For now, think about how you want to address the oiling issue. If you want to fix it properly, you need to tear the engine down a little further to investigate the issue.
Since you don't really have the space or equipment for the job, you can install an external oiler.
Or, if it really won't be driven much, remove the valve covers once a week and manually oil the rockers. The springs allow you to slide 6 of them out of the way to oil the shaft. The end rockers can't be moved as easily. Just squirt oil on them. This will get you down the road until you can rebuild the engine and properly address the issue. I did this for years until I was able to rebuild the motor. Trips were short, no highway use, but it worked and the wear wasn't good, but it wasn't as bad as I expected once I had it apart.

Regarding a potential valve train issue, since you do have the heads off, now is a good time to get an idea of the condition of the cam. You can use a dial indicator to get a pretty accurate measurement of the lobe lift. Once the heads are on, it is not nearly as convenient to check this. If one or two are significantly different than the rest, then there probably is an issue with the cam and/or lifters in which case, to change the cam and fix the oiling problem all at once is a good course of action.

Whatever you choose to do, make sure the oil passages are as clean as you can get them before you put the heads back on.


Lawrenceville, GA

Oh, I thought the heads were back on. You can easily check for stuck or bent valves with the heads off.

John - "The Hoosier Hurricane"

Thats how I set mine. I did so many, turned the eninge 180 degrees, did some more, turned it again at 270 or whatever and finished it. The engine was running when I got it but not so great. I found it was out of time and it was a tooth off on the distributor. Fixed all of that and ran alot better. Went to adjust the valves and found the oil issue and now the two valves that have that big gap. Heads are off so I may look closer at the valves today. I just want oil to the rockers and everything working well. Ugh.

I did a valve adjustment by the book one time, something like "turn the engine, adjust the exhaust for cylinder x and intake for cylinder y, turn 90 degrees, adjust intake for cylinder z..." I misunderstood the steps or the book was wrong but after I completed the sequence, I noticed some were very loose. Now I just do intake and exhaust for one cylinder at a time.

If a valve is sticking open, you may be able to see it. I have a set of heads on the shelf with some valves stuck open and others closed and it is apparent. It's something that can happen when an engine sits.

Was the engine running when you bought the car?


Lawrenceville, GA

I have to put the heads back on to do the compression test don't I? Ugh, then if its bad I have to pull them back off. Do you have the link to that post about the kit?

It sounds like you have some valves stuck open, and if you adjusted the valve clearance with them stuck open and then run the engine, it is likely you now have some bent valves. A compression test is in order.

The outside oiler kit taps into the oil gallery on the lower left side of the engine, often by a tee fitting at the oil pressure sender, and by the use of some 1/8" copper tubing, carries oil to the rocker shafts. The kits haven't been produced in years, but occasionally they show up on the inline auction sites. You can make your own kit, I described a method to do this on an older post.

John - "The Hoosier Hurricane"

Yeah. I went through the sequence to adjust the valves and when I got to the last section and on the number 2 and 3 cylinder, when I adjusted the ones it called for and then hand cranked it back around I could watch the pushrod on #2 and 3 either I or E, whichever I was on at that time, lower and the rocker stayed in place creating a large gap between the two. Not good?

" there was almost a half inch gap between the rod and rocker" what? this the way it is said,means the rocker and valve are stuck and not moving=bad;or hope I'm just not reading right.

"The Bat" out of hell

50's & 60's hotrodder

retired speed shop owner,built and design hotrods, racecars

airbrush t-shirts, engine balancing

Miami fl.

I typically like to do things the right way but this outside oiler kit, how does that work? I ask because I don't really have the space or equipment to pull the engine and flip it to be able to pull the cam, lifters and bearings. When I adjusted the valves every one adjusted fine except the # 2E and #3I. when I would turn the crank the rocker would stay put while the pushrod lowered and there was almost a half inch gap between the rod and rocker. So with it at its lowest point I adjusted it to where the rockers on just those two had a .019 gap. Other than that everyone else was perfect. I did notice it ticked a little louder than usual. At one point when I first adjusted the valves I had them at .015 which is way to much and after it warmed up it started making a slight squeal sound which makes me think I may have worn those lobes. But I only ran it for about 15 mins. Just run up the street and back and then let it idle.

Not that I'm really in favor of it, but an outside oiler kit can be used to supply oil directly to the rocker shafts, bypassing the original passages from the cam bearings to the rocker shafts. I consider this a "band aid" solution to the problem. Also, your rocker adjustments being way off could be the result of worn rockers from lack of oil, not necessarily a bad cam.

John - "The Hoosier Hurricane"