VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - GENERAL Mechanical - Engine, Trans, etc Oil feed to head

I have a '55 engine with a 3836648 head, and the head has the external oil line feeding the rocker gear. Is this standard, or an after thought to get more oil up there?

It is an after thought that was added when the oil fee was plugged up.

The installation of the external line eleminated removing the head to clean out the oil passage between the block and head.

Is that the same passage as the 216 had, that used a very thin (3/16 or 1/8" from memory) which went through the crankcase and up behind the sideplate? I have noisy valvegear, there are signs of oil up there, but not a lot, and I can't see any going back down the drain holes. I want to disconnect the line where it goes into the head and see if I have any oil there. Would this be at oil pump pressure (20 psi or thereabouts?) or is the flow restricted by the fitting where it comes out of the block on the LHS?

This is not the same as the tube through the head on a 216.

The ‘55 235 is a full pressure engine. The oil to the rocker arms is fed from the rear cam bearing up through drilled passages in the head and block to the tube under the valve cover. Those drilled passages do get plugged with sludge.

The 1955 235 engines are fed oil fron a passage taken off from the rear cam bearing. If you remove the engine side cover you will find a short oil line at the back lower rear corner, That oil line goes up to the top center of the push rod compartment, At that point the oil goes up thru the block to the head, At the point between the block and heaad the oil holes in the head an block do not line up and the oil passes thru an opening in the head gasket.....ans this is what gets plugged with sludge.