Oil Booster Plate??

[BOOSTD]

Im going to be replacing my timing chain soon. While I have the front cover off, should I put in an oil booster plate? Doesn't that increase the oil pressure? Is it expensive? Is it a hastle to replace? Where can I get one?

My car has 112k on it and the oil pressure is getting kind of low.
60psi at cold idle
15psi at hot idle (my car doesnt run any cooler than 190 deg. Im replacing the WP and thermistat when i replace the timing chain.)

thanks
BOOSTD

 

[inkcushion]

Hey man I just did one of those on my car yesterday!I put mine on on the car,It'll be a little easier with the cover off though, you have to drill some holes in the cover to mount the plate to. No big deal just a pain when your on your back under the car trying to drill those holes. But I got it my oil pressure is about 18-20 hot about 70 cold. I got my kit at autozone here in fl. its made by melling fit perfect works even better. If you need any advice or help please don't hesitate to email me! I needed help yesterday, I tried getting some help on the board ,but I guess everone was busy, so I had to figure it out by myself but I got it it just took longer than I had expected Alan

 

[Red Regal T]

I agree. Easy to do when the cover is off.

 

[dpok69]

is there a part# for that autozone unit?

 

[salvageV6]

TA Performance and Kenne-Bell make booster plate kits.

Kenne-Bell is annodized aluminum and I think the TA one is steel.

I've had a Kenne-Bell one on salvageV6 for 14 years now with no problems and 18-19psi. hot at idle.

Putting one on my GN next month as it has never had one and has 115K on it.

I don't believe you have to drill any holes with these kits. But you do have to dremel out the housing to match the plate. Or machine the housing if you have a milling machine.

 

[zam70]

Ryan, get the one from ta performance (steele one)...while you're at it, get 2 (one for me!). I'll pay you for mine when you get them.

 

[inkcushion]

Hey guys, The one I got from autozone part# k201phv is made out of steele as well it cost about 50 bucks I think thats cheaper than everyone else. The kit looks identical to the one in the atr catalog on page40 for 65 bucks. This kit also comes with a new thrust plate in case the factory is scored at all I know you want a nice fresh surface for the gears to ride against. if you have autozone check there first . Alan

 

[zam70]

OHHHHHHHHHH....I was thinking it was something different. I have one of those.
RYAN - don't get me one then.

 

[Red Regal T]

A friend of mine got a booster kit last year. I don't think it cost anything like that. I'm thinking more like $20. I just bought a Melling hi volume kit last week and it was only $29.50. That comes with tall gears, a spacer plate, and 3 different pressure relief springs and fasteners. Check around for pricing.

 

[b4black]

The thrust plate is just a new surface for PUMP COVER. The gears ride on it instead of the worn cover.

The booster plate is like the thrust plate but it re-routes the oil. You need to drill a hole in the PUMP COVER to use it. You wouldn't use a thrust plate w/ a booster plate. Both provide a new surface for the gears.

The high-volume kit is a ¼" spacer that uses longer gears and requires holes for alignment pins to be drilled in the TIMING COVER. This is the Melling kit that Autozone sells. You could use a thrust plate or booster plate with the high-volume kit.

HTH

 

[inkcushion]

The melling kit that I gave a price on is the high volume kit with a new thrust plate the normal high volume kit sells for about 22 bucks if you don't need the new thrust plate,my housing was scored pretty badly so I decided to replace it .If that housing has minor scoring it could still cuase a decrease in oil pressure so its better to be safe than sorry while your in there,I didn't mind paying the extra money for an extra 5lbs of pressure while at 190 degrees.These cars have such low oil pressure anyways so a little more couldn't hurt!!!!

 

[b4black]

And you're using a biggie oil filter, or at least a PF-52, right?

 

[salvageV6]

Just to add to the confusion Kenne-Bell calls their thrust plate kit a booster plate kit.

 

[JeffG]

That's intersting. I ordered a "booster plate" from TA and it is nothing more then a Mellings steel trust plate. About 20 something dollars. I was a little disapointed. Maybe I got the wrong thing? Does anyone have a picture of a booster plate? Where does the hole have to be drilled to install it?

Thanks,

 

[b4black]

KB's is a booster plate. It's patterned after Jim Ruggles design. You drill/cut a small passage in the PUMP cover before installing it. The trust plate and booster plate should look very similar, excpet the booster design blocks off a passage.

There might be drawings for the Ruggles booster plate in Power Source manual.

 

[BOOSTD]

This is one area where I am completely lost. Can everyone agree on one booster plate/thrust plate that works? I'd rather have one that doesn't require alot of machining because zam70 and I will be installing a h2o pump, timing chain, front and rear seals, hoses, and all the other little parts. I really dont want to run into something thats going to cause alot of problems. However, my oil pressure is getting pretty low and I really dont want to have to rebuild my engine anytime soon. SO....Autozone? TA performance (website?)? Kenne-Bell (website?)?

Scott- Sorry Im finding more things for us to have to do, but while we're in there we might as well fix the oil problem. I promise, this is is the last thing that we are going to have to install.

Thanks all,
BOOSTD

 

[BOOSTD]

yes, I have an Oil filter relocation kit with an M1-302 oil filter (pretty big).

 

[b4black]

The TA website calls it a booster and then a thrust plate. They say "no machining".

KB doesn't have a site. I'll check thier catalog when I get home. I know I have the drawings for the Ruggles booster plate. The "machining" involved is pretty easy. You just drill a small hole.


A thrust plate just helps you avoid buying a new PUMP cover if your's is torn up.

 

[inkcushion]

Alright !!! Thats it the thrust plate is just ther in case your housing is worn out! The Melling Kit I told everyone about is the thrust plate and the booster plate fit perfect no machining. everything lined up perfect. All I had to do was brill 2 small holes in the timing chain cover to install 2 small dowel pins to line up the booster plate,definetily easier with the cover off!!! My car use to have 8-10 lbs of oilpressure when hot but now it has about 20 -25 hot(190)in the florida heat Thanks Alan

 

[b4black]

The thing with the two dowels pins is not the booster plate. That's the high volume pump kit. The pins hold the ¼ spacer in place and it therefore uses pump gears that are a ¼ longer than stock.

The KB booster plate (aka block-off plate) is the Ruggles design. In the catalog it states under the part number "1979-up filter housings require a small relif cut be made in the housing." Page 115 of the power source manual show the plate and the mod to be made (¼" round through to connect.....)

The TA plate doesn not have the same openings as the KB Booster/block-off/Ruggles plate. Altough they call it a booster plate, I'm not sure it is. It doesn't appear to re-route the oil like the others.