DLSNFL

I got the engine off ebay, and the first thing I did when
I could was geta harness and test everything I could.
Seemed okay. I got the engine in the 55 now and
hooked up the gauges for real and the oil preesure
was good at first, so I went on to other things.
Got the exhaust hooked up, front end aligned,
fixed a major tranny leak. Got the car back from
the shop and got halfway to work today for the
grand first drive for this car. Oil pressure was low.
Real low????? The gauge had a small sweep on
it so I changed it out for a full sweep gauge.
same thing. 20lbs at cold start up. 4-5 to 10lbs
at stop light idle. I am running Mobile One 5-30?
I did install a Street and Performance oil pan
with a pick up and remember maybe thinking of
an issue of pan bottom to pick clearance. Meaning
not much at all. First is this common, straight
weight oil and forget synthetic? Pick up clearance
issue????? Or a dreaded oil pump and forget the
major car show I was trying to get to this weekend.
WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Your advice please. 2002 Camaro LS1 15,000 miles,
4L60E tranny. I runs great, no engine noise, yet....
very quick and smooth.

bczee

iTrader: (12)

Could be a few things that went bad, but I don't think oil weight is causing this. You say once you got the engine in, you tested it.. what was the pressure then?... did you change the pan/tube after the test ?

1) Pinched O-Ring as you reinstalled the Oil Pickup Tube
2) Oil Pump bypass valve is stuck open
3) bad oil sender or gauge (what gauge are you using ?)
4) bad grounds

Suggestion are to reinstall the Oil Pickup tube with a new O-ring and/or put a LS6 oil pump on (Ported one would be nice but not really needed) as long as your doing the O-ring.

Are you sure your oil sender is working and that the wire are solid..? are you using tape or sealer on the threads of the sending unit ? not really recommened as it cause bad grounds, unless you have a two wire sender. Check your grounds at the sender and gauge. check the wire between the sender and gauge.

I had zero pressure from my take out when i restarted it 9 months later. change pump and o-ring... both of the old ones looked ok.. so, never really found the cause.

Good luck.. keep us posted.

stealth71

iTrader: (15)

Pinched o-ring is very common.
I have heard horrors about S&P pans might check the clearance while the pans off.

DLSNFL

How tough is it to replace the pump?????
I thought you would have to pull the balancer?
Pinched o ring where the pick up goes into the
pump????? Don't remember there being an
issue installing that but it was 1-1/2 years ago
for that part of the build.
The pressure before this was 45-60??????
Its a cheapo Auto meter look alike gauge but the one
in the car was a Classic Instruments electric gauge.
I remember the pick up and pan maybe making contact
when I put the pan back on. But I thought I bent the pick
up so that didn't happen. A friend suggested straight
weight 40. Cured his problem and he was running low pressure
and was wondering why I would need multi-weight anyway.
If you can tell I'm trying to avoid pulling the pan tonight, but nay have to

stealth71

iTrader: (15)

In a LS1 no way do you need straight 40. That's just covering up the problem.

I would pull the pan. Put some clay on the pickup and put it back on to see the clearance.

You can pull the pickup tube w/ out taking off the oil pump, but you will have to remove the pan.

bczee

iTrader: (12)

The Gen III and IV engines are design to use the light weight oil. So, as Stealth said.. using a heavy weight oil is just a stop gap for a tired engine with lots of clearance in the bearing now.

If I remeber the Tri-Fives have a very forward x-member.. so, If you have the room to remove the pan with the engine still in the engine bay, maybe just be able to raise the front up some... you should be able to just remove the pan and check/replace the O-Ring. And Yeah. you have to remove the balancer to get to the oil pump.

But, you stated that you don't here any noise or sounds from the engine while it is running.. If you have very low pressure.. I would guess you would be hearing a lot of noise from the valve and pistions...

Check your oil gauge and wiring again. Maybe try a new/different sender and gauge before you make the effort to remove the pan.

DLSNFL

I had an electric gauge and that showed low pressure.
I checked the wiring and grounds, all good, so I
bought a cheapee mechanical gauge and put that
on with the tube and everything......same thing.
How do you check or clean the by-pass spring/ball
could that be something that would show low oil pressure
and I am going to check the o ring because that makes sense
to me if the o ring leaks or is pinched its sucking air
and not oil.

bczee

iTrader: (12)

If both the Electric and machnical are reading the same. .bad news... I would not recommend starting up the engine anymore.

The Bypass valve is in the Oil pump.. sorry..would have to pull the Balancer and front cover off. It has been known for the check valve to get stuck open and cause low pressure.

