SBC oil pressure question

Dont sell the fenders , you may put them back on someday !

 

high oil pressure is as much trouble as to low pressure can be. years ago, there was a econo dragster team kicking everybody's ***. we were cheating like hell and still couldn't qualify....everybody knew this team that won almost every race they went to had to be cheating big time. they were made to tear the motor down and nothing illegal was ever found.

A few years after they disbanded, one of these guys told everybody how they had "cheated". He said they were going through the traps with 40 psi oil pressure at 8 grand. Everybody I knew built race motors with giant, 100+ psi pumps. they had dyno tested engines with modified oil pumps and saw considerabile horsepower gain (I think somewhere in the neighborhood of 40 HP) by dropping oil pressure at WOT. It wasn't just the parasitic drag of the pump, but it is also the drag of the unnessary oil fog the crank has to plow through. Of course they weren't cheating at all......they were just smarter than the average bear.

For a street motor, 10 psi per 1000 rpm is much more than enough.

 

Put the fenders, boards and hood back on and your oil pressure will undoubtedly come back up - your rod is telling you it does not like looking like that.

Seriously, it looked right with them on and pretty lame stripped... Then add flat black, red wheels...

 

Rugblaster, your right. The only reason we raised the oil pressure was that we were stupid. Many years ago a friend of mine had a 55 Ford Customline with a 365 Cadillac motor. He wanted to sell it but the 365 was used, abused and worn out to the point where the oil pressure was almost non-existent. He drained the oil and refilled the crankcase with a product called Motor Medic which has the color and consistency of honey to raise the oil pressure to sell it. BTW it did sell with the Motor Medic in it and they still sell the stuff.

 

Yep, keep the fenders and boards. Even if you like it better without now, you still have the option to go back later or better chance to sell it if needed when someone says, if only it had fenders........

I have a stock 55 Olds 324 that lives on about 5lbs at idle which was right by the book. Picks up fine with the rpms........ I know of another exactly the same that had 300k on it when last sold with only a new timing chain to that point.

 

Yeah, gonna keep the fenders and hood I guess. Y'all made me feel bad about it. LOL Thanks for all the advice. I'll be happy with the oil pressure.
Jackie

 

Thanks for keeping the fenders Jack, you won't be sorry....... Main thing is to enjoy it just the way you want to right now, but don't nail the other door shut yet..........

Let us know next year how the engine is running....

 

Ya done good, Jack, now drive the wee outa it!

 

Don't worry about the low oil pressure,I drove a 34 chevy that acted the same way for years. I say keep the fenders,A's need to be on 32 rails or z'd to look right as a hi-boy