390 top end oil qustion

[mont974x4]

When I pull the valve covers off and run the truck, how much oil should there be? My oil pressure guage says I'm good, but I barely have any oil up top. It also sounds like a rocker is stuck or something but I didnt see anything.

Thoughts?

Thanks

[ttyR2]

There shouldn't be much oil in the valve covers. If you've had a valve lifter go flat or something, it could generate noise as the cam hits it.

[cobraF100]

Actually with an FE you should be getting alot of oil to the top of the Engine because most are trying to find ways to lower the oil to the Tops of our FE's.

The FE came with a Very Large Oil feed hole in them.I cant remember the size of the hole off the top of my head but most of us use a Holley Fuel Jet to place in the Oil Feed hole to restrick some of the Oil.

[ttyR2]

Mebe mine had the mod then. It didn't shoot much oil when I started it with the valve covers off.

[mont974x4]

Why would we want less oil up top?

It was barely seeping out the holes in the pushrdods.

[cobraF100]

FE's Don't Oil trough the Push Rods.They Oil Through the Rocker Shafts via a Rocker Shaft Stand that has a Oil Hole at the base in the Head.

EDIT:
Also if your NOT getting much to the Heads now you may have a Dirty Block (Old Oil,High Miles....ect)

When you give it a little gas "like a Cruising speed RMP...about 1800-2000 RPM's" what kind of flow do you have?

[cobraF100]

Well there is alot of talk about this but with most FE's there was alot of extra oil that was stuck (Oil Re-turn hole,Head Bolt goes through it or just blocked because of the intake gaskets location) in the Head Valley and was NOT getting back down to the Oil Pan to be re-Pumped through the Engine.

So it has been restricted by most to have the Oil Limited to the Heads so it would go to other important places in the Engine.

BUT on the other hand having alot of Oil in the Head is Good because it helps with Cooling of the Valve Springs and Valve Train.

I use a # 68 Holley Fuel Jet in mine and has worked well for me as I still have enough oil at the Top of the Engine to do as needed for the Valve Train and Cooling of the Springs.

There is some more to it but this was a fast run down...