The Classic Machinery Network

Good day gentlemen,

I have a freshly rebuilt Perkins AR series 1004.42 engine in an 02 JCB 214e. After dropping the engine back into the frame and connecting everything, I was able to get it running but it was sounding fairly rough, blowing a lot of smoke and fuel out of the exhaust and overall just running poorly. After adjusting the valve lash, the engine is running beautifully but I noticed I have zero oil flowing up to my rocker assembly etc. I removed the rocker assembly and blew compressed air into the oil tube that feeds the rocker and the air passed through with no issues.

I have the full Perkins shop manual for this engine but it doesn't give any information about the small plug that goes into the side of the block which I believe is a oil flow restrictor for the rocker assembly.

Does anyone have any advice or suggestions as to what else maybe causing this no flow issue?

Regards,
Todd

Hi Todd; on reading your posts regarding this I assume that you have made a good engine from two by using bits from your old one? If this is the case then I hope you still have the old one because the first thing that I would do is to examine the old block, there must be a detail difference as you had oil to the rockers before.
I once had this problem on a Cummins NTCE engine that ran for six months with low oil to the rockers as the chap who had changed the camshaft failed to fit the small oil restriction bung into the end of the new cam; let us know how you get on.

Jeremy

If the air passes thru the oil feed pipe wouldnt that be wrong as in I would think it should come up against pressure of the oil pump

Paul

hi todd
did you remove the crankshaft at all?
or remove / replace the main bearings on the crankshaft?

pgplantservices wrote:hi todd
did you remove the crankshaft at all?
or remove / replace the main bearings on the crankshaft?

Yes Paul,
If the oil holes don't line up in the top centre main bearing shell there will be no oil feed to the centre crank bearings, centre camshaft bearing or the rockers.
I think the bottom shell would have to be fitted to the top for that to happen.
I should think you would still be able to blow back through the rocker oil feed as the air would escape through the cam bearing
I hope Todd finds something simple and easier to sort out but I cant think of anything else and I don't know anything about the plug/flow restrictor that Todd mentioned.
Fred

yes Fred,
the shells would have to be fitted upside down.
I have seen this done several times now by different people who have rebuilt these engines,who then bring them to us to fix with the same symptoms as todds
its a very easy mistake, but can be very costly.
hope this isn't the case with your engine Todd.
Paul

The engine internals were installed by a reputable engine builder. I still have my old block and will need to look but it looks like a plug has been installed in one of the oil fill tubes that travels from the cam up through the block and into the head to the rocker assembly. I have some photos of the rebuilt short block before reassembling it in my shop and will need to check and see if the old block has that plug installed as well. I disassembled the blown engine so if the plug is or is not installed will tell me a lot. Unfortunately, I am out of town on business but will check when I return home on Friday.

Thank you to everyone who has replied thus far, will be interesting to find the root of this problem!

Spent some time on the engine this weekend and the first order of business was throwing my pressure test gauge on the oil filter housing test port and I am only getting about 5-7 PSI.

Pulled the sump and dismantled some of the oil pump and the relief valve but nothing seems to be out of order.

Thoughts?