Low oil feed to Rockers.

[Chris Blood esq.]

Oil at the top end !!!!!!!!

I am concerned that not enough oil is reaching the head of my TC. At engine startup it takes approx. 30 seconds or so for the slight rattle in the rocker area to go away. I am obviously concerned that oil starvation is taking place while its being driven at 3k revs+ - but I have lived with it till now.

This is going to be winter project - but what I want to do is attack this problem systematically as I am still uncertain to why this accures.

The oil feed pipe to the head (exterior pipe) pumps oil lovely, so has to be to do with the head. I have checked the usual, like the rocker shaft being wrongly positioned - it looks ok.

My theory is that the original head, which is a 2 May 1939 head (yes it is) may be blocked as it travels from the pipe to the rocker shaft??? How do I prove this? How do I resolve the problem? What do I do?

Again I would welcome suggestions never mind how bizzare they may be - cheers

Chris TC HTD166

[Gene Gillam]

Chris, Try blowing compressed air into the hole - this should let you know if there's a blockage in the oil passage in the head. If there is, disassemble the head and take it to a speed shop - they can clean out the passages. Gene Gillam Saucier, MS 1949 TC 7872

----- Original Message ----- [b]From:[/b] cblood@thebloods.fsnet.co.uk [b]To:[/b] mg-tabc@yahoogroups.com [b]Sent:[/b] Saturday, August 18, 2001 4:06 AM [b]Subject:[/b] [mg-tabc] Low oil feed to Rockers. Oil at the top end !!!!!!!! I am concerned that not enough oil is reaching the head of my TC. At engine startup it takes approx. 30 seconds or so for the slight rattle in the rocker area to go away. I am obviously concerned that oil starvation is taking place while its being driven at 3k revs+ - but I have lived with it till now. This is going to be winter project - but what I want to do is attack this problem systematically as I am still uncertain to why this accures. The oil feed pipe to the head (exterior pipe) pumps oil lovely, so has to be to do with the head. I have checked the usual, like the rocker shaft being wrongly positioned - it looks ok. My theory is that the original head, which is a 2 May 1939 head (yes it is) may be blocked as it travels from the pipe to the rocker shaft??? How do I prove this? How do I resolve the problem? What do I do? Again I would welcome suggestions never mind how bizzare they may be - cheers Chris TC HTD166 Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.

[Chris Blood esq.]

Sorry Gene, but what the hell is a 'speed shop'? - a place to get the latest drugs ... I hope not. Anyway your recommendation is one I will definately take up and do when the wheather closes in. Do you know if this hole can be drilled, bored etc or not? I just wonder if it has rusted inside and filed the gap. regards Chris

----- Original Message ----- [b]From:[/b] anngene@bellsouth.net [b]To:[/b] mg-tabc@yahoogroups.com ; cblood@thebloods.fsnet.co.uk [b]Sent:[/b] Saturday, August 18, 2001 6:29 PM [b]Subject:[/b] Re: [mg-tabc] Low oil feed to Rockers. Chris, Try blowing compressed air into the hole - this should let you know if there's a blockage in the oil passage in the head. If there is, disassemble the head and take it to a speed shop - they can clean out the passages. Gene Gillam Saucier, MS 1949 TC 7872 ----- Original Message ----- [b]From:[/b] cblood@thebloods.fsnet.co.uk [b]To:[/b] mg-tabc@yahoogroups.com [b]Sent:[/b] Saturday, August 18, 2001 4:06 AM [b]Subject:[/b] [mg-tabc] Low oil feed to Rockers. Oil at the top end !!!!!!!! I am concerned that not enough oil is reaching the head of my TC. At engine startup it takes approx. 30 seconds or so for the slight rattle in the rocker area to go away. I am obviously concerned that oil starvation is taking place while its being driven at 3k revs+ - but I have lived with it till now. This is going to be winter project - but what I want to do is attack this problem systematically as I am still uncertain to why this accures. The oil feed pipe to the head (exterior pipe) pumps oil lovely, so has to be to do with the head. I have checked the usual, like the rocker shaft being wrongly positioned - it looks ok. My theory is that the original head, which is a 2 May 1939 head (yes it is) may be blocked as it travels from the pipe to the rocker shaft??? How do I prove this? How do I resolve the problem? What do I do? Again I would welcome suggestions never mind how bizzare they may be - cheers Chris TC HTD166 Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.

