Thread: help with SBC 350

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i have 53 ford f100 with a SBC 350 ( i know ) don't what year the motor is anyway my problem is when cold i have good oil pressure after it warms up it drops to like 10 or so ,, the oil pan has been worked on , i mean someone has welded a 2 "on it adding 2" of more sump for some reason ,, i dont know what oil is in it ,, i have bought a HV oil pump ,, do you think this will help ??? and what do you guy recommend ??

thanks guys

WOW, interesting problem. Could be several things. FIRST, look at the dipstick. Does it say FULL? Assuming the dipstick is correct for the engine and someone added a 2" section to the sump, there is more oil in the pan. SECOND, drain the oil and refill it with 6 quarts. What does your dipstick say now? IF some bozo extended the sump and did not lower the pickup the same amount, the pickup is way up there.....normally, the oil pump pickup is really close to the bottom of the pan.....if not close to the bottom, it can be picking up foamy oil....and lower your oil pressure. IN ANY INSTANCE, you probably have to pull the pan to figure out what the problem is OR to change the oil pump. High Volume pump wont hurt, dont do a High PRESSURE pump. Do a search on Google regarding how to measure the distance the oil pickup tube is off the pan bottom....easy to do. Probably smart to replace the pan with a stock pan. There are different pans for a small block chevy.....right hand dipstick vs left hand. Also, the front curve radius has two different configurations.

Welcome to CHR!
Love those early F100’s. Classic design and not a whole lot of them left. Glad to hear you’re working on one. As to oil pressure – it’s not at all uncommon for a cold small block Chevy (SBC) to have fifty-sixty PSI of oil pressure and then drop below 20 PSI when it’s all warmed up. When they’ve got a few miles on them, things loosen up and oil pressure will drop. If the pressure stays above 20 when you’re driving (above idle speed) you should be okay. A high volume pump will move more oil, but not necessarily at a higher pressure. The pan sounds a bit funky and I’d recommend that you swap it out for a stock pan. Key here is to make sure the oil pump, pan and pickup are correctly sized for your engine.

I’ll go out on a limb here and assume that your engine’s bottom end is stock. As such, the following replacement components from Summit will work just fine.
Oil pan:
If your dipstick is on the driver’s side, MIL-30700
If your dipstick is on the passenger side, MIL-30701

Pump w/pickup:
SES-3-60-08-005

Make sure the block mounting surface is absolutely spotlessly clean. Get a new gasket and use a bit of gasket sealer. This is a bit tricky to get the distributor drive shaft in place and the pan sealed up so if you’ve not done this before, get some help or get a SBC assembly book that has a description of how to change the pan.

Have Fun,
Glenn

Originally Posted by lilrobo

i have 53 ford f100 with a SBC 350 ( i know ) don't what year the motor is anyway my problem is when cold i have good oil pressure after it warms up it drops to like 10 or so ,, the oil pan has been worked on , i mean someone has welded a 2 "on it adding 2" of more sump for some reason ,, i dont know what oil is in it ,, i have bought a HV oil pump ,, do you think this will help ??? and what do you guy recommend ?? thanks guys

having a engine drop 10 psi or more when hot is is really nothing to worry about as long as the oil psi under a load stays were it.s at when warm or builds Psi as rpm s climb.s . far as pan the dip stick ...stick part that reads full should read the same level if 4 qt or 40 this just tell you the oil level is were it needs to be in the pan . the oil pump pick up should be about 1/2 to 3/8 from pan if a good thick pan you can run them a hair closer . many times the bottom of the pan can suck up to the pick up. have seen many engines over the years. having low idle oil pressure if you think you want to put a HV pump in it the you need the steel sleeve Hd pump drive . if the melling m55hv . before you do this you may want to try a better oil filler and change the oil .if youi go with a new pump i would use the m155 any way you go make sure the pickup fit s the pan

Originally Posted by pat mccarthy

make sure the pickup fit s the pan

Go down to the crafts store and get a small amount of oil-based modeling clay. Remove the pan. Make an ice-cream-cone-shaped piece of clay, about 1 inch long and mush it onto the bottom of the pickup. Oil the clay so the pan will not stick to it. Push the pan into place. Don't bolt the pan down, just push it into place like it is being installed. Remove the pan. Measure how long the piece of clay is, from the face of the pickup. It should not exceed 1/2 inch. If the clay is longer than that or the clay didn't even touch the bottom of the pan, then you need to do some surgery to the pickup to bring it within 1/2 inch of the pan.

