I recently bought a 239 y-block that came from a 1954 f-100. The motor had been completely torn down and rebuilt a few years back. When they put it back in truck it had oil flowing to heads but the guy at the time had put a used cam in . Before he ever drove truck he located a new cam and installed. When he went to start up he had no oil at all coming to top of heads. He had some mechanics tell him to replace oil pump etc. to only have same problem. He got disgusted and put a 302 in truck and put this engine in garage on stand. I bought a few months back to put in my 54 f-100. The motor turns freely and my guess is when he put new camshaft in he put one with grossed drilled center journal since he still had old one he gave me that had grooved journal. Im going to tear apart and if thats so was wondering if i could get small mirror after I pull camshaft and look to be sure bearings havent spun and if the cam bearings are for grooved or crossdrilled cam. Also when I put back together if I hooked drill up to oil pump shaft would that turn it fast enough if i have valve covers off to see if oil is coming to heads. I wolud like to get this all done on motor stand before I put in truck. Thanks Stevie

 

A drill should turn the pump drive enough to get oil to the heads. I use a drill on every motor job, and turn it until I have oil at the rockers, so as to help make sure the lifters are bled out, and the top isn't started dry.

 

Howdy,

It sound like the cam bearing either was installed incorrectly or it moved enough to prevent oil from making it to the heads.

That should be a fairly easy fix.


if it's a drilled cam, make sure you turn the crank a little at a time while running the pump with a variable speed drill to check for oil flow.

you do not have to turn the pump very fast. I can get 50+ psi turning the pump (BY HAND) in my 292 with a crank type speed wrench!

REMEMBER, you have to turn the pump COUNTER-CLOCKWISE (left) to get it to pump.


Cheers,


Rick

 

How do you hook the drill up to do this?

 

remove the distributor.

If it's a HEX drive, use a 1/4 drive, 1/4" deep socket and a long extension.

If it's the older blade type drive, you need to find a screwdriver shaft that'll fit.

You do not have to turn the pump very fast to make pressure. (CCW remember)



regards,


Rick

 

They sell primer shafts to do this, about $8 as I recall. Summit and others sell them. I'd be wary of using a socket on the hex shaft, if it comes off, you're screwed! Also, it needs to be a 1/2" reduction geared HD drill or the motor may smoke off when you get full pressure.

 

Hi Stevie, I'm still running the original 239 in my truck. The original oil pump was the slot\tang set up with an "slinger" type internal. I ended up finding another dizzy with 14 tooth gears from a '55 merc. that had a hex type shaft so I then bought a new '55 oil pump which also uses the hex shaft setup. I've had great oil pressure and delivery from this setup.
Ed