Hey guys, so I recently rebuilt a 78' Ford 302 to go into the '78 Mustang 2. Forged bottom end, hyper pistons, D80E heads (i know, its smog era), Crane cam, Holley 600cfm vac secondaries, and a Weiand street warrior intake manifold, & headers.
Anyways, after rebuilding it, I used the stock valve train. (stock lifters, pushrods, and rockers). After firing it up for the first time, and letting it run for a little to warm up, I noticed a slight knocking noise, oil pressure was 60psi in park at 870 rpm. I was a little concerned at first, thinking it was a bottom end issue. The strange thing is the noise would come and go. However, after more investigating I came up with the conclusion that it was 1/2 the engine speed meaning it was in the valve train.
So I had one of my buddies come over and help me diagnose it. We came up with the conclusion that it has to be a lifter. So I tore the intake manifold off and put fresh lifters in it, used 10w40 and Rislone engine concentrate (quiets lifters). Fired it up, same issue.
Popped the valve covers off a second time, and found that there was no oil going to one of the rocker arms on the drivers side. (of course it is all the way in the back). I thought maybe I had a clogged pushrod, so I took the rocker arm off to clean the pushrod, and thats when I noticed it. The rocker arm had NO HOLE in it FROM THE FACTORY for the pushrod to squirt oil to lubricate the rocker arm and the valve. These are stock rocker arms from '78. The car has a crate engine in it from "78 and it has been sitting 28 years. It was something you do not see everyday.
Here are some pics....
Anyways, after rebuilding it, I used the stock valve train. (stock lifters, pushrods, and rockers). After firing it up for the first time, and letting it run for a little to warm up, I noticed a slight knocking noise, oil pressure was 60psi in park at 870 rpm. I was a little concerned at first, thinking it was a bottom end issue. The strange thing is the noise would come and go. However, after more investigating I came up with the conclusion that it was 1/2 the engine speed meaning it was in the valve train.
So I had one of my buddies come over and help me diagnose it. We came up with the conclusion that it has to be a lifter. So I tore the intake manifold off and put fresh lifters in it, used 10w40 and Rislone engine concentrate (quiets lifters). Fired it up, same issue.
Popped the valve covers off a second time, and found that there was no oil going to one of the rocker arms on the drivers side. (of course it is all the way in the back). I thought maybe I had a clogged pushrod, so I took the rocker arm off to clean the pushrod, and thats when I noticed it. The rocker arm had NO HOLE in it FROM THE FACTORY for the pushrod to squirt oil to lubricate the rocker arm and the valve. These are stock rocker arms from '78. The car has a crate engine in it from "78 and it has been sitting 28 years. It was something you do not see everyday.
Here are some pics....