:eek:

If I never replace another oil pump, it will be too soon. Here's the saga:

1. Put the motor together with a Melling High Volume Oil Pump. Precisely 86 hours into operations, the car munched the allumibronze distributor gear. I called Crane, they said that I had to run a regular oil pump.

2. I put an OEM oil pump in the car. I overtemped the blow-off spring when I welded the pick-up in. Nobody told me not to weld the pick-up with the spring in the pump. The car made approx 20 psi pressure. I drove it around for a while, very low rpms. I also installed a new Allumi-Bronze gear.

3. Decided that Crane has no clue what they are talking about. So I checked the bronze gear, and sure enough, its about to fail, with a low flow pump. So I got an iron cam gear, and put the high flow pump back in. I overtemped the spring. Car made 25 psi oil pressure. So I've been driving it around at idle, keepig the revs below 2,000 rpms always.

4. I just put a new high flow pump in, removed the spring for the tack-weld. The car is making 58 psi oil pressure. Thats at 2,100 rpms. I think the spring is a little weak, I would really like to see blow-off at about 70-72 psi...but oh well.

Anyways, I really don't like the inside of my engine, I see it way too often. Hopefully never again.

Here are the points-
1. NEVER weld a pick-up into an oil pump without first removing the blow-off spring.
2. Felpro gaskets are awesome. I've used the same one for four different installs and it still seals perfectly.



Also, one more rant...my *good* jackstands are under my roomates 1962 Volvo, which he has removed the engine, transmission, and full front suspension...I don't think I'm ever going to get my jack-stands back. :mad

 

[QUOTE1. NEVER weld a pick-up into an oil pump without first removing the blow-off spring.[/QUOTE]

You know, it is interesting. I had the same problem with my spring and for one reason or another low oil pressure. I too kept it in when I tack welded it.

But after I mentioned that I had welded the tube with the spring in place, I got all kinds of responses slamming me on how I heat treated the spring.

Who knows what it was. I removed the spring, did a fresh bottom end rebuild using 0.001 over bearings to suck up a little of the slop, and now run oil pressure at idle, warm of 55psi. Anything off idle is around 65 or above. The highest I have seen with my stock, unshimmed spring is 72 psi.

 

Bummer....too many oil pan removals. your threads on those pan bolts are probably worn out. :lol:

When I was 17 and building my first motors, I used to weld the pumps and build windage trays. I made alot of mistakes by putting heat where it did not belong. I sure learned real quick.

:cheers: