Hooked up a mechanical gauge, didn't bounce around like how my electrical gauge does. Stayed at 50psi at idle and when I would eat on it or be at a steady 2,000rpms it was in the 60-70psi range. But it still dropped off when I came to a stop. So it's not an electrical issue. I also did like you said, checked my oil pump bolts, they were good, I checked the nut for the tube to the pump, it was a little loose but didn't change anything. I'm going to go ahead and pull the pan off and look in there anyway. One of those things where you won't feel better or be able to sleep unless you do it hahah. But like I said, it's possible I haven't noticed it doing that until now. I just want to look in there and make sure nothing is wrong with the pickup. If there isn't then I guess put it back together and continue driving it right?

Which gasket set was used?  The Fel-Pro pickup tube seals can be problematic.  They are made with metal and rubber,  I had one recently that had manufacturing defects on the metal portions, preventing a seal, causing a significant pressure drop.


Lawrenceville, GA

Funny you say that... cause I was wondering if that could've had something to do with it. Mine looks worn out, plus it was leaking. That may be why the pressure dropped. But everything else looks good. I guess I'll just deal with the oil sloshing forward when I come to a stop? That's not really a bad thing is it?

Anything  that results in an abnormal pressure drop is not good.  I don't think a bad inlet tube seal would cause what you are experiencing but it should not leak, so there may be an unrelated issue there.


Lawrenceville, GA

If you've got good pressure the rest of the time, I'd say it's sloshing oil forward. I've had other motors do that. Just looking at the differences in the "step" of my tbird pan vs the truck pan in my 32, I'd say the truck pan would be more susceptible to that. A baffle will probably fix it. Charlie's also done a bunch of work on the pans so go find his posts. I seem to remember something about some pickups not being low enough or something. My 32 has electric SW gauges and they are heavily dampened so I don't see that. Doesn't mean it isn't happening.

miker
55 bird, 32 cabrio F code
Kent, WA
Tucson, AZ

Well I shouldn't say the pressure dropped, it's at 50psi. Just seems like it was always between 50-60 psi at idle (warm) before and now it's right at 50psi at idle warm. It wasn't much of a leak. If you wiped your finger under it you got oil on your hand but it never dripped

Yes always have good pressure! It only goes down when I brake hard. It has a baffle and it looks like it's as low as it can go without cutting the oil off. Yeah I saw the post with the hinge! Very cool idea.

I've done a lot more since the hinge.  Info about pickups and more is in this thread, http://forums.y-blocksforever.com/Topic122644.aspx

Some pictures aren't showing up because of the Photobucket issue.


Lawrenceville, GA

Charlie, you mentioned the inlet tube bushing could be not sealing and sucking in air.

Let me get you up to date. I took the pan off nothing seemed visibly wrong, put it back on, when I was installing the pan I couldn't get the inlet tube to line up in the pump, so I pulled down on the tube a bit and it moved and went right into the pump. I didn't think much of it. Started the car had no oil pressure at idle. Which I just knew that was not accurate. Took all back apart turns out the pick had moved up. Got the pick up as close to the bottom of the panas I could get it and bent the inlet tube to where it'll go into the oil pump easily. Put it all back together, oil pressure went up to about 20-25psi at idle. Still not what I had before (50psi). So I'm thinking, the only other thing I changed was the inlet tube bushing. And it's a fel pro one with the metal rings. Does this seem like it's sucking in too much air and causing my pressure to be low?

Thanks again!

Maybe a piece of the bushing or some other foreign particle got into the pump relief valve?