....vandals

[BlackedOut67shorty]

Well i went to take my truck to work yesterday night and 3/4 to the way to work, i notice my oil pressure was at zero( granted that it used to do this) so i just tried to keep my idle up but i noticed it took a lot longer to bring oil pressure back up. Never smelled any burning oil but when i got to work, i looked under my hood. nothing out o the ordinary except three of my valve cover hold downs were loose. only one that wasnt was the one that didnt have a handle. Now i know it could be from when i put the new gasket on, but i tightened them three times and i didnt even need to check the third time cause they were alll good, and why the one that wad the stud broken off was completly tight???


Well i had to go and get crappy oil from the gas station and put it in (10w30) and i got my oil back to normal levels but when it gets warmed up i get almost 0 psi.... I have an auto meter oil pressure gauge and its very accurate to my knowledge. So i told my landlord about it and moved my truck to my dads house. Idk what im going to do though, it isnt in my budget to get another motor but i think this one is too far gone. i know i wont ever run valve cover hold downs you tighten with your hands, id rather take extra time and use allen head bolts.

[LMREESE]

Maybe just a new oil pump instead of a new engine?
Posted via Mobile Device

[BlackedOut67shorty]

Idk, it ran out of oil before, and it does tend to have a squeek around the front bearing time to time now so i just want to start with a whole other engine instead o taking it out replace the oil pump just to ind out the bearings are shot.. Sorry for shooting down the idea but its usually my luck when i fix something that should be the culprit, it tturns out that it wasnt ever the problem at all...

[LMREESE]

If its a small block the oil pump will come out just by dropping the pan. You can inspect the bearings then too
Posted via Mobile Device

[BlackedOut67shorty]

Yeah i guess i can do that.. I would just have to do it when i have a free day and have some cash for a new oil pump. I hope thats all thats wrong with it cause im getting tired of putting oil in it, switching to thickeroil ect. Im just dredding the worst though..

[AirSpeed]

I have the same type bolts on my valve covers, the extended ones with the wing nut on the end of each. I check them about every six months or so and I can always get a turn or so on each. I think it's the wingnuts themselves that cause them to loosen up, it seems like they allow vibrations to let them turn. That may be why the one without the wingnut stayed tight. I once drove my 69 14 miles without oil pressure, it was late at night before cell phones and I was on a road with nothing or nowhere to get oil. When I checked the oil the next morning there wasn't enough to even touch the dipstick. That was over 20 years ago and my 350 still runs strong. I thought for sure it would seize up before I got home but it didn't even get hot. The 350 Gods must have been watching out for me!
Posted via Mobile Device

[midniteblues]

Well I checked out your truck this evening after I saw this thread and realized its sitting out back. if you can make some time before you gotta go back to work tomarrow stop over, I'll show you what your squeak is and why your truck is coated with oil on the bottom and why your holdowns keep coming loose then i'll let you explain it to everybody.........kids

[71swb4x4]

I agree, those bolts tend to back themselves off.

Loose valvecovers will not cause bad oil pressure. You can run without valve covers and your oil pressure will be just fine until your push rods/rockers manage to fling all of the oil out.

[midniteblues]

Ok Well it looks like the kