I had just replaced the pan gasket, and didn't jack up the motor but was able to fish the gasket into place after about an hour. Didn't get rough with it... But this caused my pumps relief valve to go out. So I'm wondering if i take the pan off, could u just fix the relief valve? Or is this impossible?

And if I do have to buy a pump, which one should I get? I would like to reuse factory shaft and such so I don't want to buy a bunch of pieces to get the pump to fit right...

 

How does changing the gasket affect the pump?

If you really have pump issues, buy a new one. Melling 10554, with pink spring or GM white spring (both 70#), Melling shaft (IS-55E)with metal collar and a new pickup.

 

I have no idea... But that's when my problem started. And it involved working down there around it. Just assumed that had to have been it.

Pump works fine, and has high pressure. It just relief valve quit working. For all I know, I could've popped the spring out or something. Idk what it looks like or how it operates as I've never held it in my hand.

I've done research and found that combo u suggested to be a favorite, but a bit pricy as well, seeing as how my motor was rebuilt under 1000 miles ago and it had a blue (Felpro I think?) gasket on the oil Pan which told me some one had been in there recently, so I may have all new stuff? Guess I need to drop
The pan and look at it first...

 

I don't see how fishing the gasket around the oil pump could possibly affect the relief spring. As far as I know, the relief spring is held in place by a roll pin that is pressed into the pump body, and it takes a reasonable amount of force to get that pin out.....

 

Whatever the cause diagnosis is the same...

So could I possibly repair the relief valve assuming all my parts are there?

 

You obviously don't know how relieve valves work. If it failed you would have very little to no oil pressure.

 

There has actually been no explanation of what symptoms 'relief valve gone out' has caused. This thread is very curious.

 

he said the "pump is fine and has high pressure" but we don't know if too much pressure is the current symptom or if it HAD good pressure before he went into the pan. If the later I will guess he dirt wiped a bearing and is grasping at straws for current low pressure to be an oilpump failure rather than what we all know that to usually be.

Just a guess since he doesn't seem to want help enought to catually take the time to explain what is happening.

"rebuilt under 1000 miles ago" makes me cringe to as SSSSSSOOOOOOOO many engines are rebuilt so completely badly.

 

I would guess a relief valve stuck closed would mean that it will continue to build pressure with RPM instead of relieving pressure at a certain PSI, stuck open I'm thinking would result in very little to no pressure. Also, I'm sure it can fail stuck open or closed, right?

Here's his other thread (pressure problems in a little more detail).

https://ls1tech.com/forums/lt1-lt4-m...g-so-high.html

 

The valve stuck shut (=very high pressure), stuck open=no to very low pressure. Neither condition requires a new pump. Simple clean and/or repair.
Impossible to know which without seeing it apart. Unless your original pump is scored or worn internally there is no reason to replace it.

Why in the world would anybody think they need 70psi Phil pressure???
You sure as hell do NOT want a high volume pump! There are dumber things to use, but at the minute I can't think what it would be.

 

i am going to assume that everyone is up to speed since my other thread was linked. but anyway here is a ver brief summary.

had normal oil pressure (50 psi cold idle, 40ish warm, and it built up with rpm great)
replaced oil pan gasket
jumped to 60 psi idle, and if any gas is given immediately jumps to 80 psi and stays there. even when running warm. very little change and still tops the gauge and will not return until motor is shut off.

i just pulled the oil pan. doing some inspecting, and as it turns out i see some codes cast into the oil pump. one is M155. so i am assuming i have a melling m155 pump. i dont think that was a factory code? im about to take it off and see what i can find as far the relief valve goes. hoping to fix it. but on the other hand i dont want to be inside the oil pan anytime soon again so i am thinking of replacing it, as i have heard of the casting cracking. i am sure i will find my problem within the confines of the relief valve because i just know (assume) that its stuck closed. but now i just hope i can fix it.

 

okay, got the pump disassembled. and i dont know what to do at this point.

the relief valve is working. i took the spring out and tested it blowing air into it. and it works. i put the spring in to see if i could get it to open then and i couldnt but i doubt my lungs can handle 60 psi, or whatever rate spring it is.

i found some piece is felpro gasket (blue) in the bottom of the oil pan as well as the screen and some in the gear of the oil pump as well. so i am thinking that maybe something was jammed in there?

also, the spring didnt have much paint on it but i was able to see some traces of yellow. what load (#'s) is a yellow spring? i am hesitant to put it back together right now as i dont know if i have totally solved the problem or not...

can i buy a GM white spring at autozone or advanced?

 

Yellow is a 58# spring. I'm guessing your problem is debris related, but the question is...where is the debris? Could some be in an upper oil gallery? Dislodged from when you did the pan gasket?

I doubt Advance or AZ will have the GM spring, but I think I already noted that the Melling pink spring is the same.

 

No, Advance AP or "the Zone" do not carry oil pump parts, just complete oil pumps. (I work PT at Advance, I'm reasonably familiar with the inventory)

 

Well I put it all back together late last night. I think shbox is right. My problem is debris related. I cleaned so much little shreds of gasket off the pump last night. The screen is on and operational, so nothing too big got in. I'm hoping that the first time I drive the car it will fix the problem, if it is not already. Didn't start it last night bc I didn't want to **** off the neighbors. Lol

 

That 58# spring is more than enough.

 

Whats your sending unit look like, is it leaking at all? could it possibly be reading incorrectly?

 

well problem solved! i started the car today and it read right around 50-55psi off a cold start. which it was 60-65ish so i knew i was onto something immediately. i let the car warm up before even gassing it. i watched as i applied throttle, it goes up quickly and falls slowly. and not completely back down to psi just before throttle was applied. i was thinking the same thing as shbox. debris. probably a piece of gasket. so i thought i would take the car for a spin. (bought it in FEB. and it had yet to leave my driveway. motor was basically a paper weight when i bought it.) so i have just got a couple small kinks to work out, but was more then ready for that first ride. i watched the psi as it stayed pretty high, but not maxing out, it moved pretty accordingly with RPM. and when i arrived at my friends house (3 miles down the road) i sat in the drive way to let it idle, and warm idle was at 40 psi, so i blew the debris out of there. PROBLEM SOLVED! thank god!

 

Congrats!