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JPVortex
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Will do! And right now I’m just doing a temporary test. I think I’m going to be tapping into where the sending unit usually goes.
5.3 Tick/Knock?
- Thread starter JPVortex
- Start date
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JPVortex
Full Access Member
Yeah so about that oil pressure test, that’s not happening. Lost the adapter, it fell onto the bell housing then to god knows where. Should’ve tested it somewhere else. Just going to throw a sending unit on it and see what it reads on the cluster.
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JPVortex
Full Access Member
Yeah so I ordered a new gauge set... Going to hook in near the oil pump behind the PS pump theres a plug. I put the new sending unit in and now it reads 20psi on cold idle. Either it lost more oil pressure or that new sender is DOA.
viven44
Senior Member
20PSI on cold idle is definitely not good (if true).
I would definitely suspect the gauge itself...
Again sending units can be bad as well. I always use OE parts so in this case an AC Delco or GM part. One below sounds like the correct one. I assumed you used this one.
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JPVortex
Full Access Member
I used a NAPA one. It seems to be doing its job. The idle pressure stays at around 20psi cold or warm. And it does rise when I rev it, but it only goes up to around 40psi no matter what RPM.
I've decided to throw a new pan gasket in and replace that pickup tube O-Ring. The pan gasket is leaking BAD anyways so it's a 2 birds with 1 stone scenario. I started working on it for around an hour today, got to the point where I just have 4 bolts holding the oil pan on. I have the drain plug out and am letting any oil drip out of it into a catch pan overnight to avoid much mess.
Front differential is lowered down, as far as I can get it before it hits the center link, so hopefully that's far enough to get the pan out.
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JPVortex
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Well well well... This doesn't look very good to me. Pulled the pan off, and yeah the oring has seen better days, it's pretty flat.
BUT, this isn't looking good to me. on the bottom of the pan there is a ton of sludge, with possibly a bunch of metal shavings mixed in. Moving it around my fingers it feels... well sludgy(lol) but also pretty gritty too.
I DO have a magnetic drain plug, could this overtime cause a build up of the metal shavings from regular use wear?
The story that I feel is being told here isn't a good one. First a tick starts. Then half of my oil pressure is gone, and then this sludgy mess on the bottom of the pan...
Here's some pictures and a video.
Video:
BUT, this isn't looking good to me. on the bottom of the pan there is a ton of sludge, with possibly a bunch of metal shavings mixed in. Moving it around my fingers it feels... well sludgy(lol) but also pretty gritty too.
I DO have a magnetic drain plug, could this overtime cause a build up of the metal shavings from regular use wear?
The story that I feel is being told here isn't a good one. First a tick starts. Then half of my oil pressure is gone, and then this sludgy mess on the bottom of the pan...
Here's some pictures and a video.
Video:
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JPVortex
Full Access Member
Well don’t really think I’ll go much further with this. Coworker of mine who’s a mechanic on the side offered me 3500 for it. I’ll throw it back together with a new pan gasket and pickup oring just so it can run.
viven44
Senior Member
It is a high mileage engine. It does appear to have had some poor oil change habits resulting in sludge. Sludge in oil pick-up tube filter can also drop the pressure, so hope you cleaned out the pick-up tube filter as well.
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JPVortex
Full Access Member
I think it’s more than sludge. I took my fingers and rubbed the sludge in between a rag until it soaked in. Then I did see a couple tiny miniscule metal shavings.
Also when looking up at the windage tray it does seem kind of sparkly, not sure if it was just the light hitting the metal of the windage tray or if that’s metal shavings.
However, the pickup screen was totally clean, not one piece of metal or sludge or anything in it.
And finally, I installed the oring today. I had a green one and replaced it with felpro number 72401. I kind of feel like it slid in too easily? Like it didn’t take much of any force at all for it to slide into the oil pump. I’m hoping it’s just because I had it soaked in oil, and not because it’s not going to seal.
viven44
Senior Member
What you are seeing is probably within realm of what is normal for a high mileage engine. By no means an example engine, but the bottom end is usually nasty and sludge does end up there, so do metal shavings.
If your oil pressure returns to where it needs to be, you are probably fine.
But I'd want more inputs from the folks here on what color O-ring is used. If i am not mistaken the original O-ring was either a Red or a Blue..... you seeing a green means someone has been in it already (??)
