5.3 Oil Pumps Keep Grenading
After grenading an oil pump has the block been hot tanked? Could it be possible that shrapnel is circulating and binding the gear in the pump. I have a friend who had shavings in an oil galley of an engine that bound up a pump solid and the starter couldn't turn the engine over. Just a thought.
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 13
Likes: 3
From: Spartanburg, SC
That question leads me to where I am now. After grenading 3 oil pumps and cleaning it the best I can in my backyard shop I have since took the original block to an automotive machine shop to be hot tanked, rehoned, new cam bearings installed, and throughly checked. I did initially believe that on this last pump it was trash that I had accumulated so much of that I was just unable to get out cleaning at home and since this block didnt give me the desired oil pressure to begin with even after being freshened up at a different shop. I felt best course of action was to have the original block to be done up. And hopefully I could be even more meticulous when installing and building this one to avoid the oil pump problem. Side note the shop im using now seems to have a more esteemed reputation with a price that I hope is reflected by that.
Please name the GM V8s that are successfully, and have been running 20w successfully, for years and years. I'm assuming LS1 Tech is all about GM V8s. I dont know, or care, what other manufacturers V8s are running. If they're designed to run oil that thin, then yeah, they are probably successful. We're talking GM V8s here......
That engine has a thrust issue.
You can see where the front counter weight face contacted the block.
When you have metal shrapnel go through an engine, the whole thing needs to be disassembled and you absolutely need to use cleaning brushes.
Even after using a hot tank, you still need to use cleaning brushes. Its the only way to ensure nothing is hanging around.
You can buy a generic set through summit from Moroso under part number 61820.
If you are hard core and build a few engines a year, I would recommend looking into Brush Research Manufacturing. They sell a nice kit under part number 1 E KIT for engine oil galleries. Comes with extra brushes for the common sizes.
You can see where the front counter weight face contacted the block.
When you have metal shrapnel go through an engine, the whole thing needs to be disassembled and you absolutely need to use cleaning brushes.
Even after using a hot tank, you still need to use cleaning brushes. Its the only way to ensure nothing is hanging around.
You can buy a generic set through summit from Moroso under part number 61820.
If you are hard core and build a few engines a year, I would recommend looking into Brush Research Manufacturing. They sell a nice kit under part number 1 E KIT for engine oil galleries. Comes with extra brushes for the common sizes.
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Teching In
Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 13
Likes: 3
From: Spartanburg, SC
Update: I ended up taking the original block to an very highly rated shop and had them put in new cam bearings, and do some cleaning and a refreash hone. Reused my lifters, pushrods, and cam. Went with the Mellings M365 pump which according to them is their version of what would have came on it from GM. I did thread and plug the AFM towers this time. Oil pressure holds great sitting about 38lbs at operating temp. Im now at the point of "i should have upgraded my stall like was recommended" but motor side everything is great sounds good and runs good. My thrust in this motor is at the .004 where the last was .007. I did inspect the crank on the last one and every counter weight had those ridges but it was not imprinted on the main caps so maybe it had some weird vibration along with the extra thrust play that was causing the oil pumps to go pop. I did follow the recommendation of buying a nice set of engine cleaning brushes and throughly cleaned the block after it was at the machine shop. Thanks for all the tips and advice!