455 Oil Pressure

[1hd-rider]

I just purchased a 1974 Tahiti with a freshly rebuilt 455. I'm getting back into jets after a long hiatus and will hopefully be bringing this one back to a proper state.
The guy I bought it from owns an auto shop and built the engine himself. He said he put in a high volume oil pump. It's got an Edelbrock intake, matching cam and carb. He says the heads were also shaved. The problem I first had was oil being blown out of the dipstick and around the oil filler cap. Now the rear main has blown out. (This engine has probably 2 hours on it since the rebuild) Putting a manual tester on the engine, it shows around 50psi of oil pressure.
I'm about to pull this thing and replace the seal as well as rebuild the Berkeley, but it's not something I really want to do again next month.
Can anyone tell me if you think it may be the high volume pump that's doing this or just positive pressure in the block or.. you tell me. Valve covers are vented (Vent on one side and pcv to the carb on the other)
Any help is greatly appreciated.

[CrdStang]

The oil blowing out of the dipstick tube and breather is likely from "blow by", which is combustion pressure escaping past the piston rings. No oil pump, high volume or otherwise, will cause blow by. There are other possible issues with running a high volume pump with an Olds though, such as a stock oil pan getting sucked dry and all the oil being in the valve covers - not good!
Sounds like your engine aint in such great shape. I'd suggest doing a compression test.

[Floored]

hook up a leakdown tester to see if rings are doing their job. my 455 is 4 years old and doesn't even mist the valve covers from the breathers. you may have been BS"d about total rebuild and maybe just a rering job to off the boat, or maybe I'm just suspicious. also use the 460 ford neoprene rear main seal instead of the olds rope seal

[1hd-rider]

Thanks for the info. I didn't know you could use the 460 seal. I'll definitely be doing that.
Someone else told me that there is a tendancy with the 455 to suck the pan dry, but this could be fixed using "oil restrictors" I've built a few engines, but by no means am I up on everything. What are these, should I use them, where can I get them(or make them) and where do they go?

[BrendellaJet]

You can restrict the olds in a few places. It can be done at the main bearings and the push rods. I would have the heads drilled for drains back into the pan. I think you can make them, but you would be better off just buying them-less headache, unless you have time to spare. Try a search online-(there are a few olds sights that will help you very much.)

[CrdStang]

I got my mains restrictors from Dick Miller Racing. I spoke to Dick about drilling the heads for external oil drains, he said he'd never had any problems with drain back, but then car guys don't go out and run 5000RPM for minutes at a time.
I'm also going to try and get my hands on some restricted pushrods, and modify the oil pan for a bunch more capacity. Hope it works.
http://dickmillerracing.com/

[396_WAYS_TO_SPIT]

I run oil restricted pushrods and my olds is fine. I have no other restrictors in my mill. yes they do work for some people BUT if the motor really needed them then why didnt they restrict the block from the factory?? Not trying to argue just asking a logical question. i dont have any problems with my motor. I ran the restricted pushrods just to be safe. "oldschool trick" is to buy some pipecleaners" the little thin pieces of metal that people use around christmans time with different color velvet on them". Put them into your stock pushrods and that will restrict the oil to the top and its inexspensive.I learned this from a old timer ;) My pushrods were $200 online.
just my little ole' 2 pennies
396

[GlastronGuy]

They didn't restrict them from the factory because they were designed to be run in cars.

[sleekvino]

My Olds engine has a Melling high volume oil pump and also a high volume spring from Mondello. It puts out @ 65 lbs of pressure and doesn't leak at all. My block is restricted, cam bearings as well. The reason you restrict an Olds is because you need to try to keep most of the oil in the pan and you need a 10 qt pan.

[BrendellaJet]

Originally posted by 396_WAYS_TO_SPIT
I run oil restricted pushrods and my olds is fine. I have no other restrictors in my mill. yes they do work for some people BUT if the motor really needed them then why didnt they restrict the block from the factory??
One could use the same logic and say the same thing about the push rods...:D

[396_WAYS_TO_SPIT]

Originally posted by BrendellaJet
One could use the same logic and say the same thing about the push rods...:D
Pushrods were rop in:D :D I am too amn lazy to install cam an main restrictors:D :D :D i knew someone was going to bring that up:D :D
396

[396_WAYS_TO_SPIT]

By the way I run a 10qt pan as well. I believe all marine motors should have a 10qt pan but thats me;)
396

[1hd-rider]

Thanks again for the advice. Dick Miller racing has the 5/16 restricted pushrods for $179 and the main restrictors for $16/set. He said they also carry a neoprene main seal for the 455. Anyone know where to get a 10qt pan cheaper than the ~ $300 prices I've seen so far? I've got an engine cover on my boat, so I'm not overly concerned about dress up.

[BrendellaJet]

$300 bucks isn't cheap? I must have been brainwashed.
Thats about the going rate for that pan. It only goes up from there. You might get lucky and find a used one...

[CrdStang]

I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one who thinks $300 is too much for a piece of stamped sheet metal.
One company, I forget the name, has pretty clearly just welded a box on the back of a stock pan to extend the sump so it's the same level all the way back. There's probably some trap doors in between the box and the old sump too, I haven't had a good look at one.
Fortunately I have a TIG welder so I'll just do the same thing myself.

[HotDogz]

restrictors or not, if you keep that 455 wound up for too long you will still fill the valve covers if your not careful. My motor is fully restricted with a melling high volume pump and as long as I am not trying to win some poker run I have never had that issue come up since we had the motor rebuilt. Sleekvino is right, youll need at least a 10qt pan as well.

[1hd-rider]

Thanks again to all for the adivce. Got a new 10qt pan ordered. The Berkeley rebuild kit should be coming soon and will shortly have the restricted pushrods and the main restrictor ordered as soon as I take a pushrod out to determine what size they are. I'll be sure to let you know how it turns out. :)

[Back Forty]

Mine doesn't have the hv pump. I was at the Eagle rock deal in Missouri this weekend running 4000 to 4500 rpms constantly with the 10-30wt oil. She didn't miss a beat. Stocker oil pan with 5 qt.s in the system. Good luck.:wink:

[chadjones99]

your problem is not oil presure ! check the compression in each cylinder. sound like you have blow bye. the gas's are blowing bye the rings into your crank case. and are inreturn blowing oil out were it can.. if it was just rebuilt . it may have not seated(the rings) take it for a day of driving it lower rpm. if it does not seat(stop blowing oil) take it back they will need to put new rings in it.......i know it suck
chadjones99@netzero.net

[chadjones99]

thanks
I am having some of the same problems that guy is, but mine are from having a worn motor.
I will say this..thinner oil will drain back faster, but I have heard and believe my self that thicker oil is better for the 455 at high rpm.so my dilemma is what weight oil to run till I do a rebuild. for know I have run my crank case vent (with a hose)to a 1 gal plastic tank, then that is vented with the valve cover vent cap. as long as I don't run the oil pan dry this should do me for this summer???
----- Original Message -----
From:
To: chadjones99@netzero.net
Sent: Wednesday, July 21, 2004 2:57 PM
Subject: compression test
Dude this is the renegade i posted the same shit you posted and it magically vanished i say check the compression, that will tell this guy whats happening inside the motor. i like the way you think!! I have a 468 c.i. oldsmobile trw 11-1 pistons and run a stock oil pan and i have no oil pressure issues.