oil not getting to all the cams on m103 eng
 

I am returning to ask a follow up question concerning noise in engine.
I have a 1989 300sel. I had valve/rocker noise so I removed valve cover and the oil distributor(piece on top of cam with little holes-3 small bolts to remove) and cleaned it up/out or so I thought. Anyway there was crap on the rocker assembly so I cleaned them up, put oil on all cams and replaced everything. Started up and no noises at all! Thought I cured my problem. But, alas, after a few miles, the noise returned.

Question....does this mean oil is blocked somewhere, not allowing it to get to rocker assembly? how does the oil get distributed? What can be done...short of overhaul?

Thanks in advance
Warren

take valve cover off again and check all the bolts holding the rocker assemblies to head.they are known to pull threads and come loose.

Thanks...I did do that...no change

What brand and weight of oil are you using?

M103's like heavy duty oil. I run Rotella synthetic 5w40 diesel oil in mine and it runs smooooth, even with 151k on it.

you mean like delo 400??? what grade should I use??? Or Rotella...

i use 15w-40 in ours ... i think delo is 8.50 gallon at wal mart... others are about 12.

I use synthetic because I like to drive it pretty hard sometimes (why else would I own a gasser? :D ) and for the cold start lubrication when it is 0F outside.

Have the valve cover ready to remove (take all bolts and hoses off). Idle the engine, shut it off, and look to see if there is oil coming out of the galley or tube or whatever you want to call it.
If it's dry, then the oil passage to that tube is probably blocked, probably at the head gasket?
The oil comes up in to that small nipple on the bottom of the tube.
Gilly

Nipple? is that the post that the "what ever" we call it is attached to the head? There is a curved tube at the end of the oil gallery but the line curves up towards top of valve cover...I am confused!!!

And if the oil is blocked from head gasket....what are my options???

Thanks for your helpful advice
Warren

Oil enters this sheetmetal tube (you prefer to call a gallery, I can tell we are using different terms for the same thing) through a very short piece of pipe. This very short piece of pipe should be "down" facing the head and enters, oh heck, you figure out exactly where, I want to say a hole on one of the rockers. Is thereone rocker that is different? Heck I can't remember, but I do remember that the "gallery" goes on only one way, not only because of the 3 bolts, but because of this nipple that the oil enters.
Start examining the installation and see if it's possible you have this gallery installed backwards and upside down.
Gilly

EDIT actually you seem to know that the small holes that drip oil have to be facing the cam, so it's hard to believe it's upside down.
The only curved tube I can remember is that vent thing on the underside of the valve cover itself, so not sure what you mean by "curved" tube. The nipple is a very short piece that fits in to the engine where the oil comes up and enters the "gallery".
OH and if it's the head gasket, well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Possibly there is sealant blocking the oil galley coming up through the head and you can try cleaning it out somehow, without disassmbly.

Ok I am going to follow your advice, check it out....thanks for staying with me.....

Be back

post pictures, it will be helpful...

if the rocker assemblies have been off the head and one set has been put back incorrectly it could starve that assembly for oil.

I removed valve cover and oil feeder line(over cams) cleaned and tested for blockage, sat valve cover back on head and started engine, idled and shut off. Oil is coming up thru nipple, so rail is feeding properly.

Put back together...started, I still have the noise...can the timing chain be adjusted?