Just a big headache

[ellis93]

You primed it already? When? If it primed before you stabbed the distributor,pull that thing back out and check that flat out in the bottom of its gear,maybe its gone

[dazedandconfused]

I just tried priming it today. Put the drill/primer on it and pulled front plug out of drivers side of block where the factory 82 sender was and nothing. I put the fitting for mechanical gauge and left line hang and barely anything came out. This thing has me pulling my hair out.

[DodgeFreak]

The machine shop that machined my 318 didn't put the galley plugs in behind the cam retainer, I had 0psi at an idle and 20 at 1500....i'd double check that all the plugs are in there.....another machine shop didn't put the oil galley plugs in on a 350 on the back of the block....same deal had no oil pressure only difference was it puked about 2 quarts all over the floor lol...

[PToombs]

Where I used to work we had an old '86 6.9 diesel. It got blown up so we sent it out, had 1 sleeve put in and new rings all thru it. When we got it back it had no oil up at the rockers, but pressure on the gauge. The guy doing the wrenching then was a woodchuck from way back, so he ran a hose from the back of the block at the pressure sender to a hole up above someplace to backfeed oil. When the boss saw that we pulled the engine back out and found the machine shop left the 2 plugs out of the oil galleys that run near the cam, I think they were in the rear, but the oil didn't leak externally. They were more than happy to come up to the shop with an allen wrench and put them back in.

[dazedandconfused]

Well im going to pull the timing cover off when it stops raining and the cam gear. Hopefully thats what it is snd i just overlooked it. Its been 10 years since ive built a gas motor so maybe i missed them.

[dazedandconfused]

Looking threw pics i took and found this one. Looks like the galley plugs are in there.

[ellis93]

The offer of use of the 45 is still on the table

Andy....man....I'm out of thoughts,you've some craaaaazzzzzzyyyyy siht going on there

[dazedandconfused]

This is why i quit wrenching for work because this is the crap i always got. Im going to drop the pan and swap oil pumps and pickup again to see if thats its problem. If that don't fix it i have no idea.

[PToombs]

I have an idea. Drop the pan, then run the primer tool and see if the oil is pouring out someplace. If everthing is ok, there should be oil coming from multiple places. If something is way wrong, there may be a big stream from a missing plug or a crack or something.

It's been years since I played with any chevy engines, but aren't there orifices or restricters or something in an oil galley up top? I seem to remember something about them. I wonder if a plug got put in where a restrictor should be?

[dazedandconfused]

Pete that i don't know. I usually deal with Ford and Dodge engines. I know there are supposed to be 4 plugs in the oil galley and they are all there from what I've gathered. We are all puzzled around here.

[Tacoclaw]

If it is an oiling problem, dropping the pan and feeding the inlet from a jug while turning the pump seems like a simple step. In our world yelling at newbies for not searching for air leaks in the fuel system is a normal occurance.

I'd say do that and check the return streams for bubbles, just like a fuel system.

[DodgeFreak]

another question not real sure on how the 454s are but does the pick up just press into the pump like the 350s??? is it possible that when you put it together you have the proper clearence and when you fire it up the vibration causes the pick up to drop and start it for oil??? Have you tried tacking the pick up in place??? What doesn't make sense is that you had oil pressure when you primed it but lost it as soon as it fired up. you should be able to pull the oil pump apart and see if theres any weird wear....I really don't see how a new pump would work then fail with in a matter of minutes with out any signs.

[dazedandconfused]

Well after watching Horsepower Tv this morning they rebuilt a Vortec 350 and talked about a plug in the block up under the rear main. They said if it wasnt there you wont build oil preasure. Since I'm pulling the pump again I'm going to pull the rear main and see if that plug is missing. All the others are in there and this should have been something the machine shop did when they did the block work. Now it just needs to stop raining.

[dazedandconfused]

Well finally figured the pos out tonight. We pulled the engine out and there was no clearance between pickup screen and pan. he is going to order a new pan since this one is rusting anyway.

[oldestof11]

Glad to hear it