Mr_Safety

iTrader: (2)

We'll after about a year of building my engine finally swapped it into my truck. It is a L33 with the heads milled .020, new comp lifters, Texas speed 7.4 push rods, comp 918 valve springs had the valves cleaned up and put new cam bearings along with new rod and main bearings. Cylinders were honed and put new rings on too. Running a 220 224 trick flow cam. Put on a new oil pump and timing set as we'll. got a nnbs intake and tb with the x link.

Primed the motor before start up and it fired right up but the oil pressure was reading around 20 psi after everything was warmed up. My old 5.3 never got that low. Well doing some tuning and just breaking in the motor I decided to change the oil at 300 miles to 10 w 40 it helped a little. But today I was driving it home and my low oil pressure message came up and it was around 10 psi. So I turned it off and towed it back home and changed the sending unit. That did not help oil level is fine although there was quite a bit of oil in the intake. Anybody know what may be going on?

Txblue

iTrader: (1)

When I built mine( got a 5.3 did a cam swap springs push rods and so on) I had to pull my oil pump to put the timing chain on. At the time I didn't know that it was highly recommended to replace the O- ring that goes on the pick up tube going into the oil pump. I fired mine up and it was great but once u drive it it started ticking (starving for oil in higher rpms) I found out about the I ring and got one and up one changing it I realized I tore the original one. It had a good enough seal to build pressure but not over an idle state. Might check that idk...

Mr_Safety

iTrader: (2)

Cool ya I will give that a shot for sure. But oil pressure would build with rpm before today. It still does just not a lot.

Mr_Safety

iTrader: (2)

We'll pulled the oil pump off last night and found out I had the wrong o ring on the pick up tube. My new oil pump came with 2 so I should have paid more atension to the size of the old one I guess. Going to put it all back together and see what happens.

Txblue

iTrader: (1)

I think it only uses one o ring. But there are 3 different sizes(colors indicate that) I put a red one in mine. I did research and that's what people recommended. They might have sent two for two different applications.

BigKID

iTrader: (5)

Possibly could be the o-ring. You want the red/orange for the truck pickup tube. Another thing could be your bearing clearances. Did you measure them while putting the engine together?
Just curious, did you have your machine work done locally?

btw.. this would probably get more responses if posted in the Internal Engine section.

Mr_Safety

iTrader: (2)

Did not have the clearances measured but the old rod and main bearings looked good so I just went back with stock size ones and put new cam bearings in. The two o rings that came with my pump were both black but one was a little larger than the other one. I feel pretty confident that was the issue but wolnt know for sure till I get it put back together. Hopefully will be done this weekend. Ya I guess I wasn't paying to much atention as to where I was posting this either lol.

Txblue

iTrader: (1)

What oil pump did you get? I ordered a red o ring from sdpc for like $4. You might just do that and know its right if you want

jfuegner

iTrader: (4)

Did you reuse to old cam retainer plate. It has the gasket made into it and should be replaced whenever removed. Had a friend do a rebuild and did not replace it. He had oil pressure but much. It would go up with rpms, but would not build pressure like before. We tore it down and found the gasket on the plate was flat allowing oil to bleed past.

Mr_Safety

iTrader: (2)

Interesting I will check that out.