Howie's 1971 Chevelle

I'm capable of being that long-winded, but I didn't write that. I just thought it was a good comprehensive 'how to' that might be a helpful tool.

Good tech Ken. I'm going to repost this in the tech section too. Thanks..

sometimes u just get bad parts

Well got the chevelle home today, but i should have drove it out to the crusher. By the time i got home it was running like crap rockers coming loose a vibration and not shifting. The worst part was 0 oil pressure. I'm confused and so is everybody involved. Everything is new except the block and heads,crank (reman) rods, piston all bearings, cam and lifters. At least its here and not bringing down the property values in newport just kidding. Any ideas or advice that can be givin would be helpful.

Don't start it with it not having oil preasure. Maybe the pick up tube fell off??

No it was welded on.....used the old pump from the other motor...goin down today to look at it....sure it will have to come back out.....it had 75 psi when it first started so i dont know.....its always something

You guys have worked on the old stuff much more recently than me, but I'd be pulling the distributor and using a drill to spin the oil pump drive shaft to see if I could get pressure.

There's a remote possibility the oil pressure gauge is malfunctioning. I'm guessing the gauge is a direct pressure device and not driven by an electrical signal, so that might really be the issue.

Has to be disheartening to Howie right now. Hope it's something simple and there isn't any damage to the new engine.

they primed it with oil and it hade good oil pressure when he left the lot

I saw that Mike. I'm just thinking that as it sits now showing no oil pressure, that's something to consider doing. But I'm sure Joe knows what to do.

That's sounds like what should be done. It will tell a lot doing that. I have a prmer here Howie if you want to use it. Check the dipstick and see if it has oil? Maybe you have a line or filter leak and it poured out driving home.

It can't be that big of a deal. If it is running but no preasure it's the gauge, there is no oil in it or at worse it's the oil pump. If it's the pump jack the motor up some and drop the pan while it sitting in the car and repalce it. With an all new engine that pump and pick up should have been changed anyways.

magicman_1968 wrote:used the old pump from the other motor...

what hell all them new parts and a used pump..

Its been a nightmare man....motor has almost 70 psi cold and will get to 25-30 at idle hot but right up 50 reved up. It has a vibration witch could be any of the rotating parts like crank or rods. The lifters or cam has to be getting ate up. Adjust the rockers, they are quiet, run it at high rpm a few minutes one or two get real loud, pull off valve cover and find a couple loose, (not backed off but loose to were you tighten them down more than the others). The tranny pulls fine but will not shift for nothing. I had the govenor and the modulator and valve body back off today. I think im gonna try another valve body on it to see if that takes care of it. This is why i dont like to do this s**t for others. It always ends up more than you plan for but at this point my name is on it and have to fix it. I already know its all gonna end up coming back out because what ever is going on with that cam and lifters is screwed up. New quality cam and lifters and oil pump and go from there.

when u fix it lets take it ti the track and blowit

Sorry Joe. If you need a hand just scream. Did they put new cam bearing in at the shop?
Should not loose that much oil preasure. One thing seems like it should not mess with the others either. Why is the cam wiping out? Bad valve springs?
Howie I have that small cam & lifters here. If you want it for 40 bucks you can have it. It's new, SIS. 468 lift or something like that.

Joe I also have that 350 turbo trans I got off you, if you want to use it or for parts. Just stop by and grab it if you need it.

Thanks man we will get it...has new valve springs.....ive throwed a 100 motors together and never seen anything like this is doin...really odd...as far as the tranny goes ive done quite a few with no problems,but i dont mind messin with it because what ever it takes to fix it, thats a learnin experiance for the next one that does the same thing.....its all good just venting a little....i Love hot rods

Hot rods stink. I think we need to take on something that will make us some money instead of spending so much of it.
Not sure why I say that cause if I had a chunk of cash I'd just buy car parts with it. lol

Thats right....

Didn't by chance put a 400 flex plate on it did you i know that will make a 350 vibrate like hell!!!Got a good 350 one time cause the guy put the wrong flywheel on it when he put it in thought it was junk and its still running today lol

No we used the same flywheel off his motor.... i had a 454 i put together one time with a fresh crank from the machine shop that looked great and the clearences were fine but the crank was warped. kinda did the same thing with oil preasure because it slowly ate up two main bearings but never did knock.

If it's wiping the cam out it may be shaking from just having a miss. Did anyone look at the studs to see if they were pulling out of the heads? I hope its not the crank but that could surly be it too.

Just an update .....Got the trans shiftin now.....After pullin it back out and and recheckin everything and replacing the front pump it would shift first to second but not second to third....Replaced the gov. and it shifts great now ...thats one 350 turbo that really tested me but its good now......hope to get the cam and lifters swap before it gets too cold out.....

glad the tranny helped you guys figure it out