Top end oiling

[Jeepsinker]

While you have it off, pull the snapring and endcap out of the rocker shaft and see if you find and gunky sludge buildup in there would you?

 

[m-35tom]

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.

to much oiling could be a problem depending on valve stem seals or lack of. i remember there was a difference on the lds-2 engine and it was in or ex that got almost no oil by design. low rpm, low pressure springs = don't need much oil. just because you don't see it doesn't mean it is not there. maybe the issue is that you should not see the amount of oil you see at other arms, they could be the problem arms with wear.

 

[Jeepsinker]

I hadn't thought of it that way. I certainly didn't check the well oiled ones for wear either.

 

[rustystud]

If your concerned about the oil pressure in the rocker shafts, you can take a test reading at this port. It is a 3/16" Allen head .

 

[Jeepsinker]

Roger that Rusty. That is also where the auxiliary oil feed lines plumb into. That is 1/8" npt right?

 

[JasonS]

to much oiling could be a problem depending on valve stem seals or lack of. i remember there was a difference on the lds-2 engine and it was in or ex that got almost no oil by design. low rpm, low pressure springs = don't need much oil. just because you don't see it doesn't mean it is not there. maybe the issue is that you should not see the amount of oil you see at other arms, they could be the problem arms with wear.

Since there is no butterfly throttle in a diesel, there is no vacuum and oil won't be drawn down the guides like it would for a gas engine. The LDS465-2 rocker arm had an extra squirter hole. Assuming that it is like my Reo 400, this oil squirter was used to provide more oil to the pushrod cups. According to the TM, this rocker arm could be used in all other engines. I am going to guess that this extra oil was needed for the higher rpm operation of the -2.

 

[JasonS]

Pics of the 400 Reo rocker arm with oil squirter.

 

[rustystud]

Roger that Rusty. That is also where the auxiliary oil feed lines plumb into. That is 1/8" npt right?

Yes, it is a 1/8" NPT plug.

 

[RAYZER]

No way to look inside the rocker arm shaft due to pressed in plugs at both ends, i inspected all oil supply holes in the shaft, none were clogged.
The shaft is supplied with oil at both ends, there are two oil supply holes per rocker arm near the (edit: bottom radius) of the shaft, and of course the final oil supply hole through the top of the rocker arm.
This engine has an 88 rebuild tag and looks pretty clean but have no idea of mileage.
I did not see or hear this motor run before I took possession (to do head gaskets). knowing I have no oil passages clogged in the rocker arm assemblys I can inspect them for sufficient oil flow when the engine is back up and running, toward the end of this week hopefully.
Waiting on parts.
And I have a new wrench!

 

[Jeepsinker]

I do believe you may have illuminated my issue. My rocker shafts are installed with the oil ports facing down towards the heads. Apparently the builder didn't know or didn't care about the orientation of the installation. Good job on the wrench by the way, looks heavy duty. Interesting to point out that my shafts have caps held in with snap rings though. I doubt it makes any difference other than being able to clean the inside. But parts like this I usually just drop in my sonic cleaning tank.

 

[RAYZER]

I do believe you may have illuminated my issue. My rocker shafts are installed with the oil ports facing down towards the heads. Apparently the builder didn't know or didn't care about the orientation of the installation. Good job on the wrench by the way, looks heavy duty. Interesting to point out that my shafts have caps held in with snap rings though. I doubt it makes any difference other than being able to clean the inside. But parts like this I usually just drop in my sonic cleaning tank.

Hm, on the assembly I'm working with, the shaft orientation is kept by a pressed pin on the shaft that fits into a slot on the rear shaft mount.
The wrench was fabricated by my buddy "Walt".

 

[Jeepsinker]

I wonder if the pins might be missing on mine. I know small parts sometimes get left out during careless or high volume rebuilding.

 

[m-35tom]

i guess everyone realizes that even with feed holes at both ends, it only gets oil from one end. that is just so front and read heads and rocker shafts are the same part #

 

[m-35tom]

I do believe you may have illuminated my issue. My rocker shafts are installed with the oil ports facing down towards the heads. Apparently the builder didn't know or didn't care about the orientation of the installation. Good job on the wrench by the way, looks heavy duty. Interesting to point out that my shafts have caps held in with snap rings though. I doubt it makes any difference other than being able to clean the inside. But parts like this I usually just drop in my sonic cleaning tank.

the oil holes should face the head shouldn't they??

 

[RAYZER]

Correction: took another look at it and the two oil holes in the rocker arm shaft (for each rocker arm) are at around 100° and 180°(at the bottom), so the oil hole on top of the rocker arm itself does not line up with either oil hole on the shaft at any time.

Also, there's an oil galley at both ends of the head feeding the rocker arm shaft.

Sorry for the miss information on the shaft holes.

 

[RAYZER]

i guess everyone realizes that even with feed holes at both ends, it only gets oil from one end. that is just so front and read heads and rocker shafts are the same part #

This may be the case, doe's the oil path diagram confirm this? I don't have that tm to look at right now.

 

[m-35tom]

This may be the case, doe's the oil path diagram confirm this? I don't have that tm to look at right now.

maybe not, the diagram looks to show oil only being fed to the rear of the rear head and then it goes down into the block and back up to the front head and dead ends back in the block at the front. doesn't make sense to have been designed that way so i wonder how accurate the drawing is. look at a head gasket or better yet build up oil pressure on a block with the heads off.

 

[RAYZER]

The (new style)head gasket has metallic seals at front and rear for the oil galleys present on the head.
Building oil pressure by spinning the engine over with the starter without the heads on may prove to be disastrous, the liners can work their way up out of the block quickly unless held down.

 

[welldigger]

I need to get my hands on a set of new style head gaskets. I have an idea brewing but I need a pattern to work from.

 

[RAYZER]

I need to get my hands on a set of new style head gaskets. I have an idea brewing but I need a pattern to work from.

I have some on order and can make you a pattern.