how much oil should be under my valve covers???

[01maroonz71]

because its a new motor and i have some, but not ALOT like ithought i would have. i left the oil fill plug off and i was watching it. i figured it would splash out everywhere. was i mistaken???? thanks guys!
~Dave

 

[lectric80]

Inside of the oil fill area is a baffle that is designed to prevent a lot of splashing oil when the engine is running. Normally I have only gotten spray from the valves when I have had the covers off to do some adjusting.

 

[01maroonz71]

my oil fill is not baffled, i can see right down to the pushrods/lifters and there is not oil slopping everywhere....nothing has even come out of the rockers at all. should i switch to a thinner oil????? maybe this is too thick to come up the pushrods.

 

[4X4HIGH]

I would first lose the Fram oil filter that you said you had in another post. Once you have a quality filter on there and if you still don't have oil or enough oil then i would have a professional look at it before you go ruining a new motor and end up with a pile of crap. You can fight with the dealer later to get your money back for whatever diagnosis you had done assuming that it was a fault of the engine and not a fault of your own. It will get fixed much quicker this way and with less damage.

 

[01maroonz71]

awesome man....how much exactly is "enough" oil???? thanks!!!

 

[W7NB]

With old school chevy motors I always figured if I had more inside the valve covers then had leaked out on the garage floor I was OK - then again perhaps that was jus me and my inability to get the $&*_ things to stay sealed up

You should see oil squirt out of the top of the rocker each time they compress and keep the rockers lubed. Any noises when it's running? Oil pressure seem ok? And yeah, ditch the Fram and get a decent filter.

 

[4X4HIGH]

awesome man....how much exactly is "enough" oil???? thanks!!!

On a new engine with the valve covers off it should spray oil across the fenders. Does this help explain how much oil you should have.

 

[01maroonz71]

yeah, it definately doesn't...just kinda drips in there...

 

[76zimmer]

Agreed, try a Napa gold filter, and any oil should get up to squirt in your eyes if your not careful.
catching up a little late on this ongoing problem, but maybe its time to pull the intake and loosen the valves to pull the lifters and see whats going on at the cam. Sounds like you may have wiped it already.

 

[lectric80]

Definately do the Napa gold filter. On my 4.3 I don't get a lot of spray from the rockers, just a slow run out of the top of the pushrod. Don't know if yours is the same, but that is all I get even though I am pushing 60+ pounds of pressure.