Shaft and Pushrod oiling system with T&D Rockers??
 

The newer T&D rockers for use with Edelbrock heads, these are the ones that do not require the heads to be machined, are set up for both shaft oiling and oiling through the pushrods. (lifters->pushrods->adjustment nut-> and finally rocker body) Is it ok to run both types of oiling systems at the same time?

Even if possible you don't want that much oil going to the top. That's why restrictors are in use.

One or the other, not both.

For a shaft mounted system, I'd run the lubrication to the shaft from within the heads for a solid lifter cam.

For hydraulics, I'd prefer the pushrod to be the supply, then the lifter is getting a fresh oil supply.

That is what i thought. I am getting an excessive amount of oil to the top of the motor with just a low rpm drill when priming. The rockers did not come with any instructions, so i just installed them and figured i was good to go. However, while i was readjusting the valves, i noticed that the adjustment nuts on the t&D rockers had holes in the socket where the pushrod seats. I unscrewed one and found that there are also two holes in the threaded portion to allow the oil to transfer to another hole in the rocker. Im going to plug the holes in the e brock heads and see how much oil flows from the pushrods. Im assuming i need to at least install restrictors and since the rockers are roller bearing and i have a hydraulic roller cam, im going to be that .060 restrictors might be best.


I have read how this can cause oil consumption due to the oil filling up to above the valve seals, allowing oil to seep past the seals and into the cylinders. Obviously the pan can be pumped below a desirable level as well. Any symptoms that this would cause besides smoke at start up and eventually damaging the crank bearings from lack of oil in the pan?

I wouldn't worry about restrictors if you're going to do pushrod oiling only. Just plug the holes in the heads and roll on with it.

Are you sure that you have oil coming out of the pushrods? Trend makes my pushrods for me and even when I request non-oiling pushrods, the ends look like they have holes in them....but they're actually plugged down in the tube.

As for the T&D rockers, you have to be careful about how you adjust the adjuster screws. There is a spot called the "initial adjuster position". You start out by backing the adjuster up in the rocker arm all the way. Then you turn it one full turn down and that's the initial position. You're not supposed to go more than one full turn in either direction from that position or you could possibly block oil off to that rocker arm.

If you haven't seen a lapse in oil pressure, I doubt you have done any damage.

Also, the end bolts on the rocker shafts need to be torqued. I'm just mentioning these things since you didn't have the instructions...

I spoke with T&D this morning and they said that i could run both if i wanted, as long as i used restrictors, but one or the other was the norm.
I checked the system after blocking off the shaft oiling hole in the heads and it does oil through the pushrods. I set my pushrods up so that the lock nut and the adjuster nut are at the same height... this just so happens to be the correct spot that you refer to-1 turn down from the starting point and then 1 more turn for preload adjustment as per the instructions on their webpage.

I did discover something else while messing with all of this. Apparently someone, will remain unmentioned for now, drilled out the stud holes on number 3 and 6 too far...these are the rocker stud holes where the oil feed holes are for the shaft system. I was cleaning out the threads in these holes with a q tip and accidently pressed right through into the number 6 intake runner. Luckily, the rockers were off and the valves were closed, so i removed the carb and stuck a long tube that I attached to my vacuum and sucked out the small aluminum flakes that once made up the bottom of the stud hole/top of the intake runner on number 3 and 6. It appears that oil was running down the threads and dripping into the intake runner and ending up in the combustion chamber. I was wondering why those two plugs always had a bit of oil on the threads.
Any suggestions on what product to use to seal those two studs to prevent oil from leaking into the intake runner and to prevent a possible vacuum leak?

Thanks!

Teflon tape - not paste - around the stud threads will seal them up for quite a while. I used to port throuigh the holes in iron heads as a routine matter. We run .060 restrictors in all of our builds and run the T&D street rockers with no issues.

Thanks. I tried restrictors with about a 1/16" holes, but it was still flowing way too much oil to the top end, so i just went with full plugs.