Thread: SBC No oil pressure

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Hey guys,

First off this is my first time posting here so I'm sorry if this is the wrong forum..

I recently purchased another race car what is a Dirt Modified race car with a 602 small block Chevy crate engine. It's been running good but today I changed the oil and now I am not getting oil pressure..I only cranked it about 5 times and not over 3 seconds each time..am I just not priming it long enought just after a fresh oil change? I check on the block where the adapter is for the oil pressure gauge and took off the adapter and when I crank the car (ignition off) nothing squirts out and I checked the oil filter and its full of oil.. I hope it's just as simple as not turning the car over enought and nothing internal because per the rules the GM seals can not be broken.

Thanks so much for any help!

Welcome to CHR, and no worries around here which sub-forum you post in, especially for a first time.

Sounds to me like your five short cranks, less than twenty seconds total, were just enough for the pump to fill the oil filter. If you let the engine drain down totally to change the oil then the pump's got to prime, then fill the block passages, then fill the filter, then build pressure against the rotating clearances. Light it off, watch your gauge and I expect you'll have pressure within five seconds or so, which is normal after any oil change.
For future reference I generally fill the filter with new oil before I screw it in place, which is especially easy on a SBC since it hangs vertical. Let us know how it does later, and Merry Christmas!!

Thank you very much sir! That was it! I thought it might be that I didn't prime it long enought but I was a little scared and didn't want to mess anything up but after ten seconds she fired right up!

Thank you very much and merry Christmas!

Good to know, and thanks for reporting back! Now that you know your engine is OK you enjoy Christmas to the fullest! And good luck at the races, too!

602 sbc ?????????????????

Originally Posted by DA34GUY

602 sbc ?????????????????

GM 19258602 CT350 IMCA-Sealed 602 Chevy Crate Engine

New 2 me, but it's still a 350

Originally Posted by DA34GUY

New 2 me, but it's still a 350

It's indeed a 350, but a special 350 that's sealed from the factory, and cannot have the seals broken and remain certified for racing (last three of the factory PN are 602). Also a 603 (ZZ4) and a 604 (400HP) sealed engine too, IIRC.

They used L31 heads, seems like they would have used an L31 block also, for the roller cam and one-piece rear seal.

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