1980 Chevy Malibu Oil problem?

HOPE2GOFAST

MEMBER
1980 CHEVROLET MALIBU

Engine Mechanical problem
1980 Chevy Malibu V8 Two Wheel Drive Automatic 0

Hello,
I just got my short block back from the engine builder and have installed the the following: oil pump (brand new Melling HV), brand hydraulic roller cam and roller lifters, new roller rockers, brand new push rods, new timing gear & chain, new oil filter & 20w50 oil, new aluminum heads. I tried priming the engine this afternoon and the oil is not reaching the rocker arms. BTW, my engine is a Mark IV 454 bored.060 over. What can be preventing the oil from getting to the top of the heads? Again, everything is new except for the block. Keep in mind I am working in a unheated garage but it did hit 60 degrees here today. Back to the oil problem - what do I check now? Is the oil to thick? Could it be a defective oil filter? At this point I'm stumpted. Please advise what I can do, or try, to fix this problem because I have a lot of money in this engine.
Thank you.

1 Reply

HOPE2GOFAST

MEMBER
2 POSTS

Here's an update: Today I pulled the oil restrictors out of the back of the block and turned the oil pump while they were both out and there is oil pumping out of the holes. Left the restrictors off and replaced them with treaded plugs. I then pulled a couple of the roller lifters, drained off the oil in the tops. Stuck my finger down into the lifter bore and turned the oil pump. The oil is pumping to the lifter bores. I replaced the roller lifters and turned the oil pump and the tops of the lifters did fill up. Put everything back together but still the oil is not coming up the pushrods to the rockers. Yes, the pushrods are new and I checked them all to make sure there was no restrictions. This is my first time using hyd. Roller lifters & cam so maybe its doing what its supposed to? Maybe the oil (20W50) is just to thick? My last engine was a small block Chevy with a solid cam and as soon as I primed the pump, the oil came right out of the pushrod tops. Any way, I'm going to dump the oil and try a 10W30 and see what happens. Also may drop the oil pan and swap out the oil pump being how its a HV pump and not best suited for drag racing high revving engines.