Top end oiling

[Jeepsinker]

The LDT 465 in my truck now isn't a thick deck either. Always thought it was until recently I noticed it wasn't.

 

[RAYZER]

Here's a visual comparison.

 

[Jeepsinker]

I know what signifies a thick deck block, I just never noticed my engine doesn't have the TD cast in. All my spare engines have thick deck blocks.

 

[gimpyrobb]

Wow, I never compared the two, big difference. Good call on the pic Ray!

 

[Jeepsinker]

Oh yeah! Cool, I just realized what you did there! I guess it pays to look at both pictures.

 

[Jeepsinker]

So in the pictures that Jason posted the auxiliary oil feed lines look to be about 1/2" or maybe larger. They also appear to be a combination of soft lines and maybe plastic air line? I would consider doing this with some 1/8" or maybe 1/4" copper line for the full lengths of the lines. That should provide enough flow right? I can't imagine that you really need a 1/2" oil line from such a small oil port.

 

[welldigger]

So in the pictures that Jason posted the auxiliary oil feed lines look to be about 1/2" or maybe larger. They also appear to be a combination of soft lines and maybe plastic air line? I would consider doing this with some 1/8" or maybe 1/4" copper line for the full lengths of the lines. That should provide enough flow right? I can't imagine that you really need a 1/2" oil line from such a small oil port.

1/4" should be fine. Though I wonder what benefit doing this mod would gain you. I don't remember top end lubrication being an issue with these engines.

I don't see how more lubrication would be a problem.

 

[Jeepsinker]

Extra oil where there isn't much couldn't hurt right? I want to see all of my valves well oiled. That lack of oil up top may have contributed to the blowby that I have now. There is no good reason for any of the rocker arms to have dry oil channels. The oil runs down them to lube the top of the valve and the tops of the pushrods. If I can fix it by buying a few fittings and some copper line then I'll do it. Maybe too late for this engine, but it'll be good for the next one.

 

[welldigger]

Extra oil where there isn't much couldn't hurt right? I want to see all of my valves well oiled. That lack of oil up top may have contributed to the blowby that I have now. There is no good reason for any of the rocker arms to have dry oil channels. The oil runs down them to lube the top of the valve and the tops of the pushrods. If I can fix it by buying a few fittings and some copper line then I'll do it. Maybe too late for this engine, but it'll be good for the next one.

I could see oil starvation of the rockers causing the engine to burn a little oil but I dunno about blow by.

 

[rustystud]

On the front head of my engine is the port from the rocker oil exhaust. In one of your pictures Jason, the tractor engine is using this port. I cannot tell if they are back-feeding oil into or out of this port.

 

[Jeepsinker]

Lack of oil can wear valve guides and cause or add to blowby through the valve guide, or as you said, burning oil too. I do smell some oil burning when I take off after idling for a while.

 

[rosco]

When I was a Kid, I talked my Dad into letting me put a 235 chev engine (with full pressure oiling), in our 1941 Chev farm flatbed - replacing the 218 that used the splash system on the rods. I re-built the 235 - when I put it together, I missed the fact that one of the rocker shaft stancheon hold down bolts was drilled to provide oiling for the rocker arms, and got it in the wrong spot. Pop was the first to drive my completed job on its first 100 trip - he was a little grumpy, when he got back. No oil wore groves in the rocker shaft & the rocker arms. It doesn't take much oil to keep the rockers oiled, but it takes some. Some engines have lots of oil there, and some makes don't, but I learned that just a few drips now and then, seems to be enough. I learned by adjusting the valves, hot & running. Its easy to see then.

 

[JasonS]

On the front head of my engine is the port from the rocker oil exhaust. In one of your pictures Jason, the tractor engine is using this port. I cannot tell if they are back-feeding oil into or out of this port.

I should have taken better pics... Best as I can tell, the external lines were feeding oil from the main oil galley to the heads. Generally, valve train is adequately oiled from the mist in the engine when running. Note that my pics were of two different tractors; only one had external lines to the head.

 

[Jeepsinker]

Are they feeding both heads from just the #3 oil galley plug?

 

[JasonS]

I believe so.

 

[rustystud]

View attachment Scan0025.pdf So I take it that this "White Tractor" engine does not use the last cam bushing as the oil supply for the rocker shafts like our LDT-465 does ?

 

[JasonS]

One tractor had the oil lines; one did not. I have searched MANY times on the internet and never seen this type of setup with the external oil lines to the head. May have been a farmer modification. But, why?

 

[RAYZER]

One tractor had the oil lines; one did not. I have searched MANY times on the internet and never seen this type of setup with the external oil lines to the head. May have been a farmer modification. But, why?

Those farmers must have been having this same conversation!

 

[Jeepsinker]

I would bet that he either had a failure related to lack of oil to the heads, or he had the valve cover off once and didn't like the low amount of oil up there.

 

[RAYZER]

I have a set of rocker arm assemblys off now, i inspected them for blockage in the oil holes to the tops of the rockers and saw none.
I'll pull the cover off the engine i noticed the "non oil" situation and give it a better look, while it's running.