I'm assembling a gen 1 350, and while I was doing the pre-oil, I noticed that I'm not getting any oil flow out of the 2-8 cylinder bank. The odd number cylinders are flowing oil like crazy, but not a drop of oil out of the pushrods on the even numbered cylinders. I haven't checked the oil pressure with a gauge, because there wasn't one handy where I was doing the assembly. Obviously it has at least some pressure given the flow at the odd numbered cylinders.

If anyone has any suggestions, I'd like to hear them.

 

First thing you need to establish, Is how much pressure the pump is producing. With a drill primer, if you are getting less than 35psi with room temperature oil, you have a BIG leak in the Oil Galleries, or too much clearance in the Rear Main. I am assuming you had the block cleaned and Magna-Fluxed, and that you removed ALL the Oil gallery plugs, and run a brush through them when you washed the block for assembly. If you didn't, Shame! Crud loves to hide in corners, and there are a Ton of them in a Chevy block!

Because you have oil to the Left Bank of Cylinders, I would assume there is a blockage between the Rear Cam bearing, and the Right hand Lifter Gallery. If You did remove the gallery plugs, I have seen instances where the right rear plug was tightened too far down in the threads, Blocking the Gallery feed.

 

You're using a primer that doesn't close off the distributor hole to pass oil to the even bank.

 

That'd do it! The Primer I use is an old Dizzy that I took the drive gear and flyweights off of.

 

The bottom end of the motor was not disassembled. It started as a stock motor that was running prior to being pulled. I basically used the short block and rebuilt the top end. The motor got a new cam and lifters, heads, pushrods, rockers, and intake.

The oil pump wasn't changed, because the guy I'm doing the work for is tight on money and decided not to change it. If it were my personal motor, I would have changed the pump. That said, I'm not sure that the pump is the problem, since it is getting oil to one bank.
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This is a new one for me. So, the distributor hole has to be sealed up for oil to be transferred to the even bank?

 

yes, the distributor body closes up the oil passage.

 

Thanks guys. I appreciate the help.