FE oiling problems
 

I've heard that an FE has oiling problems? My truck has zero oil pressure reaching the valve covers. But there is oil pressure leading to the oil filter. Is there small passages that get clogged? If so how do I un clog them without taking too much of the motor apart?

If that makes no sense, how about buying another truck for the motor? What is the last year that Ford put an FE into a truck 76? If that's the case I'll buy a cheap truck, take motor, part out what I can, and scrap the rest at the steel recycler. Any other suggestions?

One of the bolts holding the rocker shaft stands down has a turned down shank that the oil flows up and around to reach the rocker shafts, that bolt needs to be in the location where the oil passage comes up from the block, check to see that it is. You say there's no pressure at the shafts ? Is it that or the oil just oozes from the shafts and rockers ? If it oozes, that's the way it's supposed to be, just as long as you've got oil coming out, the full length of the shafts.

That does make some sense. My concern is this: I didn't give a full story, I changed out the lifters because one of em was pretty noisy. Now, not only is there no oil going up to the rocker, ALL of the lifters are noisy. They aren't getting pressure for some reason. There is zero oil coming up to the rockers. Is there some passages that got clogged? I have never taken apart one of these motors.

Try cranking it with the rocker shafts off and see if oil comes up thru the oil holes in the heads. If you crank it(crank it for a minute, with the spark plugs removed) and get pressure at the gauge and nothing comes up to the heads, you've got serious problems here.

The rocker oil passage in the head is L shaped. As BD mentioned the shanked down bolt needs to be in the oil hole spot. If you remove the bolts and rockers you'll see the oil feed hole on the side of the cupped shape bolt hole. It's possible someone shoved something in there to restrict flow but sounds more like it's clogged. If your heads have been extensively milled it's possible the oil slot in them is almost gone. The slot captures the oil feed hole from the block. If you used a sealer on the headgaskets it could have also spread and clogged the feed hole and slot. Or the gasket possibly blocked the hole for whatever reasons. You should be able to wiggle a length of thin wire through the head oil passage to check if clogged. Just a few ideas..........

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The oil system is not all that fancy, as listed above the bolt could be a problem.
Only other thought is that one of the oil galley plugs has come loose. There are not that many and at worst would require removal of the distributor and intake manifold.

Good luck!

I did use silicone to seal the ends of the intake instead of the lame cork gaskets. I went up either side and onto the heads. Are the oil galleys there? Do u have any.pics of them?

Nope they are in towards the center more..........

These pics are from mustang tek .com

First pic is the oil feed hole where the rocker assy bolt goes. You can see the typical allen head screw with hole drilled through it for restriction.

Second pic lower left corner hole with the slot this is the block deck side of the head where the oil comes from the block to the head.

Last pic this head has been milled a few times (note thin thumbprints) and the oil slot getting hard to see. They need to be re ground a bit when like this.

Hope these help...........

Glenn would you please ship me those heads...Over night please !! Oh I need Valves in them also, last two heads... Be good My Bro !!

I'll just send them in the lear jet. This way you'll have them tonight. ;-)

Aww just got a call..gotta run to the airport !! Thanks Bro !!

Agree with posters explaining that one rocker shaft bolt on each side goes into the oil feed hole that comes up through the head. Some rocker shaft pillars have wide inside diameter holes and the oil will easily come up around the threads and into the shaft. Some though, have a narrow ID and must take a thin shank bolt to let the oil by. So pull your bolts and check them out and find which one will work in that oiling pillar.

And yes stick a wire into the oil hole through the head and make sure it is not clogged up.

Also I read somewhere the rocker shafts have a "front" and a "rear" but I don't remember enough to explain it.

puttster

If you had oil before tear down the bolt should be the problem. Don't re-invent the wheel.

Thanks for all the help and input guys. It has helped to ease my mind during this 'issue'.

Here's an update:
Using a drill and oil pump primer I get decent flow up to the top of the engine. All but 1 of the lifters has pumped up as well. I put the engine back together and ran it, that's how I figured out that all but 1 lifter is pumped up. Running the engine without the valve covers on I am able to put my finger on the rocker that is clanking and feel that it is loose. Then with the engine off I can push the rocker into the lifter and it compresses really easy while the rest are pumped up and hard.

I'll tear down and replace that lifter with an old but pumped up rocker today and run again.

Now for my newest concern:
I am able to get more oil to the top end using a drill than the engine gives at high rpm. There is literally just a fine mist of oil reaching the top end:-huh I've adjusted valves on Chevy and Ford small blocks with the engine running and oil practically squirts you in the eye, but this big block barely needs oil to the top end??? Is this right?

If it gets enough oil with the drill, then it does as well with the engine running. Afterall, it's the same oil pump you're turning here. All that aside, FE's get more oil to the topend than is needed, hence the reason everyone installs restrictors in the passages under the rocker stands.