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OT 351C Rocker Dry

A

Aaron Ford

Well-known Member
I recently purchased this car and am really hoping to be able to get it to the 50 years of Cougars at Carlisle. When I first got it running, there was a tick in the driver side valve cover that turned out to be number 5 exhaust pushrod eating into the rocker. The rocker appeared to be oiling normally. There was no evidence of what caused the failure. Fast forward a few months and the same rocker is completely dry. The pushrod is clear and the lifter looks normal (as far as I can tell without removing manifold). I am not above replacing the lifters which can be done with the motor in the car. I am also not above pulling the motor and replacing bearing shells, oil pump, rod nuts, lifters, and setting a performance cam. I would like to find what is causing this so that I can put this issue to bed. BTW, the pics show a shiny rocker arm on number 5 intake because I replaced the intake valve parts with new and moved the good rocker/pushrod from #5 intake to #5 exhaust as those parts were worn in. Any ideas?
 
Hopefully this a pic of the damaged rocker.
a149891.jpg

a149892.jpg
 
Have you tried a 1/2 quart of ATF. ? Add it to your oil. That stuff can clear a plugged oil passage and clean sludge from lifters. Try it, take the unit for a 'run'. HTH
 
My first guess is a bad lifter.

I know it's not a good idea to put a new lifter on a used cam, but if the cam and lifter look good, you may get away with it. Or you might take the lifter apart and see if there is any obvious reason it's not oiling

How is the rest of the engine? Good oil pressure?

Nice ride!
 
Take the lifter apart and clean the flapper valve and oil holes, so the original lifter can go back on that lobe. I have had problems with BB chevy rockers where the pushrod socket would wear so deep that it blocked the rocker oiling hole in the rocker. might be something similar on the Ford sled rocker.
 
Hot idle oil pressure is down. I was about to install real gauges when I decided to pull the valve cover. I had just finished changing the trans oil and setting the final ATF level when the noise got the best of me. The stock gauge shows around 40+ psi pressure when cold and drops as the oil warms up and tolerances expand. This particular rocker shows no oil at all.

Aaron
 
Collapsed lifter more than likely, I've built lots of Ford engines from stock to racing. You can put new lifters on a old cam, but you need to break them in like a new cam, and lifters. Lots of cam lube on the all the cam lobes, lifter bottoms, put 5 quarts of Joe Gibbs Driven BR oil in, new oil filter, and run for 2000 rpms or a little more for 20 minutes. I would replace the push rod, and rocker arm since they have been run dry.
 
Probably a lifter, but since it is on the end verify the oil gallery is clear and the is clear and the lifter isn't too loose in the bore.
 


Had the same problem on a "cleveland".Found a collapsed lifter AND a plugged push rod.Flushed and changed the whole valve train.Except the valves.
 
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