Thread: SBC oil pressure?

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I haven't broken it in completely yet. I have probably only let it run for a total of 45min-1hr.

I can't think of any reason it should drop oil pressure. It is a brand new crank (not a regrind). Brand new harmonic balancer. Brand new Clevite HP bearings. New cam bearings. Brand new cam etc. Everything is brand new.

What weight motor oil are ya'll breaking them in with? Maybe I'm using something too thin? (10W40). I did use the moly lube very liberally... and I mean VERY liberally.... used a whole Jar of Redline assembly lube.

In any event, my confidence is a bit better.

Any other insight? Thanks.

Originally Posted by hambiskit

Johnny- have you let the motor break in completly yet? I had a simular experience with a melling pump I installed in a 327, after it broke in good it stablized out to 32 & 56. I was rethinking everything- did I clearence everything, what did I miss, I mean I was going nuts. It was the second oil change that did it. I guess that maybe some of the moly lube was still circulating.
Good Luck.

Read this thread; http://www.clubhotrod.com/forums/sho...lesson+learned
You may get a better understanding of your situation, which BTW, looks quite normal to me.

Originally Posted by Bob Parmenter

Read this thread; http://www.clubhotrod.com/forums/sho...lesson+learned
You may get a better understanding of your situation, which BTW, looks quite normal to me.

Lots of good info, but still leaves the issue a bit foggy, especially with a lot of theory involved.

I estimate about 350-380Hp out of this motor. I am running a high volume oil pump with a stock depth oil pan. Would I have been better off running a regular oil pump or does it really matter? I am just trying to avoid a future problem.

I just don't want something to happen that merits that I end up having to pull this motor again and get it on a stand. I can replace the oil pump with the motor in the car..... if the high volume pump is a problem and might cause more harm than good.

Thanks.

BTW- I am not running a remote oil filter.... just the filter at the block.

Hard to say what happened to your Olds without doing a diagnosis of the failed parts. If in fact a high volume pump sucked up more oil than the rervoir (pan) could supply, and you sucked air from time to time, that may have contributed to bearing failure, if that's what happened. The thing is, the capacity of the pump, and the pan, are only a couple of factors. Just because the pump has the capability to pump more, doesn't mean it necessarily can supply more. You're still going to be limited by the oil gallery dimensions........the 5 pounds of s*** in a 2 pound sack example. In an oil system, if you over supply it will likely dump over a relief, or leak out somewhere/anywhere it can, but will it get back to the pump in time to keep it from starving the reservoir? I think folks go with high volume or high pressure (whichever they think is golden) because they operate from the "more is better" school of thought, rather than from any real need and/or understanding. If you have hogged out the galley, increased the bearing clearances, expanded the size of the total oiling system, e.g. the remote system, then a high volume pump might be justified to keep up with the larger volume changes to the total system. A high pressure pump makes no sense at all to me in a gasoline engine...........hydraulic system maybe, not an engine.