Ok I built a lq4 for my 71 novawith a tsp torqer v2 cam and prc stage 2.5 heads and 7.4 pushrods everything else is stock except for holley ls oilpan and pickup. I got it running last weekend it sounded great . This weekend I was getting everything buttoned up ie radiator hoses etc. I get the car running again and as I'm filling radiator it stalls I look at the temp on my scanner and I'm at 228 I restart car and it sounds like a sewing machine I shut it off and pull a valve cover and it seems like no oil pressure , let it cool down and finish filling cooling system through the upper rad hose and restart one more time still sounds like a sewing machine and doesn't sound like it has a cam any more (it idled down to 550) ? today I'm running around to see if I can find an adapter for the mechanical oil pressure gauge. I am kinda stumped and frustrated On this one

Keith

ps : when I put in the pickup tube for the oil pmp I used holley's o-ring lubricated with oil it went in good didn't seem to bunch up or anything like that

 

Did you prime it before starting?
Sounds like you don't have a remote oil pressure gauge in the car? If not you really should have one.
I would tell you to pull the oil filter but if there isn't anything pumping you wont see anything. Probably need to pull the pan and spot check a bearing.

FWIW I really like to button everything up before starting, all systems and gauges. I have prematurely started an engine when I first started assembling first gen SBC engines and I almost lost it due to haste. I just wanted to hear it run!, Lesson learned. Good luck in your findings. Hope it isn't serious, but I'm not betting on it.

 

no last weekend I ran the starter with no plugs to get the engine primed I was getting oil up in the valve cover I connected everything and lit it , ran a little rough but that was to be expected it seems like the oil pump lost prime ?

 

I would verify oil pressure with the mechanical gauge. If it had pressure before and it dropped just idling, I wouldn't expect a bearing problem. Maybe something is loose, like a pickup tube bolt.

Did you check pickup to pan clearance? Maybe when the oil gets circulation and pools up in the lifter trays, the oil level gets below the pickup?

Just throwing out some WAG's.

 

just checked with a mechanical gauge and very little oil pressure guess I'm going to the pickup tube first

 

Yeah check the O ring, might want to put a girdle on the tube where it bolts to the oil pump as well.

 

Nor would I, but I would be concerned about damage considering it ran up to operating temperature at little to no oil pressure.

 

It didnt run to long total of about 45 sec and I did have a few lbs of pressure other wise I think I would have heard the terrible bearing noise (you never forget that) hopefully I can get this done with oil pan on

 

Hopefully you caught it in time! Good luck and get r running again.

 

This weekend I changed the oil pump and pickup tube o ring , that's when I realized I used the o ring holley supplied instead of the red one from the gasket kit 55lbs at idle and it seems that everything is ok

 

Good news and good follow up! This may help someone down the road!