This has probably been covered before but the search feature doesn't seem to work on this site so here goes.
For a center oiler FE block what oil system modifications should one do to make more reliable lubrication? I know of the rear main bearing to oil port match mod and the block to filter housing port enlargement and matching interface but what else is done to make a center oiler really slick?

Thanks.

Restricting top end oiling into the rocker shaft support.

top end restrictors here:

http://www.network54.com/Forum/74182/thread/1140835392/Oil+Restrictors

May want to use the search function. Many posts here on "how-to" restrict top end oiling. Just be sure to click on 'match', not 'date'.

I have been wanting to do a post with pictures on this but have not gotten to it.
Drill the opening from the oil pump to the filter mount out to 1/2". Make sure that you have the late model oil pump mount and clean up the turns in it with a die grinder. Drill the passage up from the oil filter with a long 7/16 bit. Drill the center passage out with a long 7/16 bit. Drill the oil holes from the mains up to that passage with a long 5/16 bit and chamfer them at the mains to match the bearings. Plug the lifter passages and run a solid lifter cam. Install screw in plugs and head restrictors from Precision Oil Pumps. Get a high pressure, high volume pump with a big drive from Precision Oil Pumps. Use at least a 7 quart pan.

Run for cover, here comes lots of other opinions. LOL

1. Run 6 - 7 quarts of oil in the 5 quart pan, along with a Ford windage tray to keep oil off the spinning crank.

2. Restrict oil to the rocker shafts with a 0.70" to 0.90" orifice on each side. With stock heads you can just drop a Holley jet of the appropriate size into the oiling passage in the heads.

Also very strongly recommended, although not absolutely mandatory in a street car, is an upgraded oil pan. I'd recommend either the Milodon stock replacement 5 quart pan, or better yet a higher volume 8 quart pan.

There are a lot of other things that you can do, but these two things are the most critical items. If you do this you can live with a standard volume/pressure oil pump, the stock size oil passages, the lame factory oil pan, etc.

Don't think that all the internal passage modifications will improve the oiling system if you don't take care of these first critical items. On the dyno I found out that three quarts of oil are circulating in the engine when it is running. No matter how free flowing your oiling passages are, if you launch the car with only two quarts in the pan, you will starve the oil pump pickup, and the bearings will be momentarily without oil. No oil passage modification, or high volume/pressure pump, will overcome this problem.

See my article in the August 2008 Car Craft for more information:

http://www.carcraft.com/techarticles/ccrp_0808_ford_390_fe/index.html

Jay Brown
1968 Shelby GT 500 Convertible, 492" 667 HP FE
1969 R code Mach 1, 490" supercharged FE, 9.35 @ 151.20, 2007 Drag Week Runner Up, Power Adder Big Block
2005 Ford GT, 2006 Drag Week Winner, 12.0 Daily Driver
1969 Ford Galaxie XL, 460 (Ho Hum....)
1964 Ford Galaxie 500, 510" SOHC

I usually do everything that was done on the med/heavy duty truck [361-391 FT series] as well as what was done on 427s. Open the passage from the oil pump to the filter adapter to 7/16", match the main bearing holes, and if the block hasn't been drilled to 7/16" from the filter adapter to the main gallery do it. I have gone as far to drill the main gallery out to 7/16" just to equalize the pressure to the rear of the engine. After the passages are drilled I tap the holes for screw-in plugs. I don't have alot of faith in press-in plugs even if they are staked. Also the HD truck engines used a high volume pump [5/16" drive]but that was mainly for the extra volume needed for air compressor oiling but its not a bad idea on FEs that see the high side of 5K rpm. FT engines were designed to run at 4000-4500 governed rpm for hundreds of thousands of miles. Ford also used a solid lower main bearing shell in these engines but if you want to do that you will have to use 351C main bearings as the truck bearings have been discontinued years ago. Oh yeah, meter the oil to the heads and massage the drains.

60 Starliner 460, 61 Starliner 427, 66 Galaxie 428, 67 Fairlane 427, 66 Fairlane 390, 69 F-250 390, 72 Lincoln 460 and 3 Ford powered Hotboats

Thanks to all who responded to my inquiry. The information is invaluable. A blessed Thanksgiving.