oil problem w/ 454??? please help!!!!!!!

[SERIOUS ISSUES]

I have a 454 in my WIFES biesemeyer. It would build 70 lbs when it started in within a minute or so it would drop to 20 lbs. I tried multiple filters and then broke down and re-built the motor. I did find 2 spun rod bearings. I cleaned the oil journals replaced the rods and all the bearings. set the bearing clearance at .003 mains and .0026 on the rods. also replace the oil pump w/ a high vol. pump. now I get 55 lbs at start and it drops to 40 lbs. I also cut the oil filter and found some more bearing material in it. I have now pulled the engine apart again and the bearings all look good. what could be doing this to me? could there be more bearing crap stuck in a journal that would cause this much loss in oil presure and still not kill the new bearings? this is not my first engine build but the first time I have ever seen a problem like this.

[skeepwerkzaz]

Hey,
How many hrs since the rebuild? Could just be standard babbit metal due to break-in. Could also be aluminum from your pistons pretending to be a bearing. Metal in the filter is normal, a trend towards more metal is alarming. Let it stabilize i.e. 20 hrs and then worry. You could always pop for an oil analysis and find out exactly what is making the metal.

[BK]

I can tell you thats exactly what I get (55 cold/40 hot) on my BBC. I've got 3 seasons on it now but its been the same since day one.
Ooops sorry, I just re-read your post. Im not running a high volume pump in mine, that may be a little low in that case but not sure? :)
[ April 16, 2003, 10:57 AM: Message edited by: BK ]

[SERIOUS ISSUES]

skeepwerkzaz:
Hey,
How many hrs since the rebuild? Could just be standard babbit metal due to break-in. Could also be aluminum from your pistons pretending to be a bearing. Metal in the filter is normal, a trend towards more metal is alarming. Let it stabilize i.e. 20 hrs and then worry. You could always pop for an oil analysis and find out exactly what is making the metal. the metal is copper. that is only found in the bearings after they go by by.
hey BK, how many RPM do you turn. this turns 7400. and should have 65 - 70lbs at that rpm to make sure it wont blow up.

[BK]

Yeah the copper stuffs not good :(
Mines a jet so im only turning 52-5300rpm and my oil pressure at WOT is around 45psi

[skeepwerkzaz]

You can spin 7500r's with a jet??????????It must be a MAGIC jet. :D Or one of those strange propellor driven things eek! Copper=bad, don't know what to say about that other than maybe it is the thrust bearing seating.... Does it get really hot? Does the oil smell burned? Is there water in the oil? Could there be a burr on the crank that is eating your bearings? Just trying to throw as much shit at the wall as possible...
[ April 16, 2003, 11:10 AM: Message edited by: skeepwerkzaz ]

[skeepwerkzaz]

How many hrs??????

[wfodude]

please tell us that you had the rods re-sized before putting it back together

[Ronnie]

If you did not resize the rods that could be where your oil pressure is going.

[SERIOUS ISSUES]

It is a v-drive. the rods were re-sized. the motor had about 15 minutes on it before I pulled it apart again. it has a oil cooler so the oils is fairly cool. no water in the oil. all the new bearings are fine, I checked them when I pulled it back apart.
I dont want to put it back together until I know what is going on.

[Infomaniac]

Is the cooler before or after the filter?

[SERIOUS ISSUES]

Infomaniac:
Is the cooler before or after the filter? the filter srews onto the cooler, I pulled it apart and no blockage there either

[paradigm shift]

I think infomaniac may be refering to where the bearing material may have come from. Just a guess. If all the bearings are fine (Cam included?) then where did it come from. If cam bearing is bad it can cause low oil pressure also. Just guessing here with out seeing parts.

[Fiat48]

Unless the block had the cam bearings removed and the block cleaned, all oil galleys brushed, you may be seeing old material.
As far as the oil pressure you have now compared with what you did have....that could be related to the new oil pump. Perhaps even though a high volume pump, it could have a weaker spring or more cover clearance. I would go after that oil pump and check the cover clearance, the relief valve and possibly compare the relief spring in the new high volume pump to the relief spring in the old pump.
Did you find a conclusive reason why you spun the rod bearings in the first place? Were #5 & #6 the rods that spun?
[ April 16, 2003, 09:49 PM: Message edited by: Fiat48 ]

[lovemyultra]

High Volume pump doesnt mean High pressure pump just a thought

[SERIOUS ISSUES]

I understand the pump could be the problem, however before the engine was pulled apart the first pump I used was putting out 70lbs after the build it put out 50. I then installed a new pump and got 55. I dont think its a pump.
FIAT48, how did you know it was 5&6. did you do something to my motor??????? :D
As for a cause I had a oil filter implode on me killing oil pressure. I replace the filter and as the oil pressure dropped again, I pulled the filter, cut it open and found bearing juice.

[Fiat48]

The reason I said #5 and #6 is really several reasons. The one rod failure I have had many years ago was #5 and #6. At 8500 rpm, there's not a lot left to diagnose. I just got through looking at a 468 that a guy blew up and it was #5 and #6 that spun. #5 and especially #6 are the cylinders that want to detonate first in my alcohol stuff and tend to be the hardest working in the motor.
As far as the oil pressure deal goes, sounds like you have covered the bases. Since the bearings look fine now, could only be residual bearing material left in the engine. No idea why you would have 20 lbs less pressure after fixing the motor. Galley plug left out behind the timing gear? I saw that once.