Fe oil woes

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lowbudget50

Creators of all things awesome
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Sep 23, 2012
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So that 428 i built has come back to me. She builds 25 lb of oil pressure at an idle but that is all it builds. Take the RPMs up no raise in oil pressure. I don't know if you guys remember but I did miss an oil Galley plug in front of the number 5 cylinder right behind the distributor. It was building 60 pounds of oil pressure almost with that missing. Now all the sudden it is decided it has decided it's not going to build pressure at all. It has a melling high-volume oil pump in it, we plasty gauged all the bearings and they were really good. We have tried two different gauges I have tried getting rid of the factory and running it directly into the oil pump housing. I am stuck help
 
I just change the oil in it and the filter. Has an AC Delco filter on it because I could not get the Ford one in town it has a 1540 oil in it with a Lucas zinc additive

It does run a remote oil filter and I made sure the lines were not backwards. I'm wondering if maybe I have the wrong oil filter on it or something
 
Did this happen right after you found the galley plug missing? right after you placed the plug? maybe too long a plug???
 
Did this happen right after you found the galley plug missing? right after you placed the plug? maybe too long a plug???

Not 100% sure when exactly it started because the factory gauge has never been the greatest. Right after I put that plug back in it I tested it and I could have swore it had good oil pressure the plug is literally just a press in soft plug. I mean I guess it could be in the hole too far and blocking part of an oil Passage
 
The part that makes you go hmmm. If it was a spun bearing or something major would it have 25psi at idle,but not raise at all when rev up? Sounds kinda like the "bypass" on the pump but never had one do it but have seen it on hydraulic pump on a tractor.Sounds like you may have to pull the pan and look for anything out of place and possibly replace the pump.
 
Not 100% sure when exactly it started because the factory gauge has never been the greatest. Right after I put that plug back in it I tested it and I could have swore it had good oil pressure the plug is literally just a press in soft plug. I mean I guess it could be in the hole too far and blocking part of an oil Passage

Unless the passage went to the gauge,wouldn't blocking off part just raise the pressure?
 
Unless the passage went to the gauge,wouldn't blocking off part just raise the pressure?

Yeah I was thinking the same thing because the fault that was missed is that the end of an oil Passage. So instead of returning on its normal path he was just jumping on to the top of the distributor shaft. The gauge comes right out of the top of the filter housing I was curious to see if I could move the oil pressure gauge and put it in the back of the motor anywhere and test it there
 
The part that makes you go hmmm. If it was a spun bearing or something major would it have 25psi at idle,but not raise at all when rev up? Sounds kinda like the "bypass" on the pump but never had one do it but have seen it on hydraulic pump on a tractor.Sounds like you may have to pull the pan and look for anything out of place and possibly replace the pump.

I did that last night, I pulled the pan off of it with a different high volume pump in it and I have the same problem. I have a little better oil pressure but there's still no race with the RPMs. I also for one main cap off it and looked they look fine
 
I have lost a cam bearing and a small block Chevy before and when that happened I lost all oil pressure instantly. So I don't think that's the problem. It's just really weird
 
Does the FE have some kind of pressure relief valve for the oil pump system, separate from the pump? I don't know anything about the FE, but my Buick has a pressure relief ball and spring system, the spring can get weak and just relieve all the pressure.

Upon doing a quick google search, it looks like some FE's have a second pressure relief valve in the block. Does yours have that and could that be your culprit?
 
Does the FE have some kind of pressure relief valve for the oil pump system, separate from the pump? I don't know anything about the FE, but my Buick has a pressure relief ball and spring system, the spring can get weak and just relieve all the pressure.

Upon doing a quick google search, it looks like some FE's have a second pressure relief valve in the block. Does yours have that and could that be your culprit?

I'm notn100% sure, but that is what it seems like. I have also read that it is highly recomended to put restrictors in the heads for the feeds to tue rockers. They like to flood the valve train with oil
 
I'm notn100% sure, but that is what it seems like. I have also read that it is highly recomended to put restrictors in the heads for the feeds to tue rockers. They like to flood the valve train with oil

That seems like it would be separate from your oil pressure issue though, but a common issue on some old engine designs.

I'm just a dumb GM guy so I don't know if this is relevant:

https://www.fordfe.com/should-i-block-off-oil-pressure-relief-valve-t26176.html

Maybe you could ask the guys on that forum?
 
That seems like it would be separate from your oil pressure issue though, but a common issue on some old engine designs.

I'm just a dumb GM guy so I don't know if this is relevant:

https://www.fordfe.com/should-i-block-off-oil-pressure-relief-valve-t26176.html


Maybe you could ask the guys on that forum?

Agreed on the oiling issue. From what I have seen and read the blocks that have the pressure release in the side of them are the 427 side Oiler. I'm almost not wondering if I didn't have a plug come loose inside the motor. There's a handful of Drive-In plugs under the intake
 
I'm almost thinking I didn't have a plug pop out of one of the oil passages under the intake
 
I agree it sounds like a filter bypass problem or a dropped gallery plug... I cant imagine anything else not responding raising rpm [S I know nothing about the quality of those ac filters...? Sure hope they are not produced by Fram... :p

I suppose you ruled out the sender?
 
I'm notn100% sure, but that is what it seems like. I have also read that it is highly recomended to put restrictors in the heads for the feeds to tue rockers. They like to flood the valve train with oil

now if that would be the problem you wouldnt have 60lb in the beginning right?
 
now if that would be the problem you wouldnt have 60lb in the beginning right?

I'm guessing it fell out after we started running the engine. They're just a soft plug that pushes into the block if one of the holes was deformed or something it could have been loose and popped out
 
I agree it sounds like a filter bypass problem or a dropped gallery plug... I cant imagine anything else not responding raising rpm [S I know nothing about the quality of those ac filters...? Sure hope they are not produced by Fram... :p

I suppose you ruled out the sender?

Yes I have used multiple mechanical gauges all resulting in the same problem
 

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