Here's the link to the Corvair post:
http://corvaircenter.com/phorum/read.php?1,673214,page=1
OK Grumpy, you sent this and I started on it today:
Anytime your tracing a failure to get oil flow you'll generally start at the oil pump and oil pump pick-up. If you have good steady oil pressure readings on the gauge, yet the rockers don,t seem to flow oil well and especially if they are aftermarket rockers, you might be dealing with badly set up rocker geometry, defective rockers or restrictive clearances, but one very common cause is simply not correctly adjusting the valve train clearances. Simply backing off the adjustment nuts on the rockers while the engine idles until they click audibly at idle, then slowly tightening just until the clicking stops then adding an additional 1/4 turn of preload as the engine idles works well on most engines.
I will verify the pickup to pan clearance with my newly purchased digital inspection camera after I drain the oil.
It's not the issue right now.
2) check the oil passages and cam bearing alignment
I'm still inspecting the oil passages. I know the oil flows to the filter because I turned the oil pump while I was changing the oil filter adapter. I will verify cam bearing alignment with my newly purchased digital inspection camera after I drain the oil.
3) verify oil flow enters BOTH the lifter galleries under pressure
I'm still working on this one. I don't believe that this is the problem. There is 57 psi at the oil sending unit port.
First I will swap out a few lifters for known good ones (Crane HYD and Crower solids) and run the oil pump again.
4) verify oil leaves the lifters and flows through the rockers
Lifter test first. Then back to #3 if this test fails.
5) and drains back to the sump, quickly and with minimal restriction to flow
No problems here.
1/9/2016
I removed the MSD distributor and compared it's shaft to my prelubing tool (cut down Chevy dist). The passage between the oil bands that seal the passenger side lifter gallery are .115" wider than on a stock Chevy distributor. Notice I machined the .030" x .030" groove into the lower band to oil the cam & distributor gears.
BTW, is the dimple on the distributor gear supposed to align with the rotor, or it makes no difference? Because I hate the oil weep you sometimes get where the distributor meets the intake manifold, I have a reducing bushing installed there. Some aftermarket intakes have HUGE distributor holes. I think I machined the intake many years ago to compensate for its thickness. The bushing is .115" thick and I use Black Max Oil Resistance Permatex between it and the intake. I removed the bushing and with nothing on that surface of the intake, the distributor is held off the intake by about the thickness of a distributor gasket. So with the bushing installed, I am not forcing the oil pump's gear into its cover when clamped down (wearing the oil pump), and the lower oil bands are properly positioned.
The pushrods are properly located in the lifter's seats, and there is no interference at the guide slots in the heads.
I put safety pins through the rocker's holes and into the pushrods to make sure oil was able to flow out.
I installed the preluber with nothing between it and the block. When I run the oil pump, I make sure not to push down on the drill motor, which would push the oil pump's gear into its cover. Both valve covers are off. The engine is at #1 TDC. Within 2 revolutions of the oil pump, I had 57 psi on the oil gauge (tapped at oil sending unit port). But nothing at the rockers. I tried it a few more times, watching the lifters for any oil leaking there. Nothing. Just the way its supposed to be. And just like when I fire the engine, it took a total of about 3 minutes before I saw a pathetic ooze of oil at the rockers, with #2 Ex being the slowest.
I switched the blocked bypass spin-on oil filter adapter for the new, unmolested one. It can go either way and does not use a gasket - I researched this. While it was off, I bumped the drill motor and oil easily shot of the hole that feeds the oil filter. I ran the oil pump after this change and there was NO DIFFERENCE (still the same at the rockers), as I suspected.
Knowing that, and that I have plenty of pressure at oil sending unit port, then I have verified that the plug under the rear main bearing cap is there. Also the plug in the deck by the oil pressure sending unit port.
I know I positioned the rear cam bearing just like in this photo.
Unless I'm not seeing this correctly, as long as this bearing is in its proper position, the lifter galleries must get oil. The bearing would have had to move at least 1/4" forward to create a huge leak here. If this were the case, the mains would not get oil and this engine would have seized already. The front lifter gallery plugs are installed just like they were the 1st time around, so I doubt if they are the problem.
So the next test will be swapping out some lifters for known good ones (Crane HYD and Crower solids).
I dipped a strong magnet in the oil I captured from changing the OF adapter - nothing magnetic on it.
My block has the 1/8" plug near the top of the timing cover. What gallery does this tap into? I already have a gauge ready to connect to it.
