The general idea is that you DO NOT want shrapnel floating around the engine when the filter clogs. With all the crud floating around a newly built engine, you want it ALL to get into the filter. Filter bypasses DO WORK! But do you want all the crud bypassing the filter once it's clogged?? I would think not.

 

Zero oil pressure will kill bearings much sooner than some gunk running through. I get that he should have swapped out the filter much sooner.. all im saying is the filter itself if clogged wouldn't have dropped oil pressure to virtually nothing and done that to his bearings, if the bypass was working.

 

If you actually saw how small the early gen3 bypasses were, youd understand.
They cannot flow enough oil to carry a load really.
That bypass isnt really there for if the filter clogs. it is there for a small bypass that kicks in during a pressure differential across the filter itself.
Normally during hard accel where the oil goes away from the pickup and the engine needs the oil that would normally go into the filter then it opens back up.

 

The bypass isn't big enough to supply oil flow for the entire engine. You'll see oil pressure drop at high RPM considerably depending on where you are monitoring oil pressure from.

 

Sorry for you situation. Now I think this thread is one very educational. I going to start the rebuild of a ls2 for my camaro and now I have a lot more of information. I wish you good luck with your build!

 

Agreed definitely a very educational thread and sorry for Maroon's situation.

Is the larger truck oil filter a little less prone to clog as quickly as the standard car size LS1 fbody filter? The truck filter looks like it should have more filter element and surface area.

 

poor bugger lesson learned though , question about the bypass did they ever upgrade its size across the range from series one to series whatever we up to now?

 

1. Not sure I would run just a conventional Straight 30W
2. I would change the oil much sooner. Like after the first drive.

Personally I run a cheap oil Like walmart house brand or whatever is on sale for the initial start up and run maybe 1-2 heat cycles, Then change oil to a better brand with a new filter.

It's not just about getting things like assembly lube out that might plug a filter. There are other contaminants present they stay suspended in the oil Especially after a rebuild with new components. Filter change's alone will not remove them all. The cost of the oil and filter is nothing compared to the cost of the rebuild...

 

Gen4 pans have the bypass in the filter. but they also have a separate bypass also that pops open st 50lbs right before the oil goes to the top so it bleeds off not only pressure but flow as well.

 

Ok, some new news. Got everything back from the machine shop. Clevite bearings for main and rods. New cam bearings installed while it was there.

Mains measure .0017-.0023

Rods measure all around .0028-.003 (within clevite spec)

Got a new oil pump (ported stock volume/pressure)

Got a billet barbell for the block, and got a pickup tube support brace.

I'll post when it makes it in the car and we start moving down the road

 

So...I had some other work in the shop get in the way (couple 4l80e's and 4l60e's to build...a ford c6, then a glide refresh...been busy) BUT I got the engine in and fired last night.
Using lucas brake in oil (5w30) I had about 65psi cold and 45 psi at full temp. Things are looking good!

I did notice one big thing when I was putting this engine back together again...the O-Ring that melling calls for (and 99% of forums I read also) was the black o ring with my f body pickup tube. I went to install that again this time and it was loose. Didn't fit snugly like an o-ring should. I tried the thicker green o-ring and it fit perfectly. A little snug like it should be but not too tight.
I have found only one other thread where someone with a c5 corvette mentions the same problem with the black o ring and the same solution by using the thicker one.
I'm thinking that the whole time...this was the real root-cause of my issue.

I have one heat cycle on this oil, and just for the sake of overkill...I'm going to change it before I actually drive it. It's winter in iowa so I won't be driving it anytime too soon.

 

Rule of thumb is- Groove in pickup tube, thicker O-ring. smooth tube, thinner O-ring. Simple as that.

 

"Simple as that" didnt work for me.

 

Maroon, it's good to know you've made a lot of progress with the car. Looking forward to reading more good news.

Which brand oil pump did you go with Mellings?

 

That's great news, Maroon!
I believe the O-ring is accidentally missed by people more times than we realize. It sure would have been nice had they made ONE size for all that different platforms...
Had you used an O-ring that pulled air into the system, well, it would have worn down that bottom end in a very similar fashion. I always seat that O-Ring in by hand using a ton of lube both inside and out
on that ring so that I can feel and see that sucker seat into the pump. Then I slowly bolt it down and watch, listen, pretty much overkill just to make sure it doesn't kink, twist or break etc...

I hope this engine comes together and serves you for many years! Good Luck!

Dan

 

I used a ported ls6 pump.

I did my first change after 1 heat cycle, and it looked very clear running out of the pan, but I noticed in the drain pan a faint "shimmer"

Cut the filter apart and 0 chunks or particulate

Oil pressure was 45 when hot and it went up with rpm

Is a small amount of shimmer normal for the first couple changes?

Using Lucas brand break in oil

 

Yes, I usually see it for the first 3 oil changes as bearings, rings, cylinder walls, and oil flushing through the block start to wear together.
As long as it is just a fine particulate in the oil and not noticeable flakes, no worries. I wouldn't worry unless it continues beyond a few oil changes.

 

I don't think the oring was your trouble. If it was leaking that much air into the oil to damage the bearings the lifters would have been so loud clattering you couldn't miss it. Also the oil pressure would have been very low to start with. I've been down this road a bunch of times. In order for the bearing to look like yours did would be near 0 oil pressure. I still think its was from not resizing the rods.

 

Any word on how this engine is holding up one year later, OP? Found this thread this morning, couldn’t stop reading. Great info.

 

Old thread.

I've seen this before. OP says mains were turned, rod journals were polished (done with a fine grit belt).
Trash left in the oil passages from the machining doesn't come out unless it's removed with a brush. Or left to run.
I've seen many people clean a crank with solvent and an air gun, and it still leaves trash in the oil passages.

I've picked cranks up from the machine shop that were ready to drop in "been final cleaned" had trash in the passages.