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How much top-end oiling is enough?
https://slantsix.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=61326		 Page 1 of 2
Author:  SpaceFrank [ Sat Jul 01, 2017 3:52 pm ]
Post subject:  How much top-end oiling is enough?
I've never really gotten a heavy oil spray from my rockers with the valve cover off. There's definitely oil coming out of them, but I'm curious if it's enough. What do the more engine-savvy folks on this board think? Video link below for reference; you can see a very light oil spatter on my hand after I hold it just above the rockers for a few seconds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ibHw9VXfro

The rocker shaft has been pretty thoroughly cleaned; we never popped the end caps off, but there was minimal crud inside from what I could see last time. The shaft oiling holes are all clear. The notch on the end of the shaft is installed pointing forward and up, per the FSM. This puts the oiling holes in the shaft pointing down and toward the driver's side of the car, which is in line with the small grooves on the ID of the rockers. I assume when the rocker tips come down to open the valve that the small hole in the rocker ID comes down to meet the oiling hole in the shaft.

Image

Image
Author:  SpaceFrank [ Sat Jul 01, 2017 5:12 pm ]
Post subject: 
I forgot to mention the rockers themselves were hot tanked back in... 2004? I guess I should take a closer look at the holes in the tips to see how much oil is actually getting to the valve stem.
Author:  SlantSixDan [ Sat Jul 01, 2017 6:33 pm ]
Post subject: 
I've seen top ends running drier than that, but yours looks on the dry side. What you want to look for is a dribble of oil out the hole on the front of the valve-end tip of the rocker. If none but you do have oil reaching the top end (and it looks like that might be the case here) then you might want to start by probing those rocker arm tip holes with a straight piece of solid copper or steel wire and see if that gets oil going all the way out to the ends of the rockers.
Author:  Rick Covalt [ Sat Jul 01, 2017 6:51 pm ]
Post subject: 
speed it up a little and see how your hand looks!! :lol: :lol:
Author:  69a100 [ Sun Jul 02, 2017 11:46 am ]
Post subject: 
Mine just kinda oozes out. It kinda looks like anal leakage if you think about it. As Dan said, you look like your on the dry side.
Author:  SpaceFrank [ Sun Jul 02, 2017 1:36 pm ]
Post subject: 
Quote:
Mine just kinda oozes out. It kinda looks like anal leakage if you think about it. As Dan said, you look like your on the dry side.
Out of all the possible comparisons to be made, *that* was the one you went with? :lol:
Author:  sandy in BC [ Sun Jul 02, 2017 4:52 pm ]
Post subject: 
Hes been waiting for week to be able to use that in a post.....

I would not worry if all you get is a dribble out of each arm at an idle.

At 5000 rpm there will be more oil.

Its better than pumping all the oil into the rocker cover and starving the Oil pump pickup...
Author:  SlantSixDan [ Sun Jul 02, 2017 11:04 pm ]
Post subject: 
Quote:
Out of all the possible comparisons to be made, *that* was the one you went with? :lol:
When I was a teenager just getting into Slant-6 engines, I had a copy of this book.* It dealt almost exclusively with big-block Chev V8s, but Smokey Yunick was a hell of a teacher and storyteller, and there was all kinds of detailed information in the book—backed up with solid, rigourously scientific theory.

At that time I had a thing for calling big-name people out of the blue. It's how I made friends with Bill Weertman (found his name on the Slant-6 engine patent; called directory assistance for 313), it's how I had a real nice phone chat with Silicon Valley bigwig Guy Kawasaki (one of his books had a recommendation to always answer your own phone instead of having someone do it for you; I wanted to see if he did), and it's how I wound up talking to Smokey Yunick. I remembered his long-running gig writing a feature called "Say, Smokey…?" in Popular Science magazine; people would write in about their car problems and Smokey would offer advice. There was a picture in the book of his shop in Florida—the "Best Damn Garage In Town"—so I called the number on the sign, and that's how I came ear-to-voice with Smokey himself.

I told him my Slant-6 Valiant seemed low on pep, and he, in his very deep voice, said "Pull the timing chain out of it and hold it sideways. If it droops like a limp peter, you found your problem." (That's what prompts this post).

*Damn, look at those prices! I paid ordinary cover price for mine, and now I wonder if I still have it somewhere.
Author:  Dart270 [ Mon Jul 03, 2017 2:59 am ]
Post subject: 
Frank,

Are you wearing out rocker arms on the track? If not, you have your answer - enough oil. With that small cam, you should go at least a few races without really wearing any.

I just see very slow oozing out between the rockers, up to the adjuster end and out the tip atop the valve stem. All my motors do about the same things and it is plenty of oil. From a dead cold motor, it takes something like 20-60 sec to see oil coming out and that is normal. For a recently run engine, less time.

Lou
Author:  emsvitil [ Mon Jul 03, 2017 3:10 am ]
Post subject: 
Quote:
*Damn, look at those prices! I paid ordinary cover price for mine, and now I wonder if I still have it somewhere.

I know where mine is.............

:wink:
Author:  lgu32 [ Mon Jul 03, 2017 7:51 am ]
Post subject: 
I had some problems with rocker shaft worn out. I have 4.10 SG rear (was 3.55 open) before and some rockers made grooves to the shaft because my engine runs mostly over 3000 rpm. With stiffer springs late install I can keep up to 6000 rpm for a while (100MPH passing cars at highway) no need for continuous valve adjustment.

Tricks used are 20W-50 "air cooled v-twin oil" I assume the thick sticky oil is the only secret keep high rpm slant valvetrain in order.

For stock you can use what you like most.
Author:  SpaceFrank [ Mon Jul 03, 2017 2:48 pm ]
Post subject: 
Not wearing out rocker arms as far as I can tell. I'm not really that worried about it, but I'll eyeball the holes in the tips next time I have the valve cover off.
Author:  Dart270 [ Tue Jul 04, 2017 3:34 am ]
Post subject: 
If no wear after all of that track time, you are totally fine. I am amazed, actually.

Lou
Author:  SpaceFrank [ Tue Jul 04, 2017 12:44 pm ]
Post subject: 
That's not the only thing about this motor that surprises me. We've never done any oil pan modifications, but I've never noticed a loss of pressure in corners like I've been warned about from multiple people. All we ever do is run the oil a quart high. Maybe we're not cornering fast enough!

We also never get much above 4500 RPM, which is probably the main secret to this engine's longevity. It also runs very cool, probably colder than it should for long-term wear. I'm really curious to see what the rings look like when we tear it down, which we might do after this upcoming race.
Author:  Dart270 [ Wed Jul 05, 2017 3:45 am ]
Post subject: 
Yes, it is quite amazing to be running a stock pan. The pickup must be placed in exactly the right spot, somehow. Running 1-2 qts high can help quite a bit. Yes, the temp and the low RPM help for sure. Enjoy!

Lou
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