Well you guys got me fretting over the high pressure. So I just pulled the distributor. Everything still looks like new!p whew!!! This engine is a complete high performance rebuilt done a year ago december. Only about 2500 miles on the engine last year. Maybe I should lighten the oil and the spring... using SAE 50 and a 70 lb spring in the oil pump. I had a real problem with low (I mean almost NO) oil pressure when I first fired it up and about wet myself.... all that money down the drain. What is the general concensus on oil weight and spring pressure? I don't want to go below 20 psi at idle when warm. Any suggestions are welcome.
use an adjustable regulator. You want the least amount of spring pressure and the thinest oil that will give you the pressure you need. On a 350 all you need is 10 psi/1000 RPM. BTW, your relief spring has nothing to do with your hot idle oil pressure. If you have a 70 psi spring, it wont open at 20 psi. 100 psi at cold startup? At what RPM is the pressure that high? You definitely don't want to rev the motor while the oil is cold, that's what will do damage. The only way to get the oil up to temperature is to drive the car. It wiil take alot longer to get the oil up to temp just idling. I would do something to get the pressure down when cold, say more like 70 or 80 psi. Use a thinner oil or adjust the relief pressure.
Stock oil gauge Does anyone know what the "scale" is on the stock oil pressure gauge? What is my pressure if I am at 1/4 of gauge at idle and 3/4 gauge at 3000 RPM?
Re: Stock oil gauge Depends on the sending unit you have. Replacement units can be 60 or 80 psi senders. It might be written on the unit.
