My 455 has mondello oil restrictors in the mains and a high volume oil pump with a 7qt base pan and comp thumper hydraulic flat tappet cam and lifters with base push rods and comp roller rockers. it started out as a squeaking noise like dry metal on metal and I noticed # 5 and 7 rockers were loose , after tightening then down several times I took them off and noticed wear on the push rods, I decided to replace the push rods and still the same problem. when I crank the motor over very little if any comes out of the push rods.
any ideas what could cause this

 

Pull the distributor and drive the oil pump with a drill. You should see a steady equal amount of oil from each pushrod. If not, make sure the pushrod oil hole is clear. If so, pull the pushrod out, use an inspection camera and see if oil comes from the lifter. If not, there is a issue with the lifters

 

Helpful video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehug...ature=youtu.be

 

First a few questions. Was this engine ran previously, is this a fresh build . If you ran it for a while with no oil psi I would be very concerned. You must prime the engine before initial start up and or after sitting for a while. Good luck let us know what happens.

Did you install the oil pump rod ?. Even if you don't prime the engine you should get oil psi withing reason and not hear it squeek.

 

Perhaps the restrictors worked too well. I'd want to be sure that oil is getting "everywhere" it's supposed to before operating the engine. Follow the suggestions provided.

 

I agree with that. Doesn’t this type of restrictor reduce oil flow to the top end by design?

 

I ran restrictors in the big block I built a while back . The top end still sees plenty of oil. It does not restrict like you think.

 

The Mondello oil restrictors in the mains restrict oil to the cam bearings #2, 3, &4 and have nothing to do with top end oiling. Most folks don't use these any more. Were all the oil gallery plugs properly reinstalled, particularly the one at the aft end of the driver side oil gallery by the distributor gear?

 

Question, how are you tightening down the rockers? Do the heads have guide plates for the pushrods, if so are the guide plates striking the guide plates?

 

HOW MANY MILES/HOURS ON THIS ENGINE? What is the engine oil pressure at hot idle?

If you ruined pushrods, you've probably also ruined the rocker arms and/or the lifter pushrod seats that the worn, scored pushrods acted against.

You'll need to verify that the lifters pass oil, and the hollow pushrods and oiling hole on the rockers isn't plugged with debris or folded/worn metal. Use a 5/16 socket and speed handle/ratchet to spin the oil pump driveshaft--look at the lifters with the pushrods removed--see if oil comes out the top of the lifter when you've achieved oil pressure.

There's getting to be a lot of valve-train oiling problems. Cheap Communist Chinese junk lifters likely to blame. Some don't pass oil at all, others flood the valve cover.