Hi skidplate

I assume the oil pan is on during this process?

I like your idea.  👍

And I've done something similar.

But, if the pan is on during the process, keep in mind that most of the kerosene/oil flush will not be going through a bypass filter before it gets to the troughs under the connecting rods, so some of the crud you loosen will be accumulating there.

So, you might try this...

As a final procedure to flush the troughs out, I have mixed a gallon of kerosene with a gallon of oil in a clean pail and poured it into the engine (I always mix before adding).

That should bring the level above the troughs and get the rods splashing pretty good.

Start the engine and run for 20 seconds or so.

Stop, drain, pour some kerosene through with the drain plug out, install the plug and a new filter, refill with oil and you're good to go.

I actually use the above procedure every time I've had an oil pan off.

But my wife says she thinks I'm too "surgical" with my engines (actually she often uses the word "anal").  🙂

Ok so NO the oil pan wasn't on for this, which might be why it didn't really work very well. I set up a large drip pan under the entire engine and a smaller bucket just under the oil pump. Filled the bucket with oil and ran the pump just to see if everything worked. Well it did and it didn't. The oil sucked up then blew it out the bottom oil pan feed. I was hoping to get something up to the lifters but nothing made it. I installed the bypass filter the way the factory recommended but wanted to confirm the top end was getting oil before I opened up the filter (I squeezed the lines shut for testing purposes). There was also factory T-fittings that were recommended that I obviously didn't have. The existing oil pressure fitting as well as the fitting that feeds the top end both have reduction holes. So when I installed the two T's for the bypass, I made sure they also had a reduction hole. So I kinda wanted to see oil flow AROUND the filter via my improvised reduction holes before I had it flow through the filter. 

All of this was while attempting to clean out the rest of the crud in the lines. So I like your idea about overfilling the pan and therefore washing the troughs as you go. And having the pan ON may also provide enough back pressure to allow the fluid to make it up the top end. 

@skidplate 

For 1937, '38, and '39, the oil line to the top end fed off the LOW pressure side of the oil distributor valve.

Which puts it on the same side of the valve as the outlet to the oil lines in the oil pan.  🙂

So no, you won't get any flow to the top unless you plug that oil pan feed line.

Plug it and you will.

Because the oil guage and the line to the bypass filter are taken off the main oil gallery, which is on the HIGH pressure side of the distributor valve, you should have seen pressure on your gauge, and flow through your filter.

There is an outlet metering hole in the stem in the middle of your filter housing which should limit the flow through the filter, even in the absence of metering in the fittings leading to the filter.

I really like what you have done, you just need to find a way to plug or greatly reduce the amount of oil coming out of the feed to the oil pan.

Seeing as you have the pan off, I would suggest getting a few spray cans of something like chlorinated brake clean to run through the lines in the pan.

Let them soak, hit them again, then blow them out clean, being sure none of the nozzles are at all plugged.

That should get you there!  🙂

I figured that was the problem. Although I'll readily admit I was really surprised when I initially pulled the pan and saw all the baffling and oil squirters. It stood to reason that if it all worked fine before I pulled it apart, it'll probably work equally fine once everything is back in place. No promises yet with the bypass filter but everything else should be fine. 

So I spent the day putting the pan back on. Got everything prepped and cleaned and scraped and coated on all sides with sealant. Got all the gaskets nicely in place. Even the front and rear gaskets snugged right into place. Not sure I've ever gotten a pan installed and be as pretty as it turned out. It's sad that a grown man would find something as mundane as an oil pan install to be PRETTY. Oh well.

Anyway tomorrow I'll see what can be pumped through the system. I have my 2 gallons of kerosine and 2 gallons of really cheap oil. Guess we'll see how things go. Cheers 

<An interesting Jam Handy film to watch>  The whole thing is interesting but where it relates to Chevy engines starts shortly after the 5 minute mark. It delves into the squirters and dippers at about the 8 minute mark.