indianass

iTrader: (3)

i recently put in a head cam ls1 with 25,000 miles on it, the motor had been sitting for about a year but was masked off pretty well and passed a compression test. when i got the motor in the car i cranked it up just to make sure it ran and had oil pressure. i probably put about 25 miles on it never going over 2,000 rpm when i changed the oil i noticed little chunks of rust in the bottom of the oil pan which was enough to cover a pen magnet. they were not shiny and were magnetic so when i took the filter off i decided to cut it open and look in there. i found more of them and am wondering if this engine is safe to get tuned and drive or if i should tear it apart which i really dont wanna do. it has a 230/ 230 cam and 243 heads and isnt making any weird noises or anything besides the normal sewing machine. however it does have slightly low pressure with 38 at cold idle and about 23 or 24 at warm idle. what should i do here i attached some pics of the filter but idk if you'll be able to see.[IMG][/IMG]


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Gunslinger09

If the engine sat for a year there may have been a little surface rust on the cylinder walls. If it passed the compression and leak down tests and doesn't make noise you should be good.

gMAG

iTrader: (1)

Those little bits should not be a problem.
Your oil pressure should be higher, though. At 23/24 warm idle, I believe that WOT runs can cause damage.
I've just gone through the too low oil pressure thing.
I had 24>28 warm idle, and 42 max pressure under acceleration.
It didn't take long before the crank and bearings were eaten up.

indianass

iTrader: (3)

I never did a leak down test but the compression was good on all cylinders at 180 plus or minus 10

indianass

iTrader: (3)

What should I do about the oil pressure then I tried a new o ring and it stayed the same it has a high volume pump on it but it's just not getting the pressure. The oil pressure unit I put on is not a gm it's from a parts store so maybe that's the problem how hard is it to put on a mechanical gauge?

gMAG

iTrader: (1)

A mechanical gauge can be connected to the fixture just above the oil filter.
The fixture unbolts and can then be drilled, then a npt threaded fitting installed.
Attach your mechanical gauge to this fitting.
Buy a gauge with a 1/8" npt fitting included.
Get the appropriate drill size & threader for the oil press gauge npt fitting.
I bought a tri-gauge water temp/voltmeter/oil pressure setup from AutoGage off e-bay.
If you want only the oil press gauge, a Sunpro or equivalent will do. Usually, plastic line will be supplied with your gauge. I had an accident when the plastic line 'let go', and quickly emptied 2 quarts on the garage floor.
For this reason, I bought Sunpro CP7584, a 1/8" copper line kit with fittings ($12.).
It is much more stable & stronger than the plastic. Avail at Advance Auto, or just about anywhere.
Regarding pressure, it could be that a bearing(s) are worn, or that the oil galley barbell in the rear of the block, is not secure, or loose.