dump pressure between the thrust plate and block. That plate is cheap insurance for only $15. Just something to check if you have to pull it apart. You should be able to feel the gasket above the steel plate surface.
07-03-2018, 10:02 AM
#20
Teching In
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: S.E Indiana
Posts: 41
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I will definitely check everything in the back cover before I drop the motor back . I actually talked with guy last night who is sponsor on here and he seems to think its most likely assembly lube buildup causing my problem . I'm going to heat up some oil to around 200 degrees and circulate it and see if it loosens things up . He seems fairly confident that's the issue . We will see , hopefully Thursday morning I will know .
