Ok, I have been tracking down an oil pressure issue ever since I built my new motor. The last 3 times I have been to the track, I have realized my oil pump intake tube isnt staying in. First time, I pushed it back in there with a crescent wrench and a rubber mallet and I couldnt pull it out. First run down the track, it popped out and very low oil pressure when breaking (fine oil pressure at WOT). Ran a 13.0@109.7 (5100DA, 12.2@117 corrected or so). After that I pulled the oil pan, fixed this by welding it to the cast iron oil pump. Went down the track, first run my IAT sensor was unplugged because I had just gotten it out of the garage, ran a bad time, fixed it, and 2nd run it popped out (only welded it with about 6 tacks around it). The main problem is that after it popped out, I ran a 13.2@108.9 (4400DA) and then the next run it actually dropped oil pressure at WOT!!! The motor even sounds a little louder at idle, sounds like a roller rocker got popped loose (could be the whole problem right there and a bad sensor). Needless to say, I havent hit WOT since that happened, but if it was just the oil pump intake tube, this should not have happened right? At WOT all the oil is pushed to the back of the pan, so the pump has plenty of oil there, and under heavy breaking it loses the oil pressure which I understand. Well, since I welded the intake tube to the oil pump, every time I start the car, it takes like half a second to get oil pressure. I do not remember this ever happening. I know it was installed right, because normal driving it keeps oil pressure all the time with no problems.

Anyone? I am about to pull the pan AGAIN, but what am I looking for? THe only difference with the last time is that I used gasket maker on the oil pan gasket to make sure there would be no leaks. Could this have gotten on the intake screen and clogged it? Or what is going on here ? I am about to just pull the oil pan again, pull the oil pump, go get it completely welded all the way around with one big bead. Will this fix my problem or what else could be the problem ? The car has about a 3 mile drive to get the garage from wher eit is now, and I hope since the oil pressure is fine about .5 seconds after startup this will not be a problem.

Sorry for the lengthy post, but I have been fighting this problem all season. I need to get it fixed because I owuld love to run some 12's at 5100DA. I also just started a club on campus (texas tech university) for drag racers and SCCA and I cannot do either until I fix this problem.

thanks,

 

anyone know where to get a mechanical oil pressure gauge? I do jack the motor way high up to get hte oil pan out, and this could be reading wrong ( I HOPE ).

 

Do you still have the stock oil pan? Is this a stock oil pump? I went thru all this before, only w/o the pickup falling out. I now have a Canton pan and all the low pressure issues at WOT are gone. THe Canton came with a 'bolt-on' pickup so no welding is required. You can take it from one pump to another and it's no big deal to get off the old pump. It uses one of the four lower plate bolts on the pump to secure the pickup. Clever and useful.
Dave
BTW-I bought a mechanical pressure gauge to test my setup too. It only confirmed what was happening. Don't bother with it.

 

wait, so your telling me that this is the stock pan/pump problem? Yes they are both stock, and I have hammered the **** outta the stock oil pan to get it to fit. The stock oil pump was replaced when I built the new motor, but yes it is an OEM pump. What is the problem here? maybe my oil pump intake didnt fall out? I havent pulled the pan yet to see, its like 38 degrees outside today. How did you find out this was the problem, and how did you fix it? I really appreciate the reply man, you just made me feel happy that I am not a ****ty mechanic!

 

Heheh...
Yes, it's a very commonly experienced phenomena...
Read this thread.... Pull up a chair. It will take a bit to read all the back and forths....
http://web.camaross.com/forums/showthread.php?t=461060

 

ok after reading that I have one main question:

what good is a windage tray/screen/whatever? I never installed a new one but have stock OEM one I could install. I just figured that less impedence of flow would be better. I guess this could be part of my problem? I am going to have to read that a few times and its kinda late tonight so maybe tomorrow I will have to re-read it to better understand.

 

This is a crude analogy but, go to a swimming pool. Stand on the diving board. Now, just start punching in the air. Pretty quick movement, no? Now, dive in the water and while underwater, start punching again. A tad slower having to go thru all that fluid, is it not? That is, roughly, why you want to keep oil off the rapidly spinning crank. With oil splashing into the path of the cranks counterweights and rods, it absorbs some energy that would, otherwise, be used to propel the car down the track.

 

im a mechanical engineering senior, no need to talk about swimming pools. I am wondering why the problem started now, not the first 2 times I went to the track. I did have the breaking oil pressure problem, but from what I remember there was always at least 60psi at WOT the first 2 times at the track. Why would this just happen the last time at the track (when I ran .2 slower and 1mph slower than previously, with a 2.2 60' as my best as opposed to the 2.05 for the 13.0)? It just doesnt make sense. It is definitly something that has happened since the last time if you ask me. I can go throw money at it like I have been doing lately, costs me about 60$ every time I pull the oil pan (30$ gasket, 5$ gasket maker, 20$ oil) and I want to know how to fix this. If I have to pull the oil pan one more time I might just sell this damn car it makes me feel crazy.

In that post I did also see something about where the intake tube should be, I made the angle about 10degrees and I am thinking this was not clsoe enough to the bottom of the oil pan which could possibly be another problem, but if the intake tube isnt staying on the oil pump it doesnt matter what angle I have.

 

also I guess the higher psi spring would be good for the oil pump, where do I get one of these? Also how do you install it? I dont remember seeing a spring in there when I took apart the stock one.

thakns again

 

You sound just as resistant to the truth as I and others were. I swapped in different 3 different oil pumps (Melling 25% HV, Moroso Blue printed, brand new GM Z28 pump) in an attempt to get rid of this problem. None of those fixed it, though the stock pump lessened the loss. The problem is the stock oil pan. Get a Canton pan and pickup and your problem is over. You can change the pump and the spring and anything else but the problem will remain as long as you have the stock pan. I can't tell you how many contentious posts have occurred regarding this phenomena. You can beat your self to death trying everything else but in the end, you'll either sell the car as you say or you'll have to get a better pan. The Canton pan has baffles and trap doors that keep the oil surrounding the pickup during hard acceleration.
Dave

 

ok, sorry for the bitter tongue earlier. If it is about having more baffles that I can believe. If I am reading this correctly, I can keep my stock pump, and just get the new 80psi spring for it, get the canton oil pan and intake tube and I should be fine?

Anyone know who carries these pans/intake tubes? I am about to start looking.

 

No worries. It gets frustrating at times, no?
Here's Cantons site.
http://www.cantonracing.com/pans/roa...ace.html#15244
I have two z28's and they both have the #15-242T

If you go to google and maybe even Ebay, type in that part number, you will probably find a lot of people selling them.
Dave

 

wow, 340$. Does that come with the oil pump intake or not? Doesnt seem to, I was just hoping that it wasnt that much $. If I have I have no choice I guess I have no choice.

 

It can be had for ~$300.

Rich

 

so rich, you agree with this problem being my oil pan? I never had the problem until the 3rd time at the track (maybe I wasnt watching close enough?) I just hate to test a 300$ hypothesis (+ intake tube) for the same problem when I need slicks hah