Why oh why. Sudden oil pressure drop.

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Glad you found the problem. I doubt the engine is damaged. They did a test here years ago, removing the oil from a 6 cyl engine that had used that Slick oil treatment. It was driven about 400m, no oil, before the engine finally blew.

I never liked those Milodon/Moroso mickey mouse pick ups. The p/up shape looks all wrong for collecting the oil to smoothly enter the tube. Factory shape was done for a resason.
 
So did threads break/strip on tube?
Glad ya found the issue!
The threads broke. It was an American made one from 440 source. I banged the pan on the rolling jack when I backed it off the lift but there was no external damage to the pan. I managed to get the broken part out with an EZ out screw extractor without damage to the thread.

I just placed an order with Mancini for a new Mopar performance 6 qt pan and pickup. The volume is 1 quart less that what I have but I will not be racing autocross, just some test and tunes. 2 week back order Yet I will have almost 2 more inches of ground clearance.
 
Correct. It is also the same for V8s. The pickup is designed to rest on the bottom of the pan.

Kent, did you closely inspect the female drive hex in the pump and the pump drive shaft as well?
Yes I did. No parts showed any wear at all. They have less than 250 miles on them
 
You really don't need that fancy pan and pickup.
I 'm using the Mancini 6qt a-body oil pan power package on my 451.
It don't run out of oil at 7500 rpm. lol
I just ordered it. backorder, 2 weeks
 
Is it just me or do I read a lot of 440 Source stuff breaking or junk?
It is not just you. I blew a head gasket of theirs as well within 200 miles. This pickup they tout for stroker motors as it has clearance for the stroker. However, the clearanced area is where it broke. Maybe I tightened it too much and cracked it then??
 
IMO, In trying to position an oil pickup with pipe thread, just that needed quarter turn more can stretch the tube at its weakest spot. One might consider adding a little more thread to the tube to index it without over stressing it.
 
'Cheap' was the problem. Not soft enough, too hard, made from crap alloy..who knows.
I've never had a stock or milodon break.

As for the design someone **** on.. I'm pretty sure they test this crap to know. 440 source is just cheap. Cheaper made even now probably.
 
Is it just me or do I read a lot of 440 Source stuff breaking or junk?
Yeah, they also had that big block water pump housing that the inlet hole on the bottom hose barb was so small you couldn't get two fingers in it. Cause some over heating issues. They have "supposedly" rectified that issue. I didn't think "ANY" of their stuff was made in the USA.
 
I set all my pickups 1/4 inch off the bottom of the pan..
As long as people want cheap parts, their going to be made in China..
What annoys me, is that people ***** when the cheap part breaks..
 
Let's see: EFI, onboard computers, electronic sensors, electronic gauges.

See a pattern here?

Spin in one of these shorty mechanical pressure gauges and see what you got.

Betting it's bad electronics for it to drop to nothing out of nowhere. View attachment 1715949870
When I ever have a problem, the first thing I ask myself, "what did I just do?". go through everything. If your pressure were that low, I think you would of heard a tapping sound. I think it would be possible a bad ground or the gauge itself.
 
When I ever have a problem, the first thing I ask myself, "what did I just do?". go through everything. If your pressure were that low, I think you would of heard a tapping sound. I think it would be possible a bad ground or the gauge itself.
Look back at previous posts. His oil pump pickup broke off and was lying in the bottom of the pan.
 
I set all my pickups 1/4 inch off the bottom of the pan..
As long as people want cheap parts, their going to be made in China..
What annoys me, is that people ***** when the cheap part breaks..
Someone just posted in another thread they would pay to or three times for parts made in USA. I would too, but it sure would slow my project time way down. lol
 
The threads broke. It was an American made one from 440 source. I banged the pan on the rolling jack when I backed it off the lift but there was no external damage to the pan. I managed to get the broken part out with an EZ out screw extractor without damage to the thread.

I just placed an order with Mancini for a new Mopar performance 6 qt pan and pickup. The volume is 1 quart less that what I have but I will not be racing autocross, just some test and tunes. 2 week back order Yet I will have almost 2 more inches of ground clearance.
Seems to me a support bracket bolted to another main cap bolt would help support it against vibration. May need a main bolt with a small stud or main stud with extra length to put support bracket and nut on. Kind of like some use for windage tray installation.
 
