I just spent the last year building a shovelhead, and I'm having issues with the engine. The pushrods covers are filling up with oil. I know there's pressurize oil feed into the tappet blocks to feed the hydraulic lifters, and yes the tappets facing each other and are installed correctly. I've taken them apart multiple time and verified no holes are plugged. Shouldn't the oil be draining into the cam chest?

Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Chris

 

The tappet blocks have drain holes in them that drop the oil back into the timing chest. Check to see if they are obstructed.

 

are you confident of your breather timing? have you run it to operating temp and it is pooling or is this just a startup? did you replace the fitting that feeds the top end behind the rear tappet block?

 

way more info needed to answer this with out 100 guesses - then to find out you stroked the engine and the jug holes are in the incorrect spot -- or you used the wrong gaskets some one had thought they would work -
cone shovel -- flat side shovel - cone shovel after 1973 - AND what did you work on doing to it for a year or so

granted a percentage of oil does drain into the pushrod tubes BUT the majority drains into the jug and exits into the block via a set of drain holes at the bottom of the jug - the head drain holes need to be open for this to happen

 

All of the above are correct. Could be any of them. Attached is a page from my original manual.

 

Most of the work in the last year was building the bike, Modifying the frame, building exhaust, making and modifying components. I took everything apart in the engine with the exception of splitting the cases. I had the jugs bored out 0.010" with new pistons/rings. I'm sure the breather and cam are timed with the crank. I'm sure I put the head gaskets in the right way so the oil in the heads should be draining into the case via the jugs. All pieces were washed in my parts cleaner to insure all passage ways were clear.

 

so how do you know the amount of oil in the tubes in incorrect

is it leaking - if so did you use cork or the rubber ones that do not stop leaking ---- and you never said what year it is so I am guessing early

 

It's an 82, and I used the rubber O rings in the pushrod covers. The first time one of them leaked, but hasn't since. The Bike hasn't run for more then 5 minutes. I opened up the Cam chest and verified the breather was timed correctly. I'm in the process of pulling the heads just to verify the head gaskets are in correctly and oil is draining down through the cylinders.

 

y the tubes might have quad seals not o rings - post up the bottom of one of them to confirm