I have a picture that shows i beleive what you are talking about the line is going around the back of the motor check it out is this what you are talking about sorry its the only pic i have mabee some one can explaine where this line is going
External Rockershaft Oiling That is what is shown in your picture , the additional extrnal oil line . What / Who is " Blackbeard " ?? Engine looks very nice indeed .
whos blackbeard nate he was asking what that rap around line was on his 59 235 ingine and i posted a pic to ask him if thats the same line
Extra oil line Nate, I have an extra oil pressure gauge we could stick on that external oil line! Jim
' Extra Oil Pressure Gauge ' ? Why ? what's wrong with the dashboard one? I'm enjoying gazing at that lovely 216 engine , all pretty and ready to go to work...... HEY ! is that a BMW /2 Moto in the background I spy ?! . C'mon , fess up . I ride old Beemers too and a '94 Ural Tourist 650 Solo .
Top End Oiling It's a GM sanctioned repair for when the internal oil passge blocks up leaving the rocker shaft without lubrication . If you remove your oil cap and look at the weep holes on top of each rocker, there should be oil dribbling out the weep hole if the engine is aboveidle speed ~ be aware ittakes a few moments before the oil begins to dribble out so don't mindlessly re. the engine , just ease it up to 2,000 RPM's or so and wait . There was recently a thread about adding this additional line to a member's engine , pretty much ALL pre - 1963 Chevy. InLine engine are susecptable to this problem , using modern light weight detergent oilsprevents this problem .
Nate, I am blackbeard. I am adding an AC oil filter to my 1959 235. I have seen the instructions on how to do this, but have the extra line going around the engine and connecting into the cylinder head and wasnt sure what it was. It looks like the same line that is on Rons truck and I think I see an extra connection for the oil pressure guage in the picture. I wanted to know how to add the oil filter if you aleady have a T where the oil presure line comes out with this extra line. Do you just remove the T and add a three way outlet with the pressure line, the external oil line and the oil filter inlet line? Is this the best way to do this? My engine runs very good but the oil pressure does seem to fluctuate. What would cause the oil pressure to fluctuate? Sometimes when I first crank the truck I notice that the oil pressure will go from low to high and back and forth. Doesnt seem as bad when the truck warms up. Sometimes when driving I have noticed the pressure at 3/4 on the guage. Any help would be greatly apprecciated. Thanks
Nate, One other question. Should I consider taking the rocker assembly apart and cleaning out the oil passages or just leave it like it is? I did read your write up on Deve's and I am planning on a valve adjustment in the near future. The engine does run very good so maybe I should just leave it alone. Thanks
Blackbeard ; Is there oil coming out the rocker weep holes now ? if so , DON'T add the auxilliary line . If not , then yes , you can simply add a four way fitting , one line to oil filter , one line to oil pressure gauge and one line to the top end . I don't know why your oil pressure fluctuates , it should with varied engine speeds but not @ steady RPM's ~ try a hot oil and filter change with synthetic oils , that'll clean out any crud in the by pass valve... If you can get oil up to the rockers , I'd leave them alone as once you take 'em all aprt and see the wear , it might drive you crazy until you throw $500.00 into rockers and shaft parts , bushings etc. , etc. As long as oil is reaching every single rocker , they can be *very* wobbly and still work fine . Your call , I'm not there to eyeball it .
O.b.t.w. : DO the valve adjust ! then run it hard for 500 miles and do it again , when the engine is blistering hot ! Repeat untill all the valves are in perfect adjustment the next time you check them .
Nate, Thanks for the response. There was already an existing auxillery oil line when I got the truck so I,m guessing the oil passages to the rockers are blocked. I just wanted to add the cannister oil filter and wasnt sure what the extra line was. Should I run synthetic oil? What viscosity? Will synthetic clear the blocked passages? The truck had not been cranked in fourteen years before I got it. It is showing 65,000 miles on the odometer. I have tuned the truck and changed the fluids and a couple of hot oil changes (not synthetic), in a couple of hundred miles without filter. The truck runs very good. I have not done the valves yet but The rockers do seem to make a ticking sound is this normal? I am still debating whether or not to do the valves myself. I am not a mechanic. I have seen your instructions. I cannot seem to find the clear window w/pointer to set the engine to tdc. I am also a little confused about the valve adjustment order and the second part of the procedure. Sorry for all the questions. Just trying learn all I can about my 235. Thanks again for the response.
Any viscosity synthetic will work well and yes , there's a very good chance it will clean out the passages clogged by old parafinn . The oil filter is a by-pass typ and is hooked in at the same fitting the external loil line is. Some folks who either don't understand or more commonly are lazy and don't like fiddling with the messy to change cartridge typ oil filter , will insist it does no good , etc. etc.~ they're dead wrong ~ 235's are still running 50 years later , not possible if the filter does nothing The valves are supposed to make clicking noises , they're also almost always too close if not tight altogether so gird your grids and give the adjustment a shot , have a new rockerbox gasket on hand before you begin . Getting a set of " stepped " feeler gauges helps out a lot . I often find them mixed in with the cheapo ones in pawn shops and @ thrift & junk stores... The timing window is above and in from the starter , in the bell housing's flange , just look when the engine is OFF with a strong flashlight and imagine where the hole needs to be to see the flywheel ~ you can easily remove the scatter pan and clean & highlight the timing & TDC marks , this will make it FAR easier to see them when working on the engine . This is a simple engine ~ don't be afraid to learn how to tend to it , few ' mechanics ' will give it the attention an owner will .
I have a 54 chevy 235. It has a twin carb set up so I can't put the oil canister on the intake, will it work if I mount it to the inner fender?
It'll work anywhere the outlet line is downhill to the return spot on the engine. I'd use a rubber line at some point between the inlet line and the engine to allow for engine vibration vs. the fixed inner fender.
Yes ; Just go the the local Hydraulic Shop or Big Rig Shop and have them extend the oil hoses . Remember to gusset the supports ! .