Small block. I had a pickup tube that would not turn enough to fit the screen flat to the pan. The recommended choice was to use enough teflon tape to build a tight fit with it backed off. NO!!

I got a pipe die and screwed it on till it was finger tight and gave it 3/4's turn to retaper the threads a little. Screwed it back in to the oil pump and BANG, screen was level to pan and tight without any teflon tape.
 
Small block. I had a pickup tube that would not turn enough to fit the screen flat to the pan. The recommended choice was to use enough teflon tape to build a tight fit with it backed off. NO!!

I got a pipe die and screwed it on till it was finger tight and gave it 3/4's turn to retaper the threads a little. Screwed it back in to the oil pump and BANG, screen was level to pan and tight without any teflon tape.
I put a little Loctite on the threads to seal them position the pickup where I want it, let it dry overnight. Then I tack weld the pickup tube to the pump, never had any issues.
Note to the OP
I would prime that motor before you start it again after your repair.
I dont use the drill method myself, I use a pressure system and run 5 quarts of oil throught the engine rotate the crank and verify that all the rockers are receiving oil.
Good luck and keep posting
Jim K
 
I put a little Loctite on the threads to seal them position the pickup where I want it, let it dry overnight. Then I tack weld the pickup tube to the pump, never had any issues.
Note to the OP
I would prime that motor before you start it again after your repair.
I dont use the drill method myself, I use a pressure system and run 5 quarts of oil throught the engine rotate the crank and verify that all the rockers are receiving oil.
Good luck and keep posting
Jim K
I will make sure to prime but I will use the drill method as that is all I have. Going to be a couple weeks before the new pan and pickup arrive.
 
I would of thought with a broken pickup, he would of had "0" pressure. A crack yes. He must of finished breaking it off for the photo.
Do not forget that the suction port on the oil pump may be real close or at the oil level in the pan. If that is the case it could suck a bit of oil off the surface, enough for a few pounds oil pressure.
The pickup tube is subject to vibration. The tube material and wall schedule combined with threads is likely the problem. A thin schedule tube when threaded will be very thin at the bottom of the thread, leaving very little for strength. A possible solution would be to tape the pump housing while apart to almost bury the tube threads. Make two little triangular gussets out of 1/8" steel. 1/4" to 3/8" ×1". Weld above and below the pickup tube and tack to the housing. This will help alleiviate the pinpoint stress at the pump body and help spread it out over a larger area at lower values. Clean out the housing real well. Pack the pump with Vaseline for startup. It will pick up oil real quickly.
DV has a video on high HP SBF blocks breaking. One area that breaks is the main webs. This is not caused by vertical stresses and vibration, but horizontal vibration of the main caps and webs. Tieing the main caps together with a main girdle changes the natural frequency out of the destructive range. Also cleaning ALL scale out of the cooling system and filling with concrete up to the bottom of the water entry to the block from the water pump changes the natural frequency. On those blocks it is also wise to build a high tensile steel brace to be doweled and bolted across the valley into the oil gallery area. Strengthens another weak area of those blocks.
While working building oilfield compressors, companies would hire specialist companies to come in and test the natural frequencies of vessels and piping. If a 12" or 18" pipe has a natural frequency that is a multiple of the operating RPM, it will eventually break. A change in pipe schedule or welding a piece of steel at a key location like a fishplate would change the weight and natural frequency so it was away from operating RPM multiples. The natural gas engines run at 100% load and throttle for a month or more at a time. Vibration is a constant in the building. When the multiples add up, something is going to fail.
 
The threads broke. It was an American made one from 440 source. I banged the pan on the rolling jack when I backed it off the lift but there was no external damage to the pan. I managed to get the broken part out with an EZ out screw extractor without damage to the thread.

I just placed an order with Mancini for a new Mopar performance 6 qt pan and pickup. The volume is 1 quart less that what I have but I will not be racing autocross, just some test and tunes. 2 week back order Yet I will have almost 2 more inches of ground clearance.
That's the setup I have worked out great been racing and street driving for 2 years.
 
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