Do you have enough room to drop the pan ?

DLSNFL

Yes, but I had no other choice but to drive the thing home, and
the needle at idle went to zero. It still sounded good, no noise
or hammering then when I would step on the gas alittle
maybe 15-20. I will attempt to drop the pan, there is room,
or there was, but now I have a Jim Meyer Rack and Pinion
in the way, BUT what choice do I have. I suppose I lucked
out getting it home. Or the pick up is too close to the
bottom of the oil pan. Or the tube was welded wrong
and doesn't allow for a good fit???? Street and Performance
pan and pickup.

DLSNFL

I remember when I installed the pan it would not seat onto the engine,
it would hit the pick up, and I think I bent the tube up so it would clear.
Maybe in doing this I allowed the o-ring to pinch?

bczee

iTrader: (12)

could be that you unseated the o-ring and tube when you bent it some...

removing the R/P and dropping the pan is a whole lot less work than pulling the engine.. I had too when I had no pressure.

DLSNFL

thanks for your help so far, can't get the pan
off yet because of the rack and 4 hours to remove all
the hidden bolts ticked me off, not knowing how
I'm going to get them all back in. Meanwhile I'm watching
11,000 street rods and hot rods at Back to the 50's
in Mpls drive by and I'M NOT GOING TO MAKE IT WITH THE CAR!!!!!!!

bczee

iTrader: (12)

How fast can you remove the engine ?.. it takes me about an hour or less to get it out of my Chevelle.

JDMPalace

iTrader: (1)

I don't want to go off toic but what the normal oil pressure should be reading, both idle and driving driving condition !!

DLSNFL

So I got to the point where the oil pan could come off.
Removed the rack and pinion steering.
Anyway I looked and looked could find anything,
I got out the wrench for the o-ring side of this
problem and it was already loose!!!!!!
Wow, okay maybe this is it. So I removed the bolt,
removed the stand off nut, and removed the tube.
O-ring looks good, everything looks good.
I cleand everything off and side the o-ring back on
and put the nut into the stand off, only to hold the
tube up, and hand started the o-ring side of the bolt.
I pushed up on the assembly and started to tighen the
bolt until it wouldn't go in by hand anymore, wrenched
on it until I got scared I might strip it out. Remember I'm
hold this up in place also as this is going along.
I tighten the pick up side with the stand off nut, and its getting
tighter tighter, then one last turn and the whole thing moves
on me again?????? Wow how could it move?????? I wrenched
on the o-ring side AND IT WAS LOOSE AGAIN. So I tightened that
down again and I had another full turn or two?????
Maybe was welded by S&P a little off?
Anyway I bet that this same thing happened only while the motor
was running, and the bolt at the o-ring side became
loose enough to suck air past and not oil????? Thats the assumption
I'm making becasue its right in the area of the no
pressure problem. Anyway I put a little RTV around the o-ring
and hope for the best. I have 5-1/4" pan depth, and a pick up
depth of 5-1/8" is that too close....1/8"

DLSNFL

well I got everything together enough to fire it
and at cold idle 20lbs? revving it up
maybe 30lbs???? hot idle 10-15?????
I hate to think of what might be the issue still.

bczee

iTrader: (12)

It still sounds like that pickup tube and o-ring are a problem. The tube should be seating in the oil pump and the tube/o-ring flush and fairly tight. You should not need any RTV around the o-ring.

If I remember when doing mine, I tighten down the oil pump side (per spec) and the flange sat flush to the oil pump. Then I tighten down the support one on the main cap. I don't recall the tube on the oil pump moving any and on checking the bolt, I was still at spec. (106lbs in ?).

Seem if it is moving as you are tightening the nut (18lb ft) and the tube is moving on you, the nut is binding againts the tubes support flange and twisting the whole tube.. !? that seem right ? (won't be the last time I am wrong)

Maybe use a washer to keep the flange from twisting the tube and lock tight the nut (should use anyway if you have not been and make sure you torque all bolts and nut to the GM specs).

DLSNFL

I took pictures, but I think I'm going to call Mark
Cambell monday at S&P and see if he wants
to fly in and help work on this thing.
I'm getting pretty good at removing everything
under there now, so I know it can be done just
a p.i.t.a. Seems to me the tube is mis-aligned
into the pump? Welded funny? For it to move slightly
when all looked torqued down and then to have the
o-ring bolt loose again???????? S&P has been good about
other products I've bought from them. I just hope the
motor survives all this. Thanks for the help I will
keep posting.
I'm going to the car show and be a spectator.