No oil pressure

halcat · Jan 27, 2013

I have a bbchevy with an oil accumulator, my pan holds 8 quarts my accumulator holds 3 quarts. My pan is a rear sump with all kinds of baffles. Problem is when i nose over and get vertical, I loose oil pressure. I dont know anything about what pressure switches in the acc. The acc. Keeps the pressure at 10 psi.is there a different pressureswitch I can install to maintain more oil pressure the Minuit I level out the pressure comes back to 50 psi

tommyswheelin · Jan 27, 2013

I always heard 10 is as good as 50 on a Chevy.

halcat · Jan 27, 2013

I've got a $15000.00 motor, it makes me nervous.

crawlin85cj · Jan 27, 2013

KEVCO...

Elliott · Jan 27, 2013

Rule of thumb is 7 lbs per 1,000 rpm to be safe

BUG-E J · Jan 28, 2013

tommyswheelin said:
I always heard 10 is as good as 50 on a Chevy.

This.

crawlin85cj · Jan 28, 2013

Elliott said:
Rule of thumb is 7 lbs per 1,000 rpm to be safe

I've always heard 7lbs at idle and 7lbs per 1000rpm on a SBC is a good rule but i wouldn't be comfortable with ever seeing below 20psi. If i saw 10 I would be doing some pan or pump work for sure.

Pumpkin · Jan 28, 2013

I would say its a pickup and pan problem. My engine builder told me 5psi for ever 100HP. Anything over 5 at idle was good. Just remember an 800HP motor is not making that at 2000RPM. He builds dirt track motors (9500+RPM motors) for a lot of racers. So pretty sure he knows what he is talking about.

tommyswheelin · Jan 28, 2013

Too much oil pressure can be bad too. Rumor has it that most your oil pressure comes from your cam bearings. Idk heard alot of bitch **** in my life...do what makes u feel good about it.

tommyswheelin · Jan 28, 2013

That was bull ****. Damn iPhone

Macman · Jan 28, 2013

Hal pull the pan and fix the pickup. Seen a bunch fall off from the cheesy ass tabs they use. I would almost bet the farm on it.

Sawzall · Jan 28, 2013

In addition to your gauge, install a pressure sender and a bright red idiot light on your dash. It is easier to see the light than to watch the gauge when you have the rig standing on it's nose. 10 psi from the accumulator with the engine at idle should not hurt anything but I would try to fix the problem. I don't use a switch or valve with my accumulator.

Do you have a deep pan or is it a short one with the kicked-out sides? I don't like a short pan on an off road rig.

InDaShop · Jan 29, 2013

you sure its all plumbed correctly? check valves on the correct side?

I dont know about Kevco solving any problems, they help. But Kevco quality has sucked the past few years, you may want to check out Canton. Who made your Accumulator? I'm guessing Accusump, so thats Canton as well. I'd call there tech line and walk through the pumping. I'd bet you got something crossed up.

halcat · Jan 29, 2013

InDaShop said:
you sure its all plumbed correctly? check valves on the correct side?

I dont know about Kevco solving any problems, they help. But Kevco quality has sucked the past few years, you may want to check out Canton. Who made your Accumulator? I'm guessing Accusump, so thats Canton as well. I'd call there tech line and walk through the pumping. I'd bet you got something crossed up.

plumbing should be right. With engine running, the oil pressure is 60 psi. When you kill the engine the acc. Pressure gauge says 60 psi. When you turn the switch back on, the gauge shows 10 psi and you can here the pressure switch letting oil by. My engine builder done a lot of research on oil pans and chose this one, what ever kind it is. He's out of town and haven't been able to get hold of him. The acc. Seems to be doing it's god, just not enough oil pressure.

InDaShop · Jan 30, 2013

electric or mechanical gauge? and where is the sending unit at?

Bronco Buster · Jan 30, 2013

Have you checked the pickup to pan clearance with some clay? I think it should be in the 1/4 inch neighborhood. Your sump should not be going empty unless you are on your nose for and extended period of time. Does your pan have a windage tray?
A dry sump system may be what you need if you spend a lot of time on steep down angles with very low oil pressure.

halcat · Jan 30, 2013

InDaShop said:
electric or mechanical gauge? and where is the sending unit at?

mechanical gauge in jeep dash hooks in right above oil filter. (this is a big block chevy) the acc. gauge of course screws in to the acc. body. the acc. plumbing in also connected above the oil filter. the block as been machined and taperd for this connection. the oil pump was turned and the pressure gally was checked to make sure i was hooking to the correct side. May be to much of a high volume oil pump and draining the pan to fast. the pressure cold is 80 pounds. with has nothing to do with volume.

halcat · Jan 31, 2013

crawlin85cj said:
KEVCO...

I checked out my pan. It's a Champ pan with a 6 in trapdoor one crank scraper alum. Windage tray and two rails . HV77 pump and Champ pick up. seems like all the right stuff to me. May have to change to a regular pump. Wander if 20-50 purple oil is to thick to run back in the pan fast enough ? Might have all the oil up in the motor.

Sawzall · Feb 1, 2013

halcat said:
I checked out my pan. It's a Champ pan with a 6 in trapdoor one crank scraper alum. Windage tray and two rails . HV77 pump and Champ pick up. seems like all the right stuff to me. May have to change to a regular pump. Wander if 20-50 purple oil is to thick to run back in the pan fast enough ? Might have all the oil up in the motor.

I don't think it is the oil. All of the Champ pans I saw had a large shallow sump. This will allow the pickup to suck air when nosed down at a steep angle. A shallow sump pan will need to have a good multiple trap door system to keep the pickup covered at steep angles.

I have a factory deep sump truck pan on my LS with no trap doors and I haven't seen it suck air yet.

Canton makes deep sump off road pans: https://www.cantonracingproducts.com/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?search=action&category=1601

zukimaster · Feb 1, 2013

I always ran Moroso pans in my race cars, and when i stabbed the brakes at a 140 it would do the same, lose pressure for about 4 or 5 seconds which was no big deal, but in your case where you could be on your nose for alot longer, would not be good! maybe you could find a used dry sump system on racing junk or something, that would for sure fix that