I doubt your headers are the only ones that run close to the oil filter. Ask around and see if that really is a problem for anyone else. Seems very strange that the oil temp would go up while the coolant temp remains normal, especially with the cooler. Hot oil would cause a hot engine in a hurry.

 

 

Rather than a wrap around the header, which will reduce that 1/8" gap even more, try painting the oil filter housing a bright Al color.
That will greatly reduce radiant heat to the filter and, while the car is moving, there will be little no heat conducted through the air gap.

 

Excellent point.

I just got home, I plan on cutting open TWO FILTERS I have to see if there's any metal in them to indicate any kind of bearing failure..

Anyway, the problem is the heat, not the oil pressure.

Oil pressure is the SYMPTOM not the cause.

Please explain, serious, how a bad bearing would cause HEAT.

Without the heat, there's no pressure problem.

I threw our conversation around alot last night to come to this conclusion.

 

I didn't know this.

Given this, you should NOT have a hot oil problem.

20 - 50 is thick enough for a weak pump to show pressure.

Oil journal blockage? To part of engine where the OT sensor is? And no flow where the sensor is? Causing false high read? Where is the OT sensor?

 

I don't believe it's a false high read for the following reasons:

1. the OP drops
2. the valves get loud.

 

On my '88 L98 the OT sensor is in the oil filter mounting base!!!
I wonder just how close this is to the header??

 

You can quickly determine the effect of radiant heat on the oil filter by taking some roof flashing (thin gauge sheet aluminum) and making a temporary heat shield to fit in the gap between the filter and header. Make sure the shiny side is toward the header.

I think your idea of cutting the filters apart and looking for clues is a good idea. I also think you should consider sending an oil sample for analysis.

Other than analyzing the oil, I would concentrate on the things that you changed in the engine, namely the piston and rod assembly. There are a couple of possible scenarios I am thinking could be contributing to the problem. The first is that the rings haven't seated yet and you are getting some blow-by. I can't remember if you said whether or not you honed the cylinder with the new parts, but if you didn't you may have problems getting the rings to seat properly. Secondly, is it possible that the rod bearing journal clearances on the new rod are set too tight? That can definitely lead to rapid heat buildup.

Hang in there and be methodical. You'll find it!

 

I am definitely sending an oil sample out for analysis.

If it is the rings, or anything related to the piston, the guy who did the work is to blame, and HE is the one who needs to fix it, at his cost. If I can narrow it down to something along those lines, good for me.

Any way I can tell without a tear down?

 

expecially on rings.
A new fresh rebuild is always folloewd by higher oil temps.
When the rings are seated (assuming they will seat..) the temps goes down.
If I remember, you swapped the new piston, without removing the whole engine and without re-honing . (correct me if I'm wrong)
So, you may have problems getting the rings to seat properly.

 

That's what I am suspecting. What is the remedy? New rings and a hone?

Like I said, I had someone else do that work, for this reason.

The guy who did it is a dam fine mechanic I'm surprised I'm having a problem, but at least this time it's not my problem.

How fast should the rings seat? I probably put 75 miles on it since the new piston.

Is there any way to tell if the rings aren't seating without tearing it down?

Can any residual damage occur from the rings gone bad? Can the cyl walls be destroyed?

Thanks.

 

I've lost track of what you said the oil pressure drops to, but no matter. Number 2, "the valves get loud.", gives me a yet to be mentioned thought. My worn out Crossfire has a quiet valve train on thin oil at less than 10 psi oil pressure. It doesn't take a lot of pressure to keep hydraulic lifters happy. My 400 with the high volume oil pump with the pressure relief spring shimmed (I out smarted myself on THAT one), the one that almost never saw less than 50 psi oil pressure, would run out of oil in the pan cruising at 70 mph (3500 rpms). I'm not suggesting that your pump is pumping your pan dry at idle speeds or in "test mode", but especially since the pan has been off recently, possibly the oil pump pick up has fallen off or is sucking air. Air in the oil would explain valve train noise. The pressure would read artificially low because, unlike the oil (a liquid) the air in the system can be compressed, resulting in lower readings. Ask anesthesia about Boyles Laws of Gasoline. He knows all about compressing liquids.

I'm not saying that this HAS to be the problem, but I think it is a valid enough possibility to warrant pulling the pan. Remember, 99 and 44 one hundredths percent (99.44%) of the problems we deal with are the off shoot of the LAST problem we dealt with. The ball is in your court.

RACE ON!!!

 

I'm definitely going to have the shop that put it together drop the pan. 1/2 hour job on a lift. PIA on my back. Besides, he touched it last, he should correct it.

The oil pump is stock. The pressure problem only starts after the heat problem. Heat comes first, then the OP problem. The OP is about 35 lbs when cool.

At an idle in gear it drops to 0. The valve noise starts after the temp problem.

 

I never suggested that it might not be stock or that it would make any difference. That is what I get for giving back ground information. Too few people actually READ and COMPREHEND what is written,



Aerated oil would heat up faster. Thinner hot oil would allow more air to be introduced through a leak.




That squares with what I suggested.

RACE ON!!!

 

Yup...

Too much oil in the pan, that has no baffle, and a crankshaft spinnin' in it will get mighty foamy, and hot, and show NO pressure.

 

This theory does make a lot of sense. Good thinking.

 

Thanks. I'm going to see the shop tomorrow. I'm going to have him drop the pan and see what is happening. I'll make your suggestions.

Also, I used synthetic with the new rings. In my research, I read an interweb article, http://www.ntnoa.org/enginebreakin.htm, that says breaking in new rings with synthetic will glaze the rings and they will never seat.

I am really hoping the problem is related to something they touched, related to the piston change, this is getting too expensive. I could have a nice stroked 383 with what I have invested already.

 

Have you considered taking up stamp collecting?

RACE ON!!!

 

Recently, yes.....

I gotta tell ya, what keeps me going is that when the car is cold and the pressure is up, the torque is head snapping, and the rpms kick up like a two stroke. It's addictive.....

 

Did you check the oil level for too much oil (or too little)? Do you remember seein' any bubbles on the stick?