The next procedure will help you keep track of the amount of oil in the pan. Once you have the pickup to pan clearance worked out, bolt the pan back up and put 4 quarts of oil in the pan. Push the dipstick in and pull it out. Take the corner of a file and cut a groove on the dipstick. Add a quart and repeat the procedure, making another mark on the dipstick. Add a 6th quart and repeat, making a third mark on the dipstick. Now you have a permanent, correct manner of knowing precisely how much oil is in the pan.....4, 5 or 6 quarts.

i use play dough .i use small drop of engine oil in it to keep it soft been using the same clay for over 15 years still good . i use it mosty for setting the pick up to pan . but i keep the plastic bag that the pump came in use it to put over the pick up before i set the clay on the pickup keeps it from getting stuck on screen . then when set. i tig weld the pick up on with missile or silicon bronze watch for heat so you do not cook the by pass spring when all done wash blow clean check end play. first hit any small burs off with a stone . check that the by pass valve works freely . i could write a book on all the small deals i do to just a oil pump .oilpump pickup and pump drive but this will cover it for what you need on this build

would it be a good idea to change bearing while i am there i was told that it would be easy ,, the problem i dont know what year it is ,, i do have a motor number ( 3970010) ,, just thinking

thanks

its a 69 to early 80 chevy like camero .. chevy 2 chevelle corvette and even a truck

thanks

The 3970010 casting number was used for 1968 327 engines and from 1969-1979 on the 350 in virtually every configuration of 2 and 4 bolt build imaginable.

I would not mess with the bearing(s) unless you suspect a problem. Is the engine making a knocking noise in the lower end? While it is relatively easy to change bearings with the engine removed from a vehicle, it’s not just a simple “slap-it-in” procedure while lying under the truck as there is a certain level of measuring and prep work required to make sure the bearing fitment is correct.

no noise at all i have just tad bit of smoke when i first start it ,, thats because of maybe carb flooding or maybe valve seats ,, after i get it started ,,it goes away ,, now i am worried about the oil pressure after it gets hot i have below 20 my gauge start at maybe 10 small line then you see 20 lbs ,, i do have a HV oil pump that i am going to change along with new oil pan and get rid of the one that is on there now with a 2" piece added to sump i am going to check pickup also too and make sure its close to bottom ( what 3/4 to 1" up ) ,, i thought i could just change bearings ,, a buddy said it would be easy ,, pull all belts , pull plugs do rods first 1 at a time , then loosen all mains a little then them 1 at at ime by turning the motor said they should just come out ,,, now that being said after i look at them maybe they dont need it ,,,,,


thats why i am asking you guys

thanks

Originally Posted by lilrobo

no noise at all i have just tad bit of smoke when i first start it ,, thats because of maybe carb flooding or maybe valve seats ,, after i get it started ,,it goes away ,, now i am worried about the oil pressure after it gets hot i have below 20 my gauge start at maybe 10 small line then you see 20 lbs ,, i do have a HV oil pump that i am going to change along with new oil pan and get rid of the one that is on there now with a 2" piece added to sump i am going to check pickup also too and make sure its close to bottom ( what 3/4 to 1" up ) ,, i thought i could just change bearings ,, a buddy said it would be easy ,, pull all belts , pull plugs do rods first 1 at a time , then loosen all mains a little then them 1 at at ime by turning the motor said they should just come out ,,, now that being said after i look at them maybe they dont need it ,,,,,


thats why i am asking you guys

thanks

not valve seat but valve seals /valve guides . you do not want the pickup 1 inch from bottom of pan 3/8 1/2 max .... your engine at idle and could be 10 pounds it fine go back read what i posted if you do not under comprehend what i posted ... ask me . did you change the oil ? did you change the oil filter. did you check the oil psi with another gauge ? the engine could be loose many times they get set up this way . i would take engine out mic crank check out housing bores on mains /rods . check you valve seals move up to a better seal or fix,s guids so a rering or drive it like it is many years ago i seen a 327 that had under 10 pounds at idle .cold never came apart ran fine was that way i knew of for years

thanks pat .. i am going to tar into this weekend and see whats going on ,, the gauge i am using is from equus i would hate to get another gauge ,, i bought 6 from them ,,, ok what oil do you recommended knowing what you and oil filter ,, the reason i am so concerned is i spent 2k on my 235 motor in the biscayne i had i know i shouldn't have but it was all original when i sold it , anyway what oil and what filter ,, i might by another gauge just to check ,, it is a mech gauge also

thanks for the info i'll give it a shot

for summer go with a strait 30 or 40 wt use a wix.s filter or a napa gold

humm i dont see my post

i tried to post a couple of pic and i guess i cant
i was going to show what i found

thanks