[anngene@bellsouth.net]

Sorry Gene, but what the hell is a 'speed shop'? - a place to get the latest drugs ... I hope not. Anyway your recommendation is one I will definately take up and do when the wheather closes in. Do you know if this hole can be drilled, bored etc or not? I just wonder if it has rusted inside and filed the gap. regards Chris

----- Original Message ----- [b]From:[/b] anngene@bellsouth.net [b]To:[/b] mg-tabc@yahoogroups.com ; cblood@thebloods.fsnet.co.uk [b]Sent:[/b] Saturday, August 18, 2001 6:29 PM [b]Subject:[/b] Re: [mg-tabc] Low oil feed to Rockers. Chris, Try blowing compressed air into the hole - this should let you know if there's a blockage in the oil passage in the head. If there is, disassemble the head and take it to a speed shop - they can clean out the passages. Gene Gillam Saucier, MS 1949 TC 7872 ----- Original Message ----- [b]From:[/b] cblood@thebloods.fsnet.co.uk [b]To:[/b] mg-tabc@yahoogroups.com [b]Sent:[/b] Saturday, August 18, 2001 4:06 AM [b]Subject:[/b] [mg-tabc] Low oil feed to Rockers. Oil at the top end !!!!!!!! I am concerned that not enough oil is reaching the head of my TC. At engine startup it takes approx. 30 seconds or so for the slight rattle in the rocker area to go away. I am obviously concerned that oil starvation is taking place while its being driven at 3k revs+ - but I have lived with it till now. This is going to be winter project - but what I want to do is attack this problem systematically as I am still uncertain to why this accures. The oil feed pipe to the head (exterior pipe) pumps oil lovely, so has to be to do with the head. I have checked the usual, like the rocker shaft being wrongly positioned - it looks ok. My theory is that the original head, which is a 2 May 1939 head (yes it is) may be blocked as it travels from the pipe to the rocker shaft??? How do I prove this? How do I resolve the problem? What do I do? Again I would welcome suggestions never mind how bizzare they may be - cheers Chris TC HTD166 Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.

[Chip Old]

On Mon, 20 Aug 2001, Chris Blood esq. wrote:

> Sorry Gene, but what the hell is a 'speed shop'? - a place to get the > latest drugs ... I hope not.

It's an Americanism referring to an automotive machine shop and/or parts store specializing in performance modifications.

> Anyway your recommendation is one I will definately take up and do > when the wheather closes in. Do you know if this hole can be drilled, > bored etc or not? I just wonder if it has rusted inside and filed the > gap. regards

It's unlikely to have rusted, given the constasnt flow of oil through it. It could be blocked by sludge, but that's unlikely if detergent oil has been used (which is probable unless some DPO made a point of searching out non-detergent oil). Besides, you'd see signs of sludge elsewhere if that were a problem. However, if it gives you peace of mind you can clean it out. Remove the oil feed pipe from the side of the head, and remove the rocker arm assembly. Run a heavy wire down from the top, then in from the side, to ream it out. You CAN use a drill bit, but make sure it is no larger than the passage bore and be careful. Squirt light oil or penetrating oil through from the top to clean out the loosened gunk (if any), then blow it out from the top with compressed air. If you don't have compressed air, run pipe cleaners and more penetrating oil through until the pipe cleaners come out clean. Unless yours is an unusual case, that will just prove to you that the passage wasn't blocked. The real problem is more likely to be elsewhere. What is your oil pressure like, especuially at startup when you hear the rockers rattling? If low, in severe cases it can take a while for oil to reach the rocker arms. Is the external feed pipe pinched or kinked? That will restrict oil flow to the rocker assembly. Are the rocker arm bushings and/or shaft badly worn? If so most oil that does reach the rocker arm assembly will escape past the bushings. Are the rocker shaft and pedestals assembled correctly? If the rear rocker shaft pedestal isn't drilled, no oil will reach the shaft. If the corresponding hole in the shaft isn't positioned corrctly, oil from the drilling in the pedestal can't enter the shaft. And speaking of the shaft, if it turns out that you do have sludge blockage of the drillings in the head, then the external oil feed pipe and the bore down the center of the rocker shaft are probably clogged with sludge too. There's no quick fix. Disassemble the relevant parts, inspect them, and clean them if necessary. -- Chip Old 1948 M.G. TC TC6710 XPAG7430 NEMGTR #2271 Cub Hill, Maryland 1962 Triumph TR4 CT3154LO CT3479E fold@bcpl.net