Oil pressure questions.... NEED HELP!

[Jerryl]

....... But it has been said that you will feel the gears "mesh" with oil present, right? It doesn't feel like a catch at a certain point of the rotation, but like each time the gears mesh.

The oil pump did have a tiny leak when you revved the motor, around the thin crappy paper gasket. Maybe this is due to the convex cover, leaking a bit of oil, but also sucking air, in turn losing prime.

I am with you, Jerryl, on replacing the front cover and oil pump cover. I am getting scared that if it is not set up correctly or is convex/concave that the gears will grind the aluminum, which will end up in the bearings, and I will be back to square one.

Yes you are correct. Smooth consistent drag.
Probably nothing to worry about and not trying to alarm you but ........ with possible air/oil mixture, do you think you could have gotten some air bubbles in the oil resulting in a "less than perfect lubrication" to the bearings? While you have the cover off, would it be worth checking "just one center" main bearing?

Where do you guys buy your front covers/oil pump covers???

I am using this one (bottom of the page);
http://www.taperformance.com/Timing.htm

Try here too, same unit, $139 complete!
http://secure.johnsperformance.com/...1770.21290*2Q3dj&next=20&product=Engine-Parts

 

[Squid4life]

Yes, it is a possibility, I will be pulling the pan when I pull the front cover to check a main bearing or two.

As a precaution I will most likely get a new front cover and oil filter adapter. I am just gun shy with this setup and would feel better getting all new stuff. Not sure if I want to get the cover from Johns, then the adapter locally and try to set it up again, or pay Aggressive $250 and have it ready to install. We'll see...

 

[GNandGS]

http://www.gwtra.org/gwtra_mb/messages/4/1701.html?1137519576

I really dont think you need to pull a cap - but you can.

 

[Squid4life]

Shawn, I am pulling straws here. I have had way too much bad luck with this car. I will drop the oil filter adapter and look at it, then try to figure out what to do from there:

1. New oil filter adapter ($50+)
2. New front cover and adapter and get help setting it up ($149 +$50)
3. Should it be HV or not
4. Buy a complete, assembled HV front cover that I can install and (hopefully) be done with. ($250 +shipping)

 

[bison]

I have seen these engines have low oil pressure when everything is perfect as far as clearances on the cam bearings, mains and rod, and the pump. We cant do much about the lifter bores though. The machining on these blocks was too sloppy to have consistent results with oil pressure. If the front cam bearing is worn a little you will lose a lot of oil pressure. Ive seen bad cam bearings in engines with under 5k miles on them. If you have a problem with losing prime then you need to backtrack the suction side of the oil circuit. If an engine had 10psi on a hot day at idle and 40psi at 2000rpm after driving on the highway for a while i wouldnt be too worried. If you are sure your front cam bearing isnt worn and the rest of your clearances are good (which you already verified) then it may be an option to use a high volume pump. It will raise the pressure quite a bit all across the board. You will have to use a lightweight 0W-30 or 5W-30 to avoid excess oil pressure when its cold. There will be more wear in the cam sensor bushing with the HV pump.

 

[Squid4life]

""If the front cam bearing is worn a little you will lose a lot of oil pressure.""

I used the good TA cam bearings, brand new.

""If you have a problem with losing prime then you need to backtrack the suction side of the oil circuit.""

That is why I am looking closer at the oil filter adapter and front cover, it may be warped, sucking air. I will also take a closer look at the pickup and gasket, where it all begins.

 

[Jerryl]

....... I used the good TA cam bearings, brand new.........

After it is all said and done, take an easy drive to TX and we can talk about what we learned over a few beers and pizza's. :tongue:
I'll throw in the hand rolled cigars ........

 

[Squid4life]

Hopefully once I get the timing cover/oil issue worked out I can DRIVE it down there. I have put less than 200 miles on this car since I bought it. A year and a half and less than 200 miles. And this car was to be my "daily" driver.

I anticipated getting this thing on the road, so I sold my '69 Chevy truck on Ebay a week ago. Now I am car-less!

I do have my 90 Ford truck I just picked up, but it needs a motor installed. (have spare motor, just need to install it), and I also have my 70 Torino, but it is STRIPPED for body work.

It is sad, I own three cars (myself, not couting my wifes car) and NONE are road-worthy... :frown:

It is a sickness.

 

[Jerryl]

Hopefully once I get the timing cover/oil issue worked out I can DRIVE it down there. I have put less than 200 miles on this car since I bought it. A year and a half and less than 200 miles. And this car was to be my "daily" driver.

Understand. Stay offline and "Get'r Done"! :tongue:

 

[Squid4life]

I am at work and don't really feel like doing much. I am trying to locate parts.

:biggrin:

 

[Squid4life]

Ok, small update. Stole my drill back and primed the pump. Primed it without a filter on it and it spit after a few seconds. Primed with a filter next, and after about 10 seconds it showed about 50 lbs. The strange thing is, you can HEAR the air sucking back into the system somewhere, and you can really hear it out of the cam sensor hole. I have the cheap oil filter gauge Teed into the oil feed at the top of the turbo and you can watch the oil suck back down in the clear line. It sounds like you are drinking with a straw, but your drink is almost gone.

I still think I want to pull the oil filter cover off and look at the wear surface, but then should probably go back to the hard turbo oil feed line (delete turbo saver) and try it again. (in case air being sucked at a line)

But what is up with the sucking sound coming from inside the motor?

 

[VadersV6]

Is it just me or does it sound like an oil galley plug is loose?

 

[Squid4life]

On the back of the block?........

 

[VadersV6]

No. In the front.

 

[Steve V]

That would cause a nice leak,been there done that (back of the block). On the front where the cup plugs are,those are on the pressure side of the pump so "if" they are leaking they shouldn't cause a sucking sound.How about a front cover gasket that has slid when installed?

 

[VadersV6]

Yeah, to be honest, its been like 8 years since I even saw the inside of one of these motors. I wasnt really interested in them either at the time, so nothing got stored on the hard drive in my head. So, I really dont even remember how the front covers assembled. Does the front cover tap right into those galleys in the front?

 

[Squid4life]

If they are on the pressure side, and loose, when you stop priming they could draw back down, right?

I looked at the front cover gasket to see if it slid, nothing that I could see.

 

[soundguy]

I'm sure I"m off course here, but if you did alot of work on engine inside, did you check the pickup screen in the pan, it may be clogged up so you're not able to pull any oil up to fill the filter or up to turbo. Just one of those stupid little things that can be overseen and cause alot of headaches.

 

[Squid4life]

Brand new pickup tube/screen. New gasket, loctited bolts, torqued to spec.

 

[soundguy]

I'm assuming you checked oil level and that it doesnt show any loss of level.