Recently completed my first engine build.. Had all the machine work done and my machinist opened up my z28 oil pump and told me it looked mint and to reuse it. So I did..

When I first fired it up I used 10-40 and a cheap STP oil filter.. Pressure was pretty good.. About 60 cold and about 25 hot at idle.. Ran about 20 minutes and dropped the oil and changed the filter. Put in castrol 10-40 and a bosch filter..

Took it out for its first real ride today and after about 20 minutes I glanced at the oil pressure at a light and only had about 5psi.. Scared as hell I went right home and dropped the oil.. Black and has a lot of gold metallic in it. I'm thinking and hoping this is more molly lube.. And I'm praying it clogged the filter. Feels pretty heavy..

I been sifting through the dozens of threads here about oil pressure and seems like wix is the filter of choice.. However, I don't think I can get it to fit my car.. There is no room between the dougs headers and 7qt pan.. With both the STP and bosch I had to remove the o-ring to squeeze it through.. Anyone else have this issue?

What filter should I use? What weight oil? 20-50? Straight weight?

Are mobil 1 filters good? The look nice and short..

355, Hyd roller

Thanks!

Was your bypass eliminated? If not, it should have opened to a clogged filter and kept the OP up.

Nevermind... brought my filter down to my guy.. He cut it open and said all the gold in the oil and filter is my thrust bearing... Need to yank the motor...:sad::sad:

ouch!:eek:

Yikes! Really, your thrust bearing?

Ouch! It must have spun and the rest is history. Any ideas why? Could it be due to bad lubrication (not saying it is)...anything form the oil pump to slightly misaligned oil holes in the bearing and the block. I would get me a new oil pump, a high volume one at that. You can't go wrong doing that not to mention you'll sleep better. Also, doesn't 25 lbs of pressure (hot) sound a bit low for a new motor? Did you blue print it?

Did you check the thrust bearing clearance to the crankshaft as part of your assembly checks??

Blueprint? Not even sure what that is.. This is what happens when a bodman (me) thinks he can build a motor himself..

I did check the endplay and it was on the tight side of the 3-5 thousands the book I was using called for.. I left it.. He says with a stick car I want more. Around 7.. And that also having the clutch to tight could also be the culpret..

Blueprint? Not even sure what that is.. This is what happens when a bodman (me) thinks he can build a motor himself..

I did check the endplay and it was on the tight side of the 3-5 thousands the book I was using called for.. I left it.. He says with a stick car I want more. Around 7.. And that also having the clutch to tight could also be the culpret..

Yes he is right as the thrust bearing on car with standard tranny is stressed more than on car with an automatic tranny. What's done is done, no reason to dwell on it. Take your time on the next build and make sure you check all those things. If you don't have the right tools, get a shop to do it for you. Money well spent. Get a new oil pump too. Post here if you have questions and we'll try to help out. Is the motor out? When do you think you'll have it apart?

I run straight 40w on during break in with a bottle of ZDDPlus and a cheap filter. Then I switch to Royal Purple 10w40 and an AC Delco filter #PF1218.

Yes he is right as the thrust bearing on car with standard tranny is stressed more than on car with an automatic tranny. What's done is done, no reason to dwell on it. Take your time on the next build and make sure you check all those things. If you don't have the right tools, get a shop to do it for you. Money well spent. Get a new oil pump too. Post here if you have questions and we'll try to help out. Is the motor out? When do you think you'll have it apart?



Im going to try to get it out tonight and on a stand. He says I should be able to just slide a new bearing in place and call it a day. He says that because he only sees gold or copper in the oil that most likely it didnt damage the crank as it is softer than my steel crank... The only reason im pulling it is b/c of my 7 qt pan there is no way for me to drop it in the car...

If you lost oil pressure it's worse than a thrust bearing. A thrust bearing alone won't cause the loss of oil pressure since it rides between the crankshaft and block.

What kind of bearing makes gold in the oil ?

Quite a few places to get gold. Thrust bearing, valve guide, distributor gear, and the worst one.....normally the layer under the outside bearing material.

Quite a few places to get gold. Thrust bearing, valve guide, distributor gear, and the worst one.....normally the layer under the outside bearing material.
What kind of bearings have brass in them :confused:

what bearrings did you buy and when you do your rebuild go ahead and get a melling select for you motor and DO NOT USE a CHEAP FILTER the melling select will crush a cheap filter but you wil have no oil pressuer problems

What kind of bearings have brass in them :confused:
Most as far as I know....they are designed to keep you from having a catastrophic failure in the event you should wear through the bearing material.

Most as far as I know....they are designed to keep you from having a catastrophic failure in the event you should wear through the bearing material.
HUH never saw that type most i have seen are babbit backed by copper backed by steel :confused:

I meant copper:D