Ok guy so a couple months ago I installed a forged 370 from a local engine builder. Ran the truck for about a week and it started loosing oil pressure. Changed oil and found cooper metal flakes in the oil pan. Cleaned pick up tube screen and put everything back together added thicker oil. Still no oil pressure, so parked the truck. Today I took the engine out. Tore it apart but could find nothing wrong. I have it tore down to the short block and can't see anything wrong except the oil pump is a little tight to turn. Any ideas would be greatful. Truck is turbo'd can't see anything wrong with the turbo.

 

Have you checked the mains and rod bearings? What did they look like? Check the rubber o-ring on the pick up tube at the oil pump.

 

I have not tore down mains and rods, also engine was not knocking and engine spins good on engine stand. Oring was nice and tight, no damage.

 

Your oil pump may have sheared some causing a lack of efficiency and loss of pressure. I would suggest removing the oil pump, and checking your bearings. What color was the metal?

 

A cooper color, I thi k the oil pump is bad. I won't be using it again. But can find where the metal came from. I'm about to head to my shop an pull of the mains.

 

With copper flakes showing in the oil, inspecting the rod and main bearings are a must. Sounds like they need to be replaced. If it was me, Id inspect and replace ANY worn bearings.

 

I agree with bowtie, oil pump gears are normally tempered steel, bearings are copper or sometimes tin colored.

 

Tear down it is. Ill have something in a hr or 2.

 

Main bearings were bad.
Low oil pressure + metal in oil pan = bad mains

 

Crank look OK?

 

Somewhat. Only ran it about a day with somewhat low oil pressure. Should cut down to .010. If not I have a couple spare cranks. Pulled a rod bearing they look ok.

 

It would be a good idea to find out why the bearings were damaged. Bearings typically just do not "go bad". There's a root cause. If you don't find out what it is, it will very likely happen again.

 

Bearings.

 

I'm pretty sure it was the oil pump. Doesn't turn by hand. That's y it didn't have oil pressure.

 

Maybe. My car went low on oil, then I took the pump apart and cleaned it. Reusing it now with no issue.

 

I'm just gonna go ahead and get a ported ls6 oil pump, new lifters and all new bearings and rock it. I want to at least squeeze into the 11s before the yr is over without blowing anything else up.

 

spun cam bearing!

 

That's what I thought from the beginning but no damage to the cam?

 

Why not take it back to the "local builder"? Before you get in there messing with it.. He may stand behind it if he can investigate it.. Stripping it down yourself could remove the clues.

Maybe it wasn't line bored correctly. I'd damn sure investigate more then the oil pump though.. It need to be completely gone through and block boiled again now..

 

It's tore down to the short block. I tool to main caps and a rod cap off. So it's still built.