brettd85

Just finished the swap of my LS1 into 66 chevelle. It started right up but the gauge is pegged and there is alot of clatter. I'm afraid that means its not getting oil for some reason. The engine has 128k miles. The wire is not disconnected!! I'm installed the sender at the back of the engine. I'm running an autokraft oil pan.

I'm worried, please help.





Video:



Sender at back of block;

davidws6

iTrader: (36)

Try and attach a mechanical gauge either down by the oil filter, or where the oil pressure switch screws in. This will verify for sure if you have oil press or not. Or you could just unscrew the press switch and put your finger over the hole, ( if you can reach it ) then have someone crank it over.

Old Geezer

iTrader: (3)

What gauge are you using?
High pressure, [gauge pegged], IS NOT going to make the engine clatter.
What else have you done to the engine?
If you had the pan off, and pickup tube out.. it may be the pump sucking air thru the o'ring..
DO NOT continue to run it to do the t/s...Back track, and see if you can find the source..

brettd85

Just went back out to the garage to look over everything. Oil pressure w/ just ignition on (engine not running) is 70 psi. I disconnected the sender wire and it goes down to 0. Can engines hold oil pressure when not running!? Maybe the sender is bad?

Geezer, I'm running an autometer gauge and sender. The sender is brand new so I do not know its history. Only thing I've done internally to the engine is install the oil pickup and pan. If it were sucking air through the O-ring, I dont think the guage would peg. I'm thinking if it were pegged that means oil may not be flowing other places, like rockers, causing clatter.

brettd85

Ok I unscrewed it and hooked it back up to the wire, still reading 75 psi. So the sender is broken. either it was broken from the start or it broke from too high or pressure.

Pocket

iTrader: (22)

Unhook the coils, unscrew the sender and crank the engine over a few times. The oil should squirt out. No squirt means no oil pressure

Generally, an oil sender that maxes pressure on the gauge with the IGN on only is bad

rockytopper

Don't panic yet. If you bought a pullout engine that has set for a time period you may just have a dry oil pump that will not prime it self. For some reason every one always wants to blame the issue on a bad O ring. Which may or may not be the case. It certainly wasn't in my case. I pulled my engine 3 times and replaced it and still no pressure. I had to prime the pump. 14k miles latter it is still AOK. Prime the pump first, if that does not fix it then start pulling the pan and or engine to check the O ring.

Earl Filter

iTrader: (1)

You can buy a parts store mechanical gauge for less than $20 (the kind with the plastic tube that carries the oil to the gauge), and the 1/8" NPT to 16mm x 1.5 male adapter, and just screw it in outside the vehicle instead of mounting it in the car. Buy a cheapo gauge, and they usually have the above adapter in the gauge section of the parts store.

brettd85

Ok, I turned the engine over, oil came out of the fitting at the back of the engine so that means I'm getting oil to the valve train?

brettd85

Rocky, I have oil pressure, but it was maxed. How do you prime the pump? I would think running the engine would do a damn good job of priming the pump.

I'm going to pull a valve cover and see if there is fresh oil up there. I'm concerned about the loud clatter.

Bowtie70SS

iTrader: (10)

Chances are you may have pinched a o-ring at the pickup tube if you are getting no pressure. A perfect seal is critical because if it sucks air it may never prime.
I rented a oil primer tank from a local salvage yard whom I purchased a engine through. You pour in 5qts of oil and charge it with your air compressor then hook it to a pressure port on the engine. Next you open the ball valve an it pressurizes the system, similar to a oil accumulator.

rockytopper

Ok then if you have oil pressure I'm no help, need to wait for the experts on possible problem.
Edit based on your reply you may not have pressure.I ran my engine at idle for a couple minutes then looked at the gauge and reaized it had no pressure,. I am running a mechanical gauge. In my case I simply overfilled the crank case with 19 qts of cheap oil until it ran out the plug on the lower drivers side of the block Located just past the pump output. This puts oil in the pump.I turnedir over with fueses pulled so it would not start and had instant pressure. I then drained it out and replaced with mobile one to normal level and have had zero issues to date. There are primer kits and otherways to prime but it worked for me. Good luck

brettd85

Plenty of oil coming out of the back fitting. I'm going to pick up a cheapo pressure gauge tomrorow and try it out again. It was hard to tell if there was fresh oil under the valve cover or not.

rockytopper

If you have oil at sender sounds like you have pressure sorry I miss under stood. Again good luck hope all works out.

brettd85

Yea, still concerned about the clatter and think its weird that it pegged the gauge.

71ANTICARB

iTrader: (23)

Why don't you pull the valve cover and pull the injector fuse and ign fuse then have someone crank the engine till it show oil pressure on the mechanical gauge. See if you have oil coming out then.

Old Geezer

iTrader: (3)

the gauge because it's faulty. You already mentioned it read 70 psi w/ the engine off....
R U SURE you hooked the sender to the correct pin on the gauge??
When U changed the pan, did you use the correct o'ring on the pick up?

brettd85

Ok, sorry about all the panic!

Installed cheapo gauge, oil pressure rose to 30 while cranking. cranked it some more, still not seeing oil under the valve covers. Figure it will get there so put it back together and fire it up. Oil pressure is at 40psi. Still making noise but let it run a while and after about a minute it quieted down. Runs awesome!!!



Once I get my new sender its time for a test drive. May sneak it out today around the neighborhood.

Video; My camera sucks and it sounds noisey but it runs well!

Earl Filter

iTrader: (1)

Awesome!