Chevycobb

oh, yeah i'm using a melling pump...that sucks because I seem to have heard good things about them until now...oh well. i'm going to go change the oil now and run it through a coffee filter and see what its in it.

"White Knight"

yup melling pump, have heard lots of horror stories about them. Stick with stock pump

ulakovic22

It's not that it's a Melling pump. Do you have the Melling high volume pump or just the regular OEM replacement pump? The high volume pump is what gives most people problems, it tends to suck the oil pan dry since it only has a 5 qt capacity.

Chevycobb

well crap..its the high volume.

Ok, well I drained the oil and i'm not happy....not sure what to really think of what I saw. I didn't really see "flakes" as I know it...more like a powder, but not much. I keep trying to tell myself that its just what didn't get cleaned out from the heads and intake getting ported because thats what it sort of looked like.

Then I saw something else...I saw a residue in the oil that was kinda white. Everytime I hear about somethying like that it seems to be a head gasket. Now it wasn't the whole oil that was like that. Not really sure how the best way to describe it is.. Is it at all possible that maybe that could be some of the engine lube I used while putting together this thing? I didn't smell any coolant in the oil, and the exhaust doesn't have that smell either. Though its only been driven about 35 miles its never had a temp problem. Please be kind and tell me it's not the head gasket???

1racerdude

The white is probably assy lube.
The metal powder is not good. Cut open the filter and see if there is more and bigger,that is the only way ya can tell.

Chevycobb

cut filter open and hardly saw anything in there. it was finer than any sand or salt I have ever seen.

I guess the lube is some comfort...I did pack this thing full of it

Chevycobb

its sitting with no oil in it now. I did run one quart through it and let it drain out. Would I be safe putting in maybe 5.5qt to maybe compensate for the high volume pump?

1racerdude

That HV pump isn't causing any trouble for now unless ya wound it out and have a stock pan with NO baffle.

Was the powder silver?

Put some straight 40W dino Havoline,Kendal,Exon in it and see how the OP does in a few miles and listen for ANY new noises.

Drive it under 3500 and close to home. Maybe it is OK(hopefully) and it's just the clearance are too large for the thin oil ya had in it.

A SMALL amount of metal is not unusual on a new engine. I am talking less than 1/16th of a teaspoon.

Chevycobb

yeah its got VERY little metal in there. Hope everything is fine. I'm tempted to drop the oil pan just to see...maybe after next oil change, because it looks like a pain in the *** to get off of there with the motor in the car.

1racerdude

I f it's the cam bearings ya can't see them.

Sweetred95ta

You can't get the pan completely off with the motor in there. I can't remember if I've read that you can lift the motor up enough to get the oil pump out or not. It would be a PITA though. You need a deeper pan, but that would take an adjustment of the pickup also. You may be pulling it back out to save an upcoming rebuild from lack of oil getting to the bearings.

Just next time, try and do some research because it's been talked about many times on this board. Where do you think I got my stock replacement pump and "white" spring idea? You'll be able to save it though.

The thinner oil is going to get to the pan faster than thicker oil will. It will just be a longer time after the pump sucks the pan dry, that the oil returns. Wouldn't this be correct?

Chevycobb

well I drove it around and the oil pressure didn't drop nearly as much as before. The only time it dropped that low was after I stopped for gas and it did the slow cranking thing. pressure sat low for a bit but after I started going it came up and stayed up there. I don't know..just worried because I don't have the time or money to do this all over again....

1racerdude

A HV pump WILL NOT suck the pan dry unless ya wind it up in every gear. It won't do it ideling or at low RPM's. it's a time thing. He is not doing that so the GD pump is no problem yet.
What use is thinner oil if it can't hold oil pressure where the thicker viscosity may be able to and tell us if it can hold OP due to clearances and weather it's hurt or not.

Thinner oil is only good for an engine that is built for it,refer to your GM owners manual.

1racerdude

What oil ya got in it now?

Chevycobb

same...10W30....is it possible my pick up could have moved up higher and not getting everything off the bottom of the pan? I know it was pretty damn tight on there...but I don't know...maybe???

I got a cherry picker so maybe pulling the pan won't be that big of a deal....looks like if I remove engine mount bolts I can pull it up high enough it will have to wait until the weekend though...