On the 'mildly' Cheap SS Monte Carlo chasing a 9.0____(oil pan woes)

[Supercharged111]

Finally onto reassembly!

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Crank is in, injectors are back (with no issues.) Have to test fit the cam in the new cam bushings. Then……………onto ring filing ( :-/ )

I’m debating what to do with the oil pump. I have it shimmed with .100 or so of shims to raise the pressure to a non scary number at hot idle, but now I have new (tight) bearings rather than the 150k mile junkyard bearings that I’ve treated like an old pair of shoes.

Also, I’m worrying that the extra couple of points of compression aren’t going to get me to an 8 or 9.1___ , so I’m 2nd guessing myself to death debating to add some nitrous.

It’s a daily ritual - tomorrow I’ll have thrown out the idea of a 50 shot to get it moving and by the day after I’ll have convinced myself I need it. This indecision is killing me

What hot idle pressure were you seeing and just how hot were you getting? We have guys running junkyard 5.3s, albeit at stock power levels, and running them HOT with 200k stock pumps. Hell, even my LT1 has crap for pressure at a hot idle, been that way forever hasn't seemed to hurt anything. Remember the thinner it gets the faster it flows which allows it to carry away even more heat faster. Could also do an oil cooler if it's that bad.

 

[64nailhead]

What hot idle pressure were you seeing and just how hot were you getting? We have guys running junkyard 5.3s, albeit at stock power levels, and running them HOT with 200k stock pumps. Hell, even my LT1 has crap for pressure at a hot idle, been that way forever hasn't seemed to hurt anything. Remember the thinner it gets the faster it flows which allows it to carry away even more heat faster. Could also do an oil cooler if it's that bad.

12-15 at hot idle. And not getting to 50 at 7000-7500 rpm’s. I don’t have an oil temp sensor, but I assume it’s toasty. Probably shouldn’t assume anything. Once I shimmed the pump it was high 20’s-30 at hot idle and stayed between 65 until 6-7 seconds into a run. Then it would slow decrease to 52-55.

The old bearings didn’t show any signs of starvation despite my pressure dropping at the end of the runs.

 

[bracketchev1221]

12-15 at hot idle. And not getting to 50 at 7000-7500 rpm’s. I don’t have an oil temp sensor, but I assume it’s toasty. Probably shouldn’t assume anything. Once I shimmed the pump it was high 20’s-30 at hot idle and stayed between 65 until 6-7 seconds into a run. Then it would slow decrease to 52-55.

The old bearings didn’t show any signs of starvation despite my pressure dropping at the end of the runs.

My race engines used to do 2 things. 1 oil pressure would drop over 6500 and then I would lose oil pressure when I got on the brakes too hard at the finish line. I put a 30 psi light in the car so if the light came on while stopping I could lift off the brakes and let the pressure come back. Never hurt anything running the car that way. It was the oil pan and the stock crossmember doing it. Once I cut the crossmember out and went to a good pan, all the issues went away.

 

[Supercharged111]

12-15 at hot idle. And not getting to 50 at 7000-7500 rpm’s. I don’t have an oil temp sensor, but I assume it’s toasty. Probably shouldn’t assume anything. Once I shimmed the pump it was high 20’s-30 at hot idle and stayed between 65 until 6-7 seconds into a run. Then it would slow decrease to 52-55.

The old bearings didn’t show any signs of starvation despite my pressure dropping at the end of the runs.

Weird. 12-15 is damn low. Stock pumps will cavitate over 6500 RPM FYI, but I can't find that nifty graph from 10 years ago to show you. The Melling pumps did not. You definitely weren't overshimmed though. I'd be curious to know how hot your oil was getting. If your coolant was in check I'm inclined to thinking there's just no way you can cook it in 9 seconds even with all those bald eagles, but I don't drag race and I know at the pointy end stuff just gets more extreme.

 

[Texas82GP]

FWIW, my 210k mile 5.3 hot idles at around 28 psi (according to dash gauge) with the original, un-shimmed pump. That's running conventional 5W30. This was originally a DOD motor. 12-15 seems abnormally low.

 

[64nailhead]

Finally making some progress!

I have most everything needed in my possession from new intercooler to injectors and everything in between.

Hopefully be making smoke soon and to the dyno before January.

 

[81cutlass]

No more SS2 the world!!!

 

[64nailhead]

No more SS2 the world!!!

Not by design. I had a lifter tray that was loose on two lifters - why? I don't know. But close inspection of the cam found a minor issue on those two lobes - a couple of pits. The lifters all looked fine, but I have a new set in stock, so I figured the heck with it and bought the BTR. It's a not much bigger than the SS2. But it's a little bigger - they gave the Black Friday discount of 15%, so that sealed the deal. And the Pac1219's will work with it, despite they recommend a dual spring setup, they said they will work fine.

My spare 4.8 still has the SS2 in it

 

[Supercharged111]

That BTR turbo cam looks like a tasty NA grind as well.

 

[64nailhead]

The world’s worst hot side has developed a crack. It might be time for a partial re-vamp or perhaps a complete re-do. I need to sleep on it.