Mellings Oil Pump Failure ... "whew"

[1980 Buick]

Well get this, I had my "T" up in the air and decided to install and updated timing chain & gears (*The metal cam gear etc )... along with the "new" Cam Bering design (that won't allow the camshaft too erode the front timing cover as it "walks up" to it. (the cover).

WHILE I had the car up, I grabbed the crank "inner-collier fan" and I felt some "play" in the timing chain ... (The engine has 17,600 miles on it) ... ANYWAY: I thought I'd upgrade the "Mellings stock pump" to the newer "tall gear" H.O. Pump (I've done this on all my 231's) and the results are always perfect ! ....

"while I'm inside, WHY NOT ? ".

WRONG HERE THO !! "have a look and see what happened" !

Everything turned out fine in the end, and I learned a lesson NOT to screw with things that are already "fine".
*Thank God I have an oil light !!! I have beautiful pressure parameters all the way around too.

 

[bison]

The tall gear set is almost never the correct thing to do to a 90* Buick v6 especially if it's not a return bypass setup like TA's or the old KD setups. The failure didnt result because your oil pressure at the sender was too high either. It happened because the pressure in the pocket was too high. You could have altered the pump housing area to avoid that failure. Fwiw I run standard gears in my engines. Been up to 800hp and 6400rpm and never had an oil pressure problem. The use of the pump was mis-applied and the failure isn't from a product defect. Plenty of guys running the tall gears out there with over 100psi gauge pressure and not having this type of failure.

 

[1980 Buick]

I like 10 pounds per 1,000 RPM ... (I have it now) .... all I know is I'm elated with the outcome !
I like only stock things (just my opinion) and at the dealership, these were installed "all too often" too remedy oil light issues...

a plague with 196's 231's and 4.1's.

 

[turbodave231]

I have to agree with Brian. If clearances inside the engine and pump are correct, oil pressure will not be a problem. The taller gears put excessive loads on the cam sensor driven gear causing wear and just aren't necessary.

As a suggestion: Porting the front cover and blueprinting the pump will give you better results (than the tall gears) without the excessive loads and problems that the loads can cause.

 

[1980 Buick]

Reading, (just now) I see no reference too "porting" anything. (the Melling's paper instructions inc. / pump package) Rather, It's the same ole same ole pump "upgrade". *Theirs no doubt YOU can improve upon the Factory "gave us". BUT: Back in the Dealership days, We were plagued with 196, 231, and 252 engs. , & we hung a ga-zillon of these things for flickering "oil" lites (for oil warning lites at idle, hot eng. in A/C or P/S cramps). It helped eliminate "main Bering noise" in the 4.1 Litre platformed engines as well. Sometimes we were able to raise idle speed to "sneak on by" ... sometimes no. ANYWAY, It became routine and we never "ported" anything. I think "yours" is more of a "nature" catering to Everest of trail n' error (in a different , more "exact" sense of things) ... We "everydayer's" know not of such things !

"But we are learning". I called Mellings, (way back) & they were GREAT and simply recomm. that I stay with "stock" ... My result (back too stock pump / yellow relief spring) yielded PERFECT results / resolve for me. *He was correct: "about 10lbs. / per every 1,000 RPM. UNLIKE you "Pro's", I'll never modify my car with anything except 100% stock, right down too the Cat. Converter and all ! "I just was trying to improve upon something (that FOR ME), didn't need improvement". < in my "setting" >

"Why monkey with perfection" ? Thanks for weighing in Dave.

"Theirs room for all, and we just love our cars yes" ?
I wish I had your talent!

 

[turbodave231]

I didn't invent the pump modifications, They came straight from Buick Engineering and are well detailed in the Buick Motorsport manual. You ever see that book?

I follow their recommendations and I have added a few tricks of my own that even they overlooked........and I've never had the problem you have. I have a career of Buick experience and Buick Engineering NEVER recommended installing the taller gears to fix low oil pressure problems. We fixed the real problems and didn't rely on band-aids.

Because you had some success in the past with the taller gears, that must make you an expert. You just keep on a do-in what yer do-in and I'll keep doing what I do.

 

[1980 Buick]

"works for me".