Thread: oil pressure?

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First i would like to thank everyone for their help on my engine build. Lots of searches on this site has helped me greatly. Have my 283 running and broke in, i am satisfied with it's performance. Not for racing, for my sons first car,a 86 cutlass. Now for my question, i notice that during braking oil pressure drops low. If i brake hard, for sudden red lights it drops to 0 for a brief second! have mechanical oil pressure gauge, hose may have some slack and maybe a loop in it. plan on re-checking that in the morning. Could that be my problem? New oil pan, i dont think it has any baffles. getting ready for work i will check in tomorrow, thanks in advance.

Try to confirm the pick-up is still on the pump. How was it installed? Needs to be welded on or highly likely it'll come off. A small cheapy bore scope might be of use. Also I see a lot of aftermarket pans that have no trap-door type baffle in the sump. This baffle makes sure oil stays in the sump during hard braking and cornering etc.

Kitz

I had the same problem on a road race car. The oil is flowing toward the front of the pan, away from the pickup tube. Installed a baffeled pan, no more issues.
Mark

Does your oil pan and your pickup match? Like an 8 qt pan with a stock pickup will do that when the oil sloshes foreward. If the parts are matched ( stock pan, stock pickup ) then the height ( angle ) of the pickup screen may be up too high.

Pick up was not welded on, almost positive oil pan has no baffel in it. Guess i will replace the pan and have the pick up welded on. Any chance this could be done with out pulling engine? should i get a larger oil pan while i am at it? Budget was real tight when i rebuilt it, i have some extra cash now. Right now it has a stock pick up and stock 4qt. type pan, adjusted pick up with engine upside down on stand and put a 3/8 nut on bottom of pick up pushed the oil pan onto engine.Marked tube and tapped tube into pump.thanks again for your replies.

No need to pull engine. Drop pan and pump then have pick-up welded on. If it did fall off you would probably notice it during hard cornering as well. If it drop the pick-up you will want to at least check #1 main bearing/crank for damage. It goes dry first ............

I had this happen a long time ago. Scored the crank a tad at #1. Put new bearing on and slapped it back together and ran fine ..........

Kitz

I had an old Jeep on which the oil pickup was a float. It would move up and down with the oil. It worked good until the float got a hole in it and the pickup went to the bottom of the oil pan and shut off the oil supply.