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Oiling issue with rocker arms?

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Old 09-06-2016, 08:56 AM
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Car: 87 GTA, 88 GTA, 92 TA, 72 RS SS
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Oiling issue with rocker arms?

I have about 2k miles now on this engine and I started noticing a little blue smoke if you let it set and idle when it was hot. It would also blow a little puff upon a hot restart but nothing at all when it was cold.

I decided to dig into the issue and found that the number 1 exhaust valve is flowing an excessive amount of oil compared to the rest:



I pulled the valve spring on no.1 exhaust and found a chewed up valve seal. When I replaced them with the posi-seal type during the rebuild i think I forgot to oil it before I put it on. replaced the valve seal and all is good now, no smoke.

The unbalanced oil flow still concerns me a bit, all of the rockers have oil flowing, just a lot less than no.1 exhaust.. should I be concerned?
Old 09-06-2016, 07:23 PM
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Re: Oiling issue with rocker arms?

Originally Posted by battman
The unbalanced oil flow still concerns me a bit, all of the rockers have oil flowing, just a lot less than no.1 exhaust.. should I be concerned?
I would be concerned too. Are your pushrod and rocker passages open? Are you using hydraulic or solid lifters? Oil flows from the back of the block forward, through and around each lifter. For it to get to the front, that confirms good flow through the block.
Old 09-06-2016, 07:55 PM
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Re: Oiling issue with rocker arms?

What brand of rockers are those? I would probably pull that rocker and swap it to another valve to see if it follows the rocker or the valve items. At least you can narrow it down a bit.
Old 09-06-2016, 09:31 PM
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Re: Oiling issue with rocker arms?

all your valve /springs and rockers should have oil like the one shown..part of the oils job is cooling...and from the looks its not cooling..or oiling enough.
Old 09-06-2016, 09:38 PM
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Re: Oiling issue with rocker arms?

Originally Posted by battman

The unbalanced oil flow still concerns me a bit, all of the rockers have oil flowing, just a lot less than no.1 exhaust.. should I be concerned?
You can try adjusting the poly locks while the engine is running it may change oil flow.

Also it looks like the poly lock is not screwed on very far. How many threads are they taking up. I have seen a lot of stock studs break where the poly lock ends
Old 09-07-2016, 08:07 AM
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Car: 87 GTA, 88 GTA, 92 TA, 72 RS SS
Engine: 350, 350, 305, 396
Transmission: T56, 700r4, 700r4, T56
Axle/Gears: 3.42, 3.23, 3.23, 3.73
Re: Oiling issue with rocker arms?

Originally Posted by Lurbie
I would be concerned too. Are your pushrod and rocker passages open? Are you using hydraulic or solid lifters? Oil flows from the back of the block forward, through and around each lifter. For it to get to the front, that confirms good flow through the block.
Hydraulic roller lifters, pushrods and rocker passages are open, its flowing oil on the others just not much at idle.. once its revved the rest start moving more oil.

I'm thinking its a problem with that lifters oil control disc.
Old 09-07-2016, 08:09 AM
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Car: 87 GTA, 88 GTA, 92 TA, 72 RS SS
Engine: 350, 350, 305, 396
Transmission: T56, 700r4, 700r4, T56
Axle/Gears: 3.42, 3.23, 3.23, 3.73
Re: Oiling issue with rocker arms?

Originally Posted by midias
What brand of rockers are those? I would probably pull that rocker and swap it to another valve to see if it follows the rocker or the valve items. At least you can narrow it down a bit.
Some cheapo 1.6 I got off ebay, I did swap it when I replaced the valve seal. no change in flow.
Old 09-07-2016, 08:14 AM
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Car: 87 GTA, 88 GTA, 92 TA, 72 RS SS
Engine: 350, 350, 305, 396
Transmission: T56, 700r4, 700r4, T56
Axle/Gears: 3.42, 3.23, 3.23, 3.73
Re: Oiling issue with rocker arms?

Originally Posted by midias
You can try adjusting the poly locks while the engine is running it may change oil flow.

Also it looks like the poly lock is not screwed on very far. How many threads are they taking up. I have seen a lot of stock studs break where the poly lock ends
I tried setting the poly locks at 1/4, 1/2 3/4 and 1 full turn, same effect.. the lash is set to 1/2 turn on all of them.

They are just really long poly locks, I'm getting stud about halfway up the lock.

I'm thinking being that its at the end of the oil circuit maybe the oil is blowing through that lifter more, engine has great oil pressure @ 55psi hot idle
Old 09-07-2016, 08:19 AM
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Car: 87 GTA, 88 GTA, 92 TA, 72 RS SS
Engine: 350, 350, 305, 396
Transmission: T56, 700r4, 700r4, T56
Axle/Gears: 3.42, 3.23, 3.23, 3.73
Re: Oiling issue with rocker arms?

Originally Posted by articwhiteZ
all your valve /springs and rockers should have oil like the one shown..part of the oils job is cooling...and from the looks its not cooling..or oiling enough.
It does start to flow more once revved past 2k, they are all getting a good oil bath but #1 exhaust will shoot oil over the fender at that rpm lol

I am going to switch over from a LTR setup to HSR soon so I think I will drop in a new set of lifters while I'm in there and see if that changes anything.
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