Messed around with it again today, and while it is oiling now, it's a lot less than the driver side. Ran it with both valve covers off, and there's a lot more flow on one side. Might have to tear the rocker assembly all the way down and make sure it doesn't have any debris in it. If not, I worry that the cam bearing has turned enough to start blocking the passage.

So if it's not the rocker shaft being plugged, how do I go about drilling out that bearing?

 

I wouldn't be too concerned about it, as long as it is getting oil.

 

I just figure if the bearing started to move, I wouldn't mind fixing it now before it goes into the pickup, instead of chancing it moving a bit more and blocking off. There's a sheen of oil on everything, but none at all coming out of the tube (and it's not blocked). It's just not flowing as much as I'm comfortable with, especially in the higher RPM range.

 

I have several oiling units that use the coppper tubing and help out with oiling issues. Bill

 

If it gets to one head but not the other I doubt that it's the bearing having turned. More likely a restriction at the dreaded dog leg or head/rocker shaft interface.
In other words, if the cam bearing turned, shouldn't both heads see a shortage of oil flow?
Inquiring minds want to know.

 

I built a fitting and ran low-temp grease down the head to the dog leg and got a pop still haven't ran the engine up to temp to get it oiling properly, so I think I found the problem.

 

Jim, didn't see you ?? answered so I pipe up. Ford stopped installing them in ~'57. Price cuts?

Myself I like using them...

 

Thanks Dennis, thats the same I was told by a few others. I like using them too but now I'm having second thoughts about it. When I changed my rockers to the higher ratio ones ( 57-58 ) I added the drip shields but that requires running the adjuster down to compensate for the shaft sitting higher, that changes the ratio lower, so I may have defeated the purpose

Jim

 

You have decreased the ratio but there is a lot more to it. By adding the drip shields, you have also changed the geometry, probably for the better and that is a good thing. What you really need is a set of custom length pushrods, and if you really want to go all out, get the geometry just right.
However, on an average street engine, you won't gain much and it would be mostly for bragging rights.

 

The last thing I need is bragging rights, it's just a stock 292 street engine. I only used them because they were in better shape then what was on there and I like the adjuster better then the screw and lock nut ones that it had. You are right about a slight change in geometry too. I guess after the drip shields were discontinued they built thousands of engines with the geometry changed.