Oil priming before Starting A Rebuilt Engine - 440's in particular

["J. Stacey" <jstacey@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Having just gone through this process on a 440, I would like to add one
other comment about priming the oiling system prior to startup.

I don't know about the other earlier Mopar engines, but on the 440, the oil
passages to the right and left bank valve trains converge at number 4 cam
shaft bearing.  All the oil that flows to the the rocker arm shaft to the
valve train goes through this bearing. There are two passages in the
bearing, and as it rotates, these passages line up one at at time for only
for a small portion of the rotation with the passages in the block and oil
flows to the valve trains.  Therefore, if you want to get oil to the rocker
arms while priming, you will have to turn the crankshaft (and hence the
camshaft) to two particular locations - one at a time.  I believe the
passages line up to the right bank at TDC on the compression stroke, and to
the left bank at about 90 degrees after that same TDC position.

If you have the valve covers off while priming to observe all this - be
careful when you start turning the oil pump with the camshft bearing lined
up with a passage, because as I discovered (using an electric drill anyway)
oil gushes out over all the rocker arms instantly and all over the exhaust
manifold.

Jim Stacey
'73 4drht slowly going back together
Near Toronto