Ok guys, Im getting ready to put my 390 motor back together. I cleaned most of the engine parts. I ordered new hydraulic lifters because 2 were collapsed. When i started to check my push rods for wear and length, I noticed that they have no oil holes in them. I have worked on many small block chevys. This is my first time taking a Ford motor apart. Do Fords have a different system to get oil to the valves? Is it normal for push rods in a Ford to be solid, without holes for oiling? My truck is a 75 F100 with a 72, 390 engine. hydraulic lifters.

 

that is normal. The oiling comes up through the heads I think through the rocker stud area.

 

427 fordman is right. The FE has it's only rocker shaft oiling system, and the rockers have oil holes in them to feed oil to the pushrod if I remember correctly.

The pushrods do NOT have oil holes in them.

 

On FE series engines the oil comes up through an oil galley in the head, flows through one of the rocker arm stands into the hollow rocker shaft, then it flows through holes in the rocker shaft out and around the rocker arms themselves.
There are no holes in the pushrods. On the older FE's the pushrods were solid.

 

While you are working on your motor you may want to perform the oil systems mods as described here:
http://www.clubfte.com/users/ratsmoker/oilmods.html

Good luck!!

 

Thx for the info guys, Im alot wiser.

 

EDMIST, I was wondering what kind of noise the collapsed lifters made before the tear down? Did you have some indicators?

 

The main reason i pulled the motor originally was because both exaust manifold gaskets were totally shot when i bought the truck. It was loud as heck. Ear numbingly loud. I broke the exaust studs, and needed to remove the heads for drilling. So I wasnt able to really hear anything but loud exaust when i drove it home. But i can tell you this. It was hard to keep in idle, and the gas smell was ferocious.