samgm2

I just got my engine together and in the car and started it to find that it sounded bad.

What should the oil pressure be at idle?
At 2000 RPM?

I popped the valve cover off and found there is no oil being pumped through the pushrods. I am not familiar with the LS1 but a SBC would have splashed oil everwhere with the valve cover off.

Actually the motor sounds like the lifters aren't getting oil...

The motor had previously suffered a catastrophic failure when the oil pump failed. I rebuilt this motor, replacing the oil pump, cam bearing, main bearing, cam shaft, crank shaft, pistons, valve train, lifters, pushrods, etc. Pretty much everything but the block was replaced.

Any ideas would be helpful. Could I have plugged passages?

Sam.

vettenuts

iTrader: (4)

Couple of thoughts:

O-Ring on the oil pump pickup tube.

Do you have oil pump spacers (for a double roller)? If so, were they correctly installed?

CharlieLed

iTrader: (1)

Take a look at any of the various tech publications for the LS1 engine to see how the oil flows through the motor. There are various places where you can lose pressure, anything from a key in the crankshaft that isn't letting the oil pump spin to a missing plug in the oil galley. Whatever the case I wouldn't be running that engine at 200 RPM for very much longer!

WhiteRhino

iTrader: (6)

Is it building pressure on the gauge.It'll be messy,but you can pull the oil filter and crank it over.If its pumping oil from the pump it'll spray out.If not its more than likely the oil tube o-ring,or something with the pump.Oil goes from the pump to the filter first.
Years ago i had a similiar problem and it was the o-ring.

samgm2

I went ahead and plumbed an oil pressure gauge into the oil cooler provision just above the oil filter. At idle it measure 45 PSI (Cold). Nevertheless still no oil being pumped by the lifters and a pretty nasty sound at anything other than idle.

On a hunch, I picked up some engine flush and added it. I ran the car for about 5 minutes at idle and watched the rockers for signs of oil. Sure enough oil started to push over one of the rockers. Within another 5 minutes, all of them were flowing and the engine sounded normal.

I did some searching on this problem and found that I am not the first to experience this condition. One person talked to a mechanic who stated that he has seen this pressurization issue after a rebuild take as long as 45 minutes before correcting itself.

https://ls1tech.com/forums/ls1-domestic-forums/t-32

In any case, engine flush definitely helps things move along. I am going to guess that partially obstructed oil passages on top of oil passages that may be too small to begin with, may be responsible for this problem. That is all guess work of course. All I know is that within a couple of minutes of adding the flush oil flowed and the lifters sound normal and the engine doesn't sound like its going to take itself apart.

Thanks for those offering suggestions.

The Miata sounds absolutely awesome with the LS1 in it!

Sam.

WhiteRhino

iTrader: (6)

Glad you got it worked out!