After being out on the road for about a month, the Camaro has won over me again. I was coming home from a family function last night when I heard a strange tick from the engine. I looked down to find the check guages light on, and the oil pressure at 0. I pulled over as quickly as possible, but I am afraid at of the time between when it hit 0 and when I heard the tick. Thankfully the tow truck driver was able to get it in the garage.

I haven't dug in at all, but I figure the first step it to get it off the ground and look. There was a fair amount of oil under the car after the tow truck moved it, and even a small pool on the truck (15 minute ride) after they dropped me off. There were no loud booms, or other heart stopping noises, and no loss of power. If I don't see anything I plan to drain the oil. If there is metal in it, I think the next step is to pull the engine and start forensics.

Ugh, if it isn't one thing it is another

 

 

Ouch

Gotta find out the "why" it puked oil. If there is a hole in the block or pan than little else needs to be done other than get a new motor.

If a oil cooler line or filter puked than that repair would be simple. Given there was oil under car after it was shut off that indicated the motor was not "completely" empty. OP drooping to 0 with a severe leak (oil cooler line break) the oil pump can't make pressure

 

I am planning to get under it this week, I have family stuff going on today and tomorrow.

I deleted the oil cooler while putting everything back together, so maybe I’ll get lucky and find something up with the filter. I am most worried about the time between the pressure hitting 0 and the sound that clued me into the issue. I am hoping I that I didn’t spin any bearings or toast and rings.

A brief peak when it got home showed oil on the bottom of the pan, so right now it could be anything.

 

There is no oil flowing in the oil cooler lines, only coolant, so even if you had one, the lines wouldn’t be the issue.

 

Didn't know that Fred about F body...are you saying coolant, not oil, flow through lines #129 in diagram (courtesy of shbox)
http://shbox.com/1/oil_cooler.jpg

I have a B body and the "oil cooler" lines that went to radiator carried oil. Now I have a external OC outside of the radiator. Many, at least with B bodys, had these lines leak at the crimp connections (hard to soft line connection) and the leak was oil

But if OP deleted those lines that takes them out of the equation anyway....ideally his oil filter and or adapter is the leak source vs...well something more serious.

 

Correct. The clamp #14 holds the hose on the discharge of the water pump. Clamp #12 holds the outlet pipe from the oil cooler to the radiator. If you don't have an oil cooler - it wasn't used on all F-Body LT1's - there is a bypass hose (see #16 in radiator hose diagram) that sends coolant from the water pump to the radiator (same configuration for all LT1 years).

http://shbox.com/1/93-94_hoses.jpg


Incidentally, the oil cooler used in 93/94 is a different design than 95-97, but still functions the same.

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cam...e774c43ea0.jpg

 

You’re making me want to go investigate now. From the look, oil appears to be coming from the rear of the engine. With the recent changes, maybe something with the RMS or oil pan gasket. I think I will be able to get under it Monday or Tuesday.

 

The “check gauges” light comes on when the oil pressure drops to 6 PSI.

 

I unfortunately heard the tick before I looked at the gauge.

I located the issue this morning, see the below picture. I had this issue when the build first when together. The guy I was working with convinced me that adding a shim to the oil pump was a good idea to increase the oil pressure and flow through the engine. Anytime the engine was over 1000 RPM, the filter would blow out like this. I cannot at any point recall seeing the oil pressure over about 1/2 the gauge. There was almost no oil in the pan, but there was a small amount of metal on the magnetic pickup.

What advice would you give? I am buying another short block from a member this weekend, but if this engine is still okay, I will likely keep it crated until the next stage the build. In my mind, something had to cause the pressure to build high enough that the filter seal blew out. Outside pulling the engine for forensics, is there anything else I could do to determine what happened?

 

Never seen that happen. I run 80 psi high flow and never had a problem. I would get a better filter and and just monitor it.

 

This was a K&N, what would you recommend?

 

What oil pump are you running? Stock pump has a 60 PSI relief spring. White spring gives you an 80 PSI relief. Oil filters typically have a burst strength in the 100's of PSI. Might be worth pursuing with K&N.

Could you take a picture from the other side, and from above?

 

Drew

I would put a WIX (NAPA Gold is same) filter on and start/drive the car. You may find this is just a "weird" issues with a K&N filter. They are high $ filters...more because them supposedly offer "better" filtration (not saying they do) but IDK if their construction is any better than other filters

You mention "spacer" in the oil pump to increase pressure and you had this issue before so I assume you removed that spacer??. typically a spring (color) change would be used to increase "pressure".

Do you have a HV oil pump with stock bearing clearances?

You also noted you deleted the oil cooler...IDK if that would have anything to do with this but I would think it would not

You still had oil in pan and some shavings on the magnet, was it very fine dark almost "fuzz" or clearly "metal" shavings?

 

More like fuzz thank shavings or slivers, very small in size.

as for bearing clearances, I am not sure. The build was handled for me, mistakes of a kid... I think it is a high flow pump. Yes the shim was removed.

Ill grab the requested pics in a bit Fred.