BTW on the high voluum pump versus the standard pump, what Im saying is basically this
if you push the oil at a low enough pressure and voluum accross the bearing surfaces the limited , stock oil voluum ,compared to the higher , voluum pumped by the aftermarket pumps, passing over the surface will ,pick up a higher heat transfer per oil voluum in contact with the bearing surfaces due to its longer contact time.
that poses three minor potential problems that might be major potential problem depending on the temp. range and oil quality (mineral versus synthetic)

(1)as the oil voluum passing over the bearing surface heats up it can absorb a lower percentage of the bearings heat

(2)as oil heats up it breaks down and by the time mineral base oils hit 260 degrees they have lost significant luberacation

(3)oil picks up and carries micro trash (carbon,acids, metalic dust,etc.) that can embed in the bearing surfaces, a slightly higher pressure and voluum flowing accross the bearing surfaces TENDs to keep them cleaner because the FILTERED oil PUSHED OVER THE BEARING SURFACES tends to be run through the FILTER more often
so if your pushing 20% more oil at 10% greater pressure accross the bearings the oil will tend heat slower,have a greater time in the cooling off cycle and stabilize at a lower total heat absorbsion level.

what most of the guys that tell you a stock pump is all youll ever need FORGET to TELL you is that
the high voluum pumps pump oil to the bearings faster at startup, helping to prevent wear, pump ONLY what the engines CLEARANCES ALLOW, have a more constant pressure level, and they also don,t seem to understand that the hydrolic lifters in most engines have internal valves that limit the oil flow voluum, in almost every case where someome says the valve covers fill up at high RPMs, your talking to someone whos just repeating something they heard, or someone whos FAILED tO CORRECTLY PREP THE BLOCK AND/OR USE A WINDAGE SCREEN not someone thats actually tested the engine to see if what they are talking about is true

read this part of that big post above

now what does quite frequently happen is that the guys installing a high volume oil pump just swap out the standard pump, reinstall the stock or simular pick-up and bolt on the pan with the pick-up in the stock possition on the oil pump. the stock pick-up is mounted about 3/8" off the pan bottom,the high volume pump is normally equiped with impeller gears about .3 inches longer than stock, the high volume pump body is that much lower in the pan, resultting in the pick-up being only about 1/8" from the pan bottom. the result is that on a normal chevy oil pump pick-up this leave a space of about 1/8" x 2.5" for oil to flow into the pump. at low rpms this works but as the rpms climb the pick-up that can,t get any oil to pump cavitates as it spins and fails to pump oil, result oil pressure drops untill rpms are lowered no matter how much oil is over the pick-up............ valve covers never get and hold more than about 1/3 to 2/3 of a quart each even at 8000 rpm (high speed photography by SMOKEY YUNICK doing stock car engine research with clear plastic valve covers prove that

 

ok, so I decided to tackle this oil pressure problem again. Drained the oil...no metal again. Then I decided to pull the oil level sensor. Unscrewed it and nothing was attached to the other side! Though, "crap, I gotta drop this thing anyway to get this thing out." By the way, dropping the oil pan is a much bigger PITA then I thought it would be. So I evetually pulled the pan off and got the rest of the sensor out of there. put it all back together and put in 5W30 dino oil. Drove it for a while and oil pressure looksed fine the whole way. never dropped below 20psi going by stock gauge. Maybe that sensor was blocking the pump and pick up restricting oil flow??

 

Man, that sucks. I'm glad nothing was damaged and the problem has fixed itself. Now, try some synthetic oil to make sure you've totally fixed the problem.

 

Stay with the dino oil until ya got it broken in then change if ya want.
Glad it is doing OK.

 

yeah i'll wait about 2000 miles or so then change it. knowing me i'll still be paranoid and watch that pressure gauge like a hawk!