Should have been my first 11second pass.

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Oct 22, 2002
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oilshaft.jpg


I just hope I got the engine shut down in time after I made a drill bit out of my oil shaft. :notnice:

This happened on the way to the track. I drove the car fully loaded with slicks, floor jack, tools, my daughter, two bottles of nitrous. A brand new tune I had overnighted from Don just for that day. I noticed the oil pressure (stock gauge) was fluctuating a bit. Kept going, I can't believe all the people HERE saying how the stock gauge is an idiot gauge that either works or doesn't... it isn't accurate AT ALL. I'm here to kill that MYTH. Mine works great. Sure it doesn't have numbers, but when the needle dips, the oil pressure is too!

We made the 1.5 hour drive to the track. Got within a block of the entrance.... my oil pressure dropped. I coasted up to the stop sign across the highway from the track. Waited for traffic to clear. Even made the comment. Well I guess my gauge finally quite, the engine sounds fine. As I pulled across the highway. The noise started. I had to blip it to 2,500 rpms or so to shoot out of traffic, then I shut it down. We trailered it INTO the track. :bang:

Anyone ever changed an oil pump IN the car? Or should I just plan on pulling the engine again?
 

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Looks like the stock shaft to me too. You can change it in the car...but it also depends on your oil pan. If you can get the pan off, it is cake. Use a STANDARD volume stock replacement oil pump. You'd be surprised how LITTLE oil the motor actually needs...it just needs it in the right places.


Get a hardened shaft and a new pump. Change em out and stick a magnent to the bottom of the pan to collect any shards/microscopic pieces of the broken shaft.

You'll be golden! :nice:
 
I had a problem like that with a 289 and a MELLING pump. I replaced it three times! (Pump AND shaft. The second two shafts were hardened and none of the pumps was HV.) We cleaned the pan and stuff, the first time. It was still clean for subsequent changes. I never did get the engine to run for more than about 20 minutes before it would twist the shaft like that. (That pic took me back. Kinda like a flashback.) We pulled it and put in a good, later model 302. I feel your pain, here.

Maybe it's a problem with the Melling pump?
 
stock K member?


you might be able to get away with taking the motor mount bolts out and lifting the engine up some to remove the pan

I have done it...you gotta jack the motor way up but ti can be done.


For anyones INFO: I have a stock replacement pump that has been through 3 motors (all with stock pans)...Hardened FMS oil pump shaft. I have NEVER seen any failure let alone one like this. I have reved the motors to and past 8K as well. Get rid of that melling. Check the dizzy too...although it definately sounds like the pump.

How does the pickup look?
 
Stock K member. :yes:

The MSD dizzy looks to be in great shape. We were surprised a bit. Really surprised the carter pin held up on the dizzy better than the stupid shaft did. Would have been nice if it had broke and killed the engine. It could have been bad if I was in the middle of that highway though. :bang:

Thanks for all the feedback. I hope to know more about the pump tonight. It's kind of a busy time for me as my trip to Atlanta for work is Wed morning.
 
At least it's winter. I talked to the builder, we're going to go through the whole thing again. There were a few things I cheaped out on that I may change this round. Like making the stock pan work. I never could get the dipstick to read correctly. Plus there was that blow by issue with the rings set up for a lot of nitrous (that I don't plan to use a lot of). So the seals need to be changed. It'll be easier to just pull it and double check everything. We may clearance the pistons a hair so I can get back to a thinner head gasket too. Cometic has me scared with all the recent SBF drama.

I didn't get to play with the new tune alot, but it was already feeling better and looking better on the wideband. So start up next time should be that much better.

What is everyone's opinion on the high volume pumps? I hear yes and no on the topic all the time.
 
Whats about the cometic gaskets? I havent heard anything and I just used some to put my motor together.


I have already expressed my opinion on HV oil pumps, so I wont reiterate that.

http://forums.stangnet.com/showthread.php?t=688786&page=4 Starts around page 4. We did a lot of research on the thicker gaskets. Cometic even admitted they had a bunch of bad head gaskets that weren't sealing in that thickness. I do believe it held the last time when he coated them with the sealer, but I'll be able to confirm this when it's tore down again.

Also I appreciate the opinion on the high volume pump. I was just asking for more, as I said. I've heard all kinds of opinions. :D
 
What is everyone's opinion on the high volume pumps? I hear yes and no on the topic all the time.

I have discussed this with engine builders/machine shop owners at every opportunity that I've had. (Quite a few.) All have recommended avoiding the HV pumps "at all costs". The only time a HV pump is necessary is when it's an engine specifically set up with "loose" clearances to free-up some HP on a drag racing/pulling truck engine. (Or when you are doing a "spray bomb rebuild" and putting new bearings in without doing any machine work on the crank/rods.)

Seeing that we are talking about street driven cars, with basically OE clearances, an OE spec oil volume is all that's necessary.

I would say that any talk of "always run a HV pump" stems from the "bigger is always better" mindset. That has been proven, over and over, to not be true.
 
That was a stock shaft, the hardened shafts will break not twist. Check the clearance between the dist, the sahft and the pump if it is too toight you basically have no play in the shaft and it will yeild to a failure.

I find most MSD dist need to be trimmed to obtain the proper clearance. Use the Ford Racing shaft it has a longer relief area ;) If you have any questions let me know....