Hello, My older brother, and that makes him really old, has just completed spending his savings rehabing an old 57 T-bBird. Looks like a million dollars. Unfortunatly he thought the antique engine would just start and run foreve, He is in Hawaii and I'm stuck trying to get the right rockers arms oiled. I can't find an exteranl oiler anywhere but know a lot of guys that would help me make one if I just had a couple of photos. Can anyone help with some pictures? I know that some of you think this is a poor substitute to having it run correctly but I just want to get him running so he can drive it another 200 miles to LA and get it on a bardge. Then it is out of my hair. Help Please!!

Just another follow-up: I haven't removed the valve covers again because ever since I snugged up the pickup tube nut, the oil light has never even flashed as long as the engine is running and the valvetrain has been nice and quiet. Problem solved! Thanks again for all the input!

1954 Crestline Victoria 312 4-bbl, 3-speed overdrive

Moonshadow, I think you have won the prize!



I started the car again today with the same scenario as I've been describing. This time, before the engine had a chance to warm up enough to speak of, I shut it off and got under the car and tightened up the pickup tube nut a bit. When I restarted the engine, I had oil coming out of the overflow tubes in a few seconds.



I'm going to check it again next time I start it up, but I think that's got it taken care of. I still think it's strange that the symptoms would go away without addressing the real source of the problem in the previous instances, assuming that I have indeed found it.

1954 Crestline Victoria 312 4-bbl, 3-speed overdrive

If its sucking air at the top its possible no oil would drip out. If the seal looks good try a light coating of sealent around the tube and see if it makes a difference. Have you put a mechanical gauge in the sender hole? Just to double check the cars gauge. Does the passenger side oil ok when its flowing? Its really strange how you have good flow after opening up the system and then bad again after sitting. It's possible there is a bit of gunk in the oil pressure relief spring area that is not letting the valve seat. Its behind that flat bolt head on the side of the oil pump. Could be a piece of gasket or something is holding relief valve open. Chuck

Y's guys rule!
Looking for McCullouch VS57 brackets and parts. Also looking for 28 Chrysler series 72 parts. And early Hemi parts.

MoonShadow, 292 w/McCulloch, 28 Chrysler Roadster, 354 Hemi)
Manchester, New Hampshire

Moonshadow: I was thinking about that too, but if it wasn't sealing right, wouldn't oil seep out of it when the engine's off?



Ted: I'm using Rotella T 15W-40 and the ambient temperature has been around 50*F.

1954 Crestline Victoria 312 4-bbl, 3-speed overdrive

Peeeot.  I’m thinking the oil viscosity when cold is keeping the oil from moving through your lines. Once the engine has heated up some, then the oil thins just enough for it to move. What oil are you using and what is the ambient (outside) temperature?

Lorena, Texas (South of Waco)

Check the rubber O-ring that goes on the oil pickup tube at the pump. I've been told they can suck air and cause oil pressure problems. Chuck

Y's guys rule!
Looking for McCullouch VS57 brackets and parts. Also looking for 28 Chrysler series 72 parts. And early Hemi parts.

MoonShadow, 292 w/McCulloch, 28 Chrysler Roadster, 354 Hemi)
Manchester, New Hampshire

UPDATES!



I removed both of the rocker shafts and thoroughly cleaned them, making sure every hole was clear and ready to move oil. I installed them and adjusted the valves, started the engine, and...no oil to the rockers! Once again, the oil pressure light was on at idle and off above idle.



I removed the external oil line leading up to the rocker shafts, made sure it was clear, and ran the engine with the valve open to observe the flow of oil that SHOULD be going up to the rockers. There was a flow of oil, though not as much as I would've guessed, and it would frequently spit air. Reassembled, still no oil to the rockers.



Then I removed the pressure switch and ran the engine. Liberal flow of oil, but once again, it frequently spit air with the oil. The oil level in the pan was sufficient in both instances according to the dipstick. There was no leakage of oil at the pickup tube to oil pump either. Puzzled by the presence of air but not sure what to do about it, I reassembled everything, and suddenly there was oil to the rockers as it should be. The oil pressure light went off, even at very low idle speed. At this point I was assuming air got trapped in the oil circuit somehow and had worked its way out.



Today I went in to re-check the valve adjustment and verify proper oil flow to the rocker shafts. Started the engine up and once again there was no oil to the shafts and the oil pressure light was on at idle. This time I disassembled the rocker oil valve, removed the block adapter and pressure switch so that I was left with just the threaded hole in the oil galley where the pressure switch would go on a stock engine. All of the components I removed were clean with no trash or debris in them. I probed around in the block with a small screwdriver and found a few light sludge deposits, but nothing substantial enough to block flow to the pressure switch or the rocker shafts, even cumulatively. I reassembled everything and once again I had full oil flow to the rockers and the oil light off at idle.



I'm stumped. If it was air in the lines, disassembling everything would hurt not help. If it was debris, I should have found it plugging the holes when I took pieces apart. I don't know why the oil flow wasn't smooth and steady when I removed the pressure switch or opened the rocker oil valve with the line removed; where was the air coming from?



The only other pertinent information I can think of to add is that 1. the oil pump is the original rotor-style, though I had it apart and everything looked and felt great and 2. I noticed that the oil filter adapter "TOP" marking was not perfectly at the top, but rotated about maybe 10-20* clockwise. Part of the opening was still at 12 o'clock; it just wasn't centered over 12 o'clock.



Any ideas about what's going on here? I'm going to keep verifying flow to the rockers every time I start the engine until I get it consistently. Hoping I don't have to disassemble things every time I want to drive.

1954 Crestline Victoria 312 4-bbl, 3-speed overdrive

I've had my sender at the very front since I can remember and the indicated pressure has always been lower than I expected but still reasonable. I've wondered if placing it closer to the filter will make a difference but haven't tried it.

The hole at the very front corresponds with the front main so it makes sense that some pressure will have been lost by then because of the passages to the other 4 mains.


Lawrenceville, GA

The oil galley runs in a straight line from rear to front. So any screw in plugs on that line are into the oil passage. I think the front is as far away from the pump as you can get so you would be reading the oil pressure at that point. I really don't know if it makes any difference. My 57 (back in 59) had the sending unit towards the front. Chuck

Y's guys rule!
Looking for McCullouch VS57 brackets and parts. Also looking for 28 Chrysler series 72 parts. And early Hemi parts.

MoonShadow, 292 w/McCulloch, 28 Chrysler Roadster, 354 Hemi)
Manchester, New Hampshire