high performance oil pump buick 455 help!

Discussion in 'Race 400/430/455' started by 82thetots, Jan 30, 2014.

  1. 82thetots

    82thetots Young Grasshopper

    My step father has a 455 stage one built up with Kennie Bell parts he ran in a stage one skylark. any help or suggestions with his problem?

    -"Question, I have a Buick 455 in storage. Has any one seen a oil pump with double stacked pump gears and a spacer in the center, I don't have the pump apart now so I can't post photos, what company made these, custom build or ? I raced this engine for years till some one totaled my car."
     

    Attached Files:

    Bills72stage1 likes this.
  2. DaWildcat

    DaWildcat Platinum Level Contributor

    It sounds like he has not only the longer high volume gears (which require a spacer) but the booster plate installed as well, so from the outside it may appear that two plates are sandwiched between the timing cover and the oil filter housing. Please point out the warning about the high volume pump shown in the first link. Most of us just run stock length gears with the booster plate these days because of damage caused by the high volume pump over time.

    TA Performance sells both the high volume kit and the booster plate:

    Pump: http://www.taperformance.com/proddetail.asp?prod=TA_1506

    Booster: http://www.taperformance.com/proddetail.asp?prod=TA_1510

    Devon
     
  3. John Stevens

    John Stevens Well-Known Member

    Kenne-Bell definitely sold ft. covers and or kits that "stacked" oil pump drive gears. I believe it was the 350 gears they used in the stacked units. I think I still have a brand new cover like this from Kenne-Bell. Sounds like yours has the bottom "surface" plate as well. I'll look & if I still have it I'll post a picture.......... As said it increased the load on the dist. gear so most won't/didn't run them.
     
  4. DaWildcat

    DaWildcat Platinum Level Contributor

    The big block high volume gears are longer than stock BB gears (and a lot longer than small block gears), were & are produced by the aftermarket and sold with a spacer. The small block version of the high volume pump actually used stock length BB length gears + spacer.

    There might not be an issue with running the setup as described if the engine had big bearing clearances and really needed the additional volume.

    Devon
     
  5. John Stevens

    John Stevens Well-Known Member

    Everybody knows this....... Those of us that have been in the Buick world since the old days, and have "been there, done that" has seen alot more then what is popular today! I looked and can't locate that cover amongst the NOS covers that I have(I may have sold that one). However.......... here is a couple pictures taken from a 1976 Kenne-Bell catalog that clearly states that they "stacked" the gears. IF I remember correctly it was the shorter 350 gears that they used............... For the record its easy to tell as the "stacked gear" spacer is about 1/2" as opposed to the 1/4" spacers used in the "Hi-Volume" kits sold today.....

    IMG_3454.jpg IMG_3455.jpg IMG_3459.jpg IMG_3457.jpg
     
    schwemf likes this.
  6. John Stevens

    John Stevens Well-Known Member

    Back cover art work that some of the "new guys" haven't seen................

    IMG_3460.jpg
     
    BUIKRCR and 69GS430/TKX like this.
  7. DaWildcat

    DaWildcat Platinum Level Contributor

    I remember the illustration but totally forgot about the stacked gears with two smaller gears pressed onto the shaft. Thanks for the trip down memory lane!

    Devon
     
  8. 82thetots

    82thetots Young Grasshopper

    Thank you for all the help! I will let him know.
     
  9. HotRodRivi

    HotRodRivi Tomahawks sighted overseas

    Good ole Kenne or Jim Bell. I have a set of full length headers with the pulse divider that one of them Bell's told me yeah they will fit a 68 Riv. Maby with 20 in rims , re-position the collector flange so the point of the triangle is not straight up. But I asked Mike TA about that divider, Mike stated Jim told him it was a gimmick to sell more headers, sure had me gimmick-ed. IF I could get TA to use the KB flange that bolts to the head for their shorty headers that would be great. Because im , I hate to say this since I really Like TA 's outfit and parts, not impressed with the crappy weld thin gasket cutting surface of their shorty headers. I think TA will be rolling out the cool runner again , it just wont say cool runner on it.

    ---------- Post added at 03:22 AM ---------- Previous post was at 03:17 AM ----------

    One more thing ,,,, Can someone get Dave Dehabby a computer so he can join the V8Buick forum, im sure he has a hell of a lot of interesting info. I do know he was trying to put together an Aluminum 455 before TA, never quite heard what happened.
     
  10. 462 Chevelle

    462 Chevelle 462 chevelle

    the spx is the modern version of the kool runner.
     
  11. HotRodRivi

    HotRodRivi Tomahawks sighted overseas

    Seeing it in the catalog i had that feeling, It dosent mention if it fits stg2 TE heads with the raised intake runner, I like the 1.5 in taller than stock of the SPX, SP1 is 1.5, I need SP2 for raised runner intake and is 2. in taller than stock. apparently with raised runner i have to be a 2.in taller.
     
  12. 71GS455N25

    71GS455N25 Silver Level contributor

    Thumbs up to Anson Favalessa who I bought a NOS set of Kenne Bell 2" Pulse headers from. He packaged them properly and shipped to Alabama. Its nice to deal with upstanding guys like Anson in the BUICK community.
     
    HotRodRivi likes this.
  13. Mark Demko

    Mark Demko Well-Known Member

    that's pretty cool
     
  14. gymracer01

    gymracer01 Well-Known Member

     
  15. gymracer01

    gymracer01 Well-Known Member

    This oil pump deal I've heard about for years, Melling made the plates and high volume pump gears. Lots of 231 V6s. Usually by the time the cars came in with oil lights on the pump didn't help any or not for long. The famous "booster plate" is far from any boosting. Only it does is fix the oil filter housing wear which can be done with a sheet of sand paper and a piece of glass. At times you can buy these plates and pump gears off eBay for only a few dollars. Bought for $8-10.
     
    sailbrd likes this.
  16. sailbrd

    sailbrd Well-Known Member

    Things I did that made a lot of difference in oil pressure. Got oil pump gears from Mike Phillips at AM&P. He works them over a bit to make them work better. Mild porting on the pump and "booster." Made sure the booster plate was perfectly flat (they are not.) Set the clearances to spec. Old 1970 cover and pump working great.
     
  17. HotRodRivi

    HotRodRivi Tomahawks sighted overseas

    No problem. I was worried you might think it was a pain in tbe ars to unpack. Glad you appreciate it.
     
  18. BQUICK

    BQUICK Gold Level Contributor

    I wouldn't run the BIG pump unless you use 5W-30 oil. And then I bet pressure will be too low at hot idle.
    Creates too much resistance on the dist and cam gear...….
     
  19. cjeboyle

    cjeboyle Gold Level Contributor

    The high volume high pressure oil pump kit can be used if you have enough patience to wait till the engine is fully warmed up before getting on it. I have that kind of patience. Lol. I also run a distributor gear Oiler which bleeds off a small amount of pressure and keeps the dist/cam gears well lubricated.
    Cliff
     
    Mark Demko likes this.
  20. Mark Demko

    Mark Demko Well-Known Member

    I run 15/50 synthetic with a high volume pump, I chose 15/50 as its a tad thinner cold than 20/50, but I feather the throttle on a cold start, and light and easy on the throttle till its warm.
    You can "overload" the #1 cam bearing and distributor gear with a standard pump and thick oil if you wing it cold.
    I think the high volume pump got a bad rap when it was said it was the cure for Buick's low oil pressure issue, so people used it but continued there bad habit of revving a cold engine and wearing parts, so the Buick gurus recommended against using one because some owners weren't smart enough to know YAH DONT REV A COLD ENGINE regardless what pump is in it.
     
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