I recently purchased a 1971 Jeep CJ5 with the Dauntless V6. It ran when i got it but very, very rough. I changed the spark plugs, and did an oil change to cover my bases. When i run the engine it will sit there and idle but no oil it getting up to the valve covers, push rods, rocker arms etc. The gauge in the dash was reading 40psi, to make sure i was getting this pressure i plumbed up a new oil gauge and it read 40psi as well. I pulled a few of the lifters and primed the pump manually with a drill through the distributor hole. Oil runs into the lifter valley through the proper channels...
On other engines i have worked on oil comes though the lifters and shoots up the push rods into the rocker arm assembly. This engine has push rods with holes in them so i assumed this was the case. I have an old Motors manual so i flipped through until i found an oil schematic of this Buick v6 engine. This is where my confusion started. The oil flow chart in the Motors manual shows oil going to the hydraulic valve lifters but not up the push rods. Oil makes its way into the rocker arm assembly through a tube in the head and then flows back down into the lifter valley via outside the push rods.... I do not have any kind of tube that supplies oil to the rocker arm assembly aka anything under the valve covers. I ordered a new hydraulic valve lifter just for kicks and it has no way for oil to enter the channel in the push rod, the seat for the push rod is solid.
I thought maybe oil is getting away through a main or journal bearing. I pulled the rear main and a journal, i measured the ID of the bearings and the OD of the corresponding crank. Both were well within tolerance (according to the motors manual) not even questionable.
So i am at a loss. How does this engine get oil to the rocker arm assemblies? I have a couple theories:
1) oil shoots around the plate inside the hydraulic lifters and shoots up into the rocker arm assembly? I tried warming the engine to get the oil hot and viscous enough to do this but still nothing.
2) One of the channels that takes the oil somewhere is clogged. The clog may be restricting flow and the oil is taking the path of least resistance out the bearings? When i pulled the oil pan for the first time the oil that was in the pan was a thick jelly like substance. I am getting oil to the hydraulic valve lifters though so I'm not sure that this clog may be the case.
3) I am missing a lubrication tube that takes oil into the rocker arm assembly. Maybe its the wrong head? This option is my biggest concern, everything looks normal to me but is something missing? Im not sure...this is where i hope your experience will help me. Do you know if these hydraulic valve lifters can be used in conjunction with a head that does not have the oil supply tube taking it to the rocker arm assembly?
If you need any pictures or any other information i would be glad to provide them. I would really appreciate your input!
Thanks,
JohnB
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