LQ4 into a 3rd Gen/1972 Nova
Thread Starter
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,806
Likes: 46
From: Vancouver BC, Canada
Gas in the oil. Not a faint wiff.. the smell hits you right in the face. Makes sense as I was watching my oil pressure slowly drop cold start after cold start. Hopefully it was from flooding the cylinders from running too rich when trying to first start. I think I can attribute this to having the fuel pressure set too high initially. Won't know if my rings are super fucked until I do a leak-down test. Either way a high-volume pump will be going in with new pickup o-ring, and slightly thicker oil as well. Let's hope that my rings aren't screwed and I don't need to rebuild.
You shouldn't need a high volume pump.
And you don't want one with that little oil pan you have. You don't want one!
Or did you swap in an after market pan? I forget.
Stock pressure and volume is all you want unless your bearing clearances are opened up past .0025-7.
You can put new rings in and do a light hone and be fine as long as the bore isn't f'd.
And you don't want one with that little oil pan you have. You don't want one!
Or did you swap in an after market pan? I forget.
Stock pressure and volume is all you want unless your bearing clearances are opened up past .0025-7.
You can put new rings in and do a light hone and be fine as long as the bore isn't f'd.
Thread Starter
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,806
Likes: 46
From: Vancouver BC, Canada
I agree I was slightly weary of higher volume, but my modified truck pan has the same 5.5 qt capacity as an f-body pan, and once the cooler has been primed I topped it off (small bit more oil) and dipstick shows it at the top of the operating range.
Is it possible to just replace the stock spring with a higher-pressure spring or do these high-pressure springs only come with aftermarket pumps? I'd like to at the minimum bump up the oil pressure of the stock pump if I don't end up replacing it. Although I would feel better about just replacing the pump.
Is it possible to just replace the stock spring with a higher-pressure spring or do these high-pressure springs only come with aftermarket pumps? I'd like to at the minimum bump up the oil pressure of the stock pump if I don't end up replacing it. Although I would feel better about just replacing the pump.
Thread Starter
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,806
Likes: 46
From: Vancouver BC, Canada
The thing has got me pretty pissed so a while away from it and biked a bunch. Starting to feel good again so gonna get on it this week. Have fluids drained and going to pull valvecovers/rockers tonight to do cylinder leakdown test. Either way a new oil pump will go on but want to know whether the engine has to come out before I start wrestling with the accessories etc while it's still in the car.
You thing the thin oil ruined the engine?
Years ago, I had a old chevy truck that had the side mount fuel pump.
The diaphragm in the pump ruptured and started to fill the engine up with gas.
Not knowing what was exactly wrong at that moment, I limped the truck home under low power.
When I got home, it had pumped so much gasoline into the motor, it was about to come out the dipstick!
All I did was bolt on a new pump, drain the oil, let it sit for a few days with the intake and valve covers off to evaporate the gas fumes.
Then, bolted it back together, filled it full of oil and drove that truck without any issues for another 50,000 miles.
Maybe before you pull the engine, try and air it out, put in your new pump and fire it up?
Years ago, I had a old chevy truck that had the side mount fuel pump.
The diaphragm in the pump ruptured and started to fill the engine up with gas.
Not knowing what was exactly wrong at that moment, I limped the truck home under low power.
When I got home, it had pumped so much gasoline into the motor, it was about to come out the dipstick!
All I did was bolt on a new pump, drain the oil, let it sit for a few days with the intake and valve covers off to evaporate the gas fumes.
Then, bolted it back together, filled it full of oil and drove that truck without any issues for another 50,000 miles.
Maybe before you pull the engine, try and air it out, put in your new pump and fire it up?
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Verdad Gallardo Thread Starter
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,806
Likes: 46
From: Vancouver BC, Canada
Did a compression test today, here are the numbers:
#1 - 190
#2 - 195
#3 - 200
#4 - 200
#5 - 195
#6 - 195
#7 - 205
#8 - 195
The compression tester I had only had a knurled 14mm fitting for the heads so it might've been hand-tightened a bit more in some of the cylinders than others, but overall I'm happy.
Here are the plugs, what do you guys think?
I love working on cars and I'm so lucky that I get to take everything apart again to upgrade the oil pump, and then put it all back together. This is possibly the funnest thing I could be doing to the car right now, I like practicing over and over again.
#1 - 190
#2 - 195
#3 - 200
#4 - 200
#5 - 195
#6 - 195
#7 - 205
#8 - 195
The compression tester I had only had a knurled 14mm fitting for the heads so it might've been hand-tightened a bit more in some of the cylinders than others, but overall I'm happy.
Here are the plugs, what do you guys think?
I love working on cars and I'm so lucky that I get to take everything apart again to upgrade the oil pump, and then put it all back together. This is possibly the funnest thing I could be doing to the car right now, I like practicing over and over again.
Sorry to hear you have to take it all back apart! Man I know that feeling all too well. I had the new engine in and all buttoned up just to hear it not run because the machinist put the reluctor on backwards!!! Arrgggg!!! It must be an LS thing cause I dont ever remember having to do so much BS work over with the tried and true SBC. The labors of love!!!
