what is wrong with this thing? please help..

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stroker mike

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I drove it to auto zone to buy a tach so I could do my cam swap this weekend. I got back home, installed it. When I started the car back up, there was a very strong racket coming from the block, like there was no oil in the top end. I hear a similar sound occasionally, and I hear lifter noise at mid rpm, and I KNOW ther's good oil in it, so is this the sound of a lifter failing? I get a ticking at idle sometimes, that eventually fades. The racket did fade over the course of a minute or so, but that is a long time for all that rocker noise and clunking coming from inside. I went ahead and let it run itself out, I figure it's gonna do what it's gonna do, and I have an extra engine here, but I'd really like to know what is going on, if it is just a bad lifter, I can handle that. I have a whole new set, new cam too, timing set, all that. But if there's something more serious then i won't waste time on this one and build my spare. Which is gonna take some time and $ cause it's gotta be machined. Oil pump? How can I know if it's the oil pump? I have no oil pressure guage but the sending unit makes the oil light flicker alot, the former owner said it was a bad sending unit. I am so frustrated ....
 
I would tap a mechanical oil pressure gauge into it and see what exactly the oil pressure is....sounds like you may have a clogged oil pickup.

Old rule of thumb is an engine needs a minimum of 10 psi of oil per 1000 rpm.
 
Yup, I would suspect low oil pressure, not a bad sender. Hook up a mechanical oil pressure gauge to get a true reading.
 
We do not hear from Prine much any more, but when he speaks up it makes sense.
 
I will buy one first thing tomorrow after work. I hook it up where the sending unit goes at the back of the intake, right? And if that is the case, then I have to drop the drag link and the oil pan, clean the pickup? or should I just swap in a new hv oil pump? I have about 200 I can spend if I have to.
 
oil pressure lites will sometimes flicker at low rpm and are a sub-standard measure of whats going on. get a real gauge hooked up.

good to see you around prine, hows the road grader working?
 
If you bought hyd cam, did you soak your lifters in some oil before putting them in? or you may have your rockershafts on backwards or upside down. theirs a notch on the end of the shafts and there both sopose to be on the bottom to the left side of the head as your standing facing the exhaust sides of the head. hope i can help. good luck
 
Honestly, it sounds like the engine is tired and it's time for a rebuild.
Do a leak down test, and a mechanical oil pressure test and maybe you will get lucky and only have to replace the cam, lifters, timing chain and oil pump.
If it has run without oil pressure for more than a minute, the bearings and crank might be toast.
It sounds like your in for a rebuild or another good running engine IMOP.
Good luck, and keep us posted.
 
Thanks, guys. I just was hoping the guy who sold it to me told me the truth. I haven't had it apart, but I have built more than a few and never ran into this, cause I did it right, I believe. I will have to do some much more serious investigation now, it looks like. Thanks again.
 
Prine said:
I would tap a mechanical oil pressure gauge into it and see what exactly the oil pressure is....sounds like you may have a clogged oil pickup.

Old rule of thumb is an engine needs a minimum of 10 psi of oil per 1000 rpm.
Click to expand...
I'd agree as long as you're starting with about 25 psi. I'd be a bit worried with only 10 lbs at idle.
Thanks, Mark
 
it takes only 9 or 10 psi to turn off the warning light. I have dropped the pan and cleaned it and the screen. Good for another 100 K miles.
 
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