Thanks Master Cylinder, that explains a lot!

I've seen the "grease gun trick" mentioned in this forum, but I can't find it. I suppose you just install a zerk fitting into the oil port and pump in grease at high pressure. Can you give me anymore details, or a link to the forum thread? Thanks.

I have inspected the damage on the rocker arm bores and shaft some more today. It is clearly galling damage, where there is transfer of metal from one surface to the other. Galling is something that happens quickly, rather than gradually as in typical wear. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galling the last sentence of the first paragraph under "Introduction".

So it would seem that maybe there was a sudden interruption of oil supply to the rockers.

OR you could try Hoosiers grease gun trick. Might save you a bit of work.

Frank/Rebop

Bristol, In ( by Elkhart) 

Yes, remove some metal in the head where the Dog Leg is, maybe round off where it changes direction. Sorry, I don't have a picture of a head handy to show you.

"The Master Cylinder"

Enjoying life at the beach in SOCAL

Thank you Master Cylinder and Horvaths. It's been about 50 years since I pulled the head off a Y-block, so maybe it's time (in more ways than one). I think I will go ahead and refurbish the rocker arms and shafts (as I mentioned in my first post of this thread) so it might be awhile. I will post what I find.

When you say "open up the passages" are you referring to just cleaning them out real good, or actually removing some metal?

I agree. I would encourage you to bite the bullet and pull the head(s). If the bottom end's in good shape, a date with some Clover Compound, new seals, open up the oil passages, and she's good to go. External oiling might be a temporary inexpensive option, but, if flow is excessive you could be robbing Peter (bottom end) to pay Paul (top end).

I don't believe that the rocker arm/shaft wear you described occurred "recently and suddenly". It sounds like the type of wear that occurred over time.

That said your problem could be cause by a couple of things. The plugging that was already discussed but it could also be caused by cam wear, either from excessive clearance or the center cam journal groove being blocked from bearing wear and blocking the groove.


You could also have blockage in the transition between the head and block, where the oil passage makes a jog. I think the first thing I would do is yank the passenger head and see if you get oil out of the block. Before replacing the head open up the oil passages in the area to prevent future blockage.


Good luck and keep us posted.

"The Master Cylinder"

Enjoying life at the beach in SOCAL