oil and water passages

[1990LTD]

FWIW; I'm only just learning this kind of stuff


Are water and oil passage locations engine model/engine family specific or are there general locations where most engines have the stuff running?

How's this crap work? I know the water and oil pump need to pump the stuff somewhere besides the radiator and oil pan, I just don't know what path it follows. Oil is obviously present in the pan and coating everything with a thin film when off and during operation where there's any moving parts/metal-metal friction but getting to and from is what I'm asking about.


they must run very closely to one another in the cylinder heads since one of the initial signs of a head gasket failure is milky oil or oily milk or an explosion and then none of either; depending on severity of the leak

[1987cp]

Windsor-family engines are all basically the same. That's all I really need to know.

[85crownHPP]

all push-rod motors have very similar oil/water plumbing.

[1990LTD]

Do the systems run like veins to/through every major part or is the generally one line that runs through everything?

[johnunit]

This is for the "FE" engine family, but it's the same basic idea for windsor motors.

The upper passages are where oil comes out to lubricate rockers under the valve covers, and the small and large rings in the center are the cam and main(crankshaft to block) bearings respectively.

[gadget73]

Windsors don't have oil passages into the heads though, oil for the rockers comes up through the pushrods. There are oil passages where the lifters sit, and thats how the lifters get oil to push up through the hollow pushrods.

[johnunit]

Good to know. I knew there was something off about that image from what I'm used to.