So I am firing a brand new TBI roller 350 shortblock I got ..bought the shortblock off ebay, rebuilt assembled it all myself....I have just fired it and I am getting no oil coming through the rockers on the passenger side . Its noisy on that side (tapping) but the drivers side is really quiet . I have a melling M55A oil pump and have 60 psi at the block tapped behind the intake ....I have not run it for more than 45 seconds to 1 minute at a time as I am afraid I am going to break something....I also havent been revving it - just letting it idle at around 900 rpm - again - no oil on passenger side rockers ? All new pushrods and rockers 1.6 . A buddy of mine has said he has seen it before ..so they just let their engine idle about 15 minutes and kept pouring oil over the rockers on the passenger side until it got up to temp and started pumping oil to the passenger side all of a sudden ? Has anyone seen this - I never have and I am afraid I am going to break something . Advice ?

 

Front oil passage plugs secure ?

 

I remember seeing them there when I put the cam in ..... thats all I can say .....

 

If it is not those plugs, then what are you using for a distributor?
The lower portion of the distributor shaft completes the oil flow circuit on the passenger side cylinder bank.
Some old distributors were not machined all the way around (full groove), so it did matter where the distributor was clocked.
This goes waaaay back, and I have never even seen one like that, but it is a possibility.
Do you have an oil preluber tool? The good one that is just like a distributor shaft that completes that oil circuit. Use that instead with either a BIG electric drill motor or even better, an air powered drill. When using it, do not push down hard on it because you are then forcing the drive gear inside the oil pump into the cover.
Run your oil pump using the preluber tool, turn the crank 90 degrees, keep repeating until you see oil at EVERY rocker arm.

Whatever you do, DO NOT do your buddy's "just run it until the oil flows" method!

If your shortblock has a flat tappet camshaft, idling during break-in is a big NO-NO!

 

If you don't have an oil pump primer tool, buy one. Seriously. They're cheap enough that it's a no brainer.

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/s...caAm3WEALw_wcB

Use a drill with a handle on it so you don't break your wrist.

 

I preoiled it on the stand turning it 90 degrees while priming ...update I let it run 5-8 minutes drizzling oil over the dry rockers and voila once it heated up I got oil flowing on the passenger side..... go figure ....