306 Head Issue... oil bar?

[Capri-corn]

Hi I have a 1995 2.0 306 XSi which my mechanic / friend has just done the head gasket for me.



On reassembly it ran well - and after warming up he took it for a test drive. A few minutes down the road it lost a cylinder then cut out all together.

Head off again and we've found two tappet 'cups' apparently seized in the head. This resulted in a couple of bent valves...



It is like no oil was getting to this area? Looking at the original oil bar, it's not blocked, but there are little dimples like there should be more feeder holes..?



hard to say but the car has done 135,000kms with this oil bar so nothing in theory has changed...?

Has anyone had issues with Oil feeds or made modification in this area?

cheers

Pat

[Oldpug]

It would appear that lack of lubrication has caused the cups to seize,but just two middle ones is odd?.I think there is a problem with those two cups? Until you remove them and inspect everything you can not be sure. I`ve known those 8v XU engines to survive with the oil rail MISSING. Providing the oil route in the head is clear the camshaft should be "swimming" in oil.The eight small holes in the rail just provide extra lubrication for each cam lobe.
When you first removed the cam cover was there lots of oil in the head.? Oil to the head comes from the block via a hole at the offside front,where the oval rubber ring is in the head gasket. It is possible to fit the head gasket upside down but if that happened the whole head would run dry and seize the camshaft.(I`ve seen that happen).
All you can do is make sure the oil way from the block to the head is clear. Pour brake cleaner into the head and blow into the gallery with an air line,making sure you see it coming out of each hole where the camshaft sits.Then make sure the holes in each camshaft securing cap are clear and all the holes in the rail are clear.
As I said I think you will find a problem with those two cups? how you will get them out will be your main task?

[Capri-corn]

Thanks for your reply Oldpug

The eight small holes in the rail just provide extra lubrication for each cam lobe.

So with these rails are they meant to be actual extra holes in these oil bars?? as mine are just dimples in the plastic?
I wondered about drilling them out..?
I cannot even find a picture of a new part to compare against??

When you first removed the cam cover was there lots of oil in the head.?

I wasn't present but I believed the head got flipped over to see the valves .. so unsure.
The two that siezed are the RH end ones if the plugs are at the front. So perhaps oil was getting to the end cam outlet and not flowing back in?

I'll update here as to progress, and how difficult it was to remove the cups..etc..?
cheers