Plugs look nice and fouled ..... also the threads look wet???
Luck you didn't hydro-lock that engine with fuel and really do some damage!
Get er back together so you can post some vids of it DRIVING!!!
Luck you didn't hydro-lock that engine with fuel and really do some damage!
Get er back together so you can post some vids of it DRIVING!!!
I don't think the plugs look that bad. Compression numbers look good.
You didn't have oil pressure woes before the turbo build, so what's changed? Where did you pull the oil feed from for the turbo? Did you change to a different oil filter, remote filter, or add a cooler? What did you disturb since it last ran that might be oil system releated?
*EDIT* I see in this post and this post that you ran your turbo feed line teed off the oil cooler. When you did your oil pressure test with the turbo line "capped off", where did you cap it? Can you post a diagram of how you have your oil lines connected, starting at the supply & return ports above the oil filter?
I hate to see you digging this far without knowing the source of the problem.
You didn't have oil pressure woes before the turbo build, so what's changed? Where did you pull the oil feed from for the turbo? Did you change to a different oil filter, remote filter, or add a cooler? What did you disturb since it last ran that might be oil system releated?
*EDIT* I see in this post and this post that you ran your turbo feed line teed off the oil cooler. When you did your oil pressure test with the turbo line "capped off", where did you cap it? Can you post a diagram of how you have your oil lines connected, starting at the supply & return ports above the oil filter?
I hate to see you digging this far without knowing the source of the problem.
Last edited by -TheBandit-; May 7, 2012 at 01:19 PM.
He did have oil pressure problems from the get-go. Since he's not actually torn the engine down to check oil system integrity or bearing clearances, I'd suspect one of those to be the issue.
Edit: I found this thread, which has some good info. And check out post 8 -- you should always listen to a guy named Trevor (never Trever, though), since they're usually pretty smart. Not that yours would be missing, but if their integrity is compromised in any fashion, it would manifest itself in said low oil pressure.
And the plugs just look like they were subject to an overly-rich tune.
Edit: I found this thread, which has some good info. And check out post 8 -- you should always listen to a guy named Trevor (never Trever, though), since they're usually pretty smart. Not that yours would be missing, but if their integrity is compromised in any fashion, it would manifest itself in said low oil pressure.
And the plugs just look like they were subject to an overly-rich tune.
Last edited by hookemdevils22; May 7, 2012 at 02:36 PM.
TECH Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2009
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I think ya should!!! LOL. TF I bet Mark didn't find it funny with his. WADB 
11 Second Club
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 445
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From: New Westminster, B.C., Canada
Ouch! Technically I didn't do the botching, but well played... Joe and I are just messing about. He's one of the only guys I know who is a sarcastic as I am. What does WADB mean?
Thread Starter
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,806
Likes: 46
From: Vancouver BC, Canada
I'm guessing WADB = What A Douche Bag.
Mark and I get along perfectly, which is interesting seeing as I'm way immature for my age and he's at least 15years my senior
Mark and I get along perfectly, which is interesting seeing as I'm way immature for my age and he's at least 15years my senior
Thread Starter
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,806
Likes: 46
From: Vancouver BC, Canada
This piece of **** car won't hold a tune.
Went to start it with new oil pump, would only give the injectors 1 solid pulse and engine would catch and putter out (probably way too rich and flooded cylinders).
Reflashed it with the exact same tune it just had on it.
It stumbled but caught and fired up, was a bit rich at first but then idled nicely for about 10 minutes (injectors pulse about 2-3ms). Fired it up multiple times that day and each time fired immediately after cranking and held nice stable idle with decent oil pressure.
Started it the following day cold and it fired right up, idled perfectly for 10minutes, held good oil pressure.
Fired it up 3 days later and injectors give single HUGE pulse (~90ms) and engine kindof catches, but sounds muddy and putters out (seems too rich). Reflashed and it again fired up, rich at first but then idled out ok.
What the flying shitfuckcockballs is happening? I'm about ready to to throw this ******* car in the trash.
Went to start it with new oil pump, would only give the injectors 1 solid pulse and engine would catch and putter out (probably way too rich and flooded cylinders).
Reflashed it with the exact same tune it just had on it.
It stumbled but caught and fired up, was a bit rich at first but then idled nicely for about 10 minutes (injectors pulse about 2-3ms). Fired it up multiple times that day and each time fired immediately after cranking and held nice stable idle with decent oil pressure.
Started it the following day cold and it fired right up, idled perfectly for 10minutes, held good oil pressure.
Fired it up 3 days later and injectors give single HUGE pulse (~90ms) and engine kindof catches, but sounds muddy and putters out (seems too rich). Reflashed and it again fired up, rich at first but then idled out ok.
What the flying shitfuckcockballs is happening? I'm about ready to to throw this ******* car in the trash.
TECH Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2009
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Likes: 663
Let me know when your garbage day is? LOL. I'll be there to take it off your hands. LOL but serously........ I feel your pain, just remember how good it felt NA. I will feel MUCH better boosted once you get rid of the gremlins.