Winter 2020 (Now Spring 2023) 350 Fresh-Up Project

So, this happened to me today while trying to get the idle down below 1,100 RPM at hot idle.

It felt like it was red loctited in. I've emailed Ken at Everyday Performance but not sure where to go from here. It's a minor issue with a frustrating result.

Everything was going great until this. No leaks, only a minor header gasket leak that resolved with a little tightening. 25 miles on it so far and I just realized it is running on 2 year old gas!

 

Damn... Another little hiccup.

 

At least it isn't killing me being able to keep driving it and getting it broken in.

I even let my wife drive it. She remembered how to drive a stick after almost 20 years.

 

and then she showed him how to bake... not cookies..

The Tires!!

 

Nice. I sure miss my old 350 4-sp. Anxious to get the next one built but it's a basket case.

 

Dump that basket out before you can't get parts

 

I think it is holding too much oil pressure. It pegs the gauge cold and stays there until it gets up to temp and then it only drops to half the gauge at hot idle and immediately pegs the gauge upon any RPM over 1200.

I've already had the relief spring out and the valve wasn't stuck. I'm going to change to a weaker spring. I think it has the Stage 1 spring in it now and with SAE 30 break-in oil, that may be too much. I don't want to see my filter blown up like the one Briz posted.

 

Mechanical gauge or the factory electric?

 

Factory. It didn't do this before I rebuilt it with the same gauge sending unit. I did use a different front cover and spring. I'm going to swap and see what happens. I may switch back as I intend to run 5W30 in it once broken-in fully.

 

Yea, it didn't even come w/ that much in the basket and most of that was useless. Have accumulated most/all of the orig. parts needed. Now onto repro stuff & sub-assemblies. Super oddball car though. Excited to get it done.

 

I'm counting on ya we not any younger today lol.

 

Gettin' older by second bud!

 

You driving in winter weather? Why 5W?

 

Because it pegs the needle cold and stays pegged above 1200 RPM even hot. Too much spring and/or too much weight. I did most oiling mods, bigger pickup and TA double grooved cam bearings so I think it has plenty of capacity but too much pressure.

 

Try a real mechanical gauge to compare. My new 60lb sender pegs out on startup. Old orig sender use to fluctuate all over the place. Mechanical runs up to 75-80 cold, so what..... Those factory sending units are temperamental after 50 yrs of use.
If your sender is original, you can get $100 on feebay.

 

It's aftermarket and was supposed to be a compatible replacement. I tested it years ago. Like I said, it worked well with the old, worn out engine and 10w40 oil. But, with oil mods and a tighter cover, it seems a little high. It won't hurt to change springs to a standard spring to see what it does.

 

I would put in a mechanical gauge I can pull 80 lbs cold easily if ran to 1500

 

You still running that high volume gearset? Seems pressure would go down with oil mods because of larger passages and more bleedoff. More volume, but less pressure. Hence in your case, the h.v. gearset.
I don’t run any booster plate or h.v. gears. Tight bearing clearances though....

Yes Greg, get a mechanical gauge to be sure what's the real deal...

 

Yep, still got those Big gears gonna need it now with 16 lifters with a hole in the bottom.

 

I'm no fluid dynamics genius, but on my oil pressure, I always figured if you removed the restrictions from the suction side, you would have more oil pressure on the high side due to the pump getting fluid easier.