Well it seems i have one problem after another with this rebuild! GRRRRRRRR... Anyway before I put the rebuilt 1984 Berlinetta 305 engine in I was priming the pump! I got few drops up thru the push rods, never could get it to flow. Anyway took off oil sending unit to see if any oil pumped out and it did right on me. LOL!! So seeing i had pressure I put engine in and start it, figured it would just take awhile to pump up thru the push rods! Well it started right up and idle well but would run like crap when we tried to drive it, so had to addressed some trans and vaccuum problem and then I decide to take off tapper cover to adjust tappers. We started it and I noticed no oil was coming thru push rods still, so pored oil on tappers and let if run about 2-3 minutes and still no oil comimg thru push rods! The oil level is right on and with sending unit loosened oil is pumping out! This really has me stumped can someone please give me a idea whats going on here? Thanks

 

Are the push rods new if not, the holes in the middle could be clogged up.

 

Yes push rods are new, use the old lifters and rockers, but was cleaned very good!

 

my very first build was a 283, and i had the same prob. I had left the galley plugs out behind the top timing gear(cam gear). We found it by removing the oil plug that is on top of the block( right next to the dizzy)and using blowing compressed air down that hole. then listen real well. we could hear it blowing hard against the timing cover, thats how we found it.

 

Well I will check but we had it machined at a machine shop and they put in all new plugs! I was reajusting my lifters and noticed how spongy some were is this normal? Thanks

 

At a low idle they wont be squirting large amounts it may be barely trickling out

When you pull the valve cover after running it if theres any oil towards the bottom or side of the head they are working fine. Roller rockers are even harder to tell sometimes.

 

When you were priming the engine did you use a priming tool? The sbc has a passage that goes through the distributor, its just above the gear. Usually theres a wider section that lines up w/ the holes in the block.

 

Sry havent replied back with update, but I decided im going to pull motor and take intake off, then use prime tool to see if I can see if there it is plugged up somewhere! It may be awhile because its been well over the 105's here lately, so im going to wait till it cools down before I get started! I would like ya'lls opinion on what to look for with the intake off and using a primer tool? Example-should I take lifters out to see if oil is flowing etc....... Thanks guys

 

Spongy lifters, sounds like the whole topend has no oil. Id check the oil plugs on the front of the block behind cam gear.

 

Why didn't you prime the system until you had oil coming out all the pushrods? It takes a solid 10+ minutes and some motors need to be rotated gradually in small increments to get oil up to each push rod. I usually do it without the rockers on the first time and than re-prime it with the rockers on to double check. My last motor needed to be primed for about 20 minutes and cycle through the firing order.

 

Priming before starting is mostly superstition. The entire system is immediately pressurized as soon as the engine is rotating. Not really necessary to prime it. I do it anyway, but as long as you lubed things up as you installed them, it isn't going to be a huge problem. It's good to check taht you're getting oil to the top end, but unless you're using a priming tool that has the extra collar on it, you're not gonna get any oil to the top end anyway.

 

Yes and no. I do it to ensure I am going to get oil to each rocker... necessary or not I don't really know cause I have always had oil come up.
I took apart an old distributor and left the collar and pump drive on. I tack welded a bolt in the center and spin it with my drill.