Ridiculously High Oil Pressure

[wedgehead]

I started my stroker small block for the first time Saturday and the oil pressure went to 100 lbs. on the guage. I checked the filter base on the block and I noticed oil leaking from around the filter. Also the oil pressure dropped. I immediately shut it down and began to check the motor. I noticed that I had no oil in the heads under the valve cover. I primed the motor with my drill before starting. Are there any suggestions as to where I should start checking? I can only think of the bypass valve in the oil pump being the culprit. Any suggestions are welcome. Thanks in advance Wedgehead

[TK]

Hmmm, no oil to rockershafts.............

Thats weird

are your back galley plugs in too far? Hell, I dont know, 100 pounds huh.

Got me on this one, but SOMETHING is plugged.

I am guessing, you are pulling your pressure, off the back oil passage, so, the pump is pumping it al least to there, with no restrictions......

Someone may have a better idea than me

[72Challenger]

Rocker shafts on upside down?

[TK]

Or backwards...

[dave571]

Could be two issues.

The upside down shafts won't effect pressure, but would stop the rockers from getting oiled. Should be pretty obvious if stock rockers.

A HV oil pump on a tight motor will cause extreme pressures at start up. A standard pump is probably a better idea if all the bearing clearances were in the .001 to .0015 range.

Improperly installed cam bearing could block off some pressure.

[pishta]

2 and 4 cam bearings route oil up to the heads. If you have oil pressure at the pressure port by the distributor, then you have pressure to the galleys. If the cam bearings are not aligned, then you have a high pressure situation because that is where you get most of your pressure bleed off, at the rockers. If your rear galley plugs were in too far, then you would not get pressure to the oil pressure port.

[cageman]

I blew 2 oil filters apart once on a 360 we built, Here the oil pump was going full tilt, as something was wrong with the bypass in it. blew the guage up too, all with a half inch drill priming it.
I couldnt believe it, but that thing sucked the pan almost completly dry, all 6 quarts, in the time I realized what happened, maybe a few seconds. It was a STP /30 non detergent mix, not the thinnest stuff.

[superbee1970440]

Originally Posted by cageman

I blew 2 oil filters apart once on a 360 we built, Here the oil pump was going full tilt, as something was wrong with the bypass in it. blew the guage up too, all with a half inch drill priming it.
I couldnt believe it, but that thing sucked the pan almost completly dry, all 6 quarts, in the time I realized what happened, maybe a few seconds. It was a STP /30 non detergent mix, not the thinnest stuff.

That's crazy!

[waynebo]

I agree with pishta,,,if you had new cam bearings install someone probally didn't line up the passages & bearing holes,,,waynebo

[sanborn]

You have two problems---and they are not related.

Oil pressure is the function of the oil pump or possibly a faulty gauge. First, check the gauge by replacing with another on a temporary basis. If the pressure is still high with a different gauge, then the pressure problem is the pump. It could be a sticking by-pass in the pump or a pressure relief spring that is too strong or has been improperly shimmed. If in doubt, change the pump. Some new pumps are just flat bad---it happens!

Not getting oil to the rockers is a flow problem---a passage is blocked. And the cam bearings are the probable culprit. First, remove the rocker arms and shafts. Then, reprime the engine while rotating the engine. Rotate twice with the engine being primed. You should get a direct stream of oil coming out of both cylinder heads sometime during the rotation. If you don't, the cam bearings are not installed correctly---it's engine disassembly time. You can oil the rockers externally but not the cam.

If you installed the cam bearings, you made a mistake. If you paid a shop to do the job, they should have the joy of disassembly and correction.

I would not run the engine much with this condition. It is easy to wipe out cam bearings, rockers, pushrods.