Why are you worried? Valves tapping?
(1) If you haven’t removed the valve covers, why do you think it’s oil-starved on the top end? Is it knocking?
(2) What’s the problem with removing the valve covers?
If you have the 340 or 383 motor, it should have the oil filler port on the right hand valve cover.
You could take it off while it’s running and look.
First off - congrats on a great find! Generally speaking if you must know you’ll have to pull a cover. But if you aren’t hearing clatter then you’re probably fine. Personally I’d pull a cover.
The valve covers on a car that old should have an opening where you can add oil, or at least a small oil breather filter. Pull off the filter or take the oil cap off, and you should be able to see, through the resulting opening, the oil reaching the valve rockers (or not, if the pump’s not working).
Run ‘er.
If you have oil pressure, why would you be afraid the top end isn’t getting lubrication. Hydraulic lifters, right? If you had no oil... you’d know.
Remember... it’s just a car.
(I want, I want)
This thread is useless without pictures...
If I had your concerns, I would have to pull the valve covers just for piece of mind. But I don’t.
Hydraulic lifters?
You'd know pretty quick if you weren't getting oil
Get away from that engine and pay someone who knows what their doing.
Congrats on the car! Other posters have already answered - you'd probably already know if she wasn't getting oil.
I admit, I'm jealous and wondering stats, 318/340/360/383/413/426/440 power plant, 727/833 tranny, 3.23 in the rears?
Anyhow, congrats again. Good luck and enjoy.
Certainly the year to get in Roadrunners. I’d like to see pics. Best of luck to you.
Remove the valve covers and check. Then either paint, clean or chrome them, your choice. You can clean the tappets also. I’m surprised you already don’t want to do that anyway regardless of oil flow.
Here’s an oil caution unrelated to pressure. Engines built before oxygen sensors used oil containing zinc. These engines were lubricated by chemistry. The zinc continuously coated the parts and what wore was the zinc coating, not the metal. After oxygen sensors the engines were redesigned to be lubricated by pressure. A layer of oil was always between two parts rather than zinc meeting zinc. This is because your engine burns a tiny amount of oil every firing stroke. It went past the oxygen sensor and eventually plated it with zinc.
You must use zinc containing oil. You can’t buy it at Wal-Mart. If it doesn’t contain zinc I don’t care how good it is. You will wear out your engine fairly fast.
Awesome! Got pics and stats? I had a 69 GTO and my best friend at the time had a 69 RoadRunner raising hell and racing weekends. The gold old days!!
Oil pressure is key but a fresh oil change and then turning the engine over a few times prior to actually starting it would have been my first move. If it’s been sitting for 5 years and you had it running then I’d say you have no problems mechanically although I’d still change the oil again. You may have some dry seals so I’d be looking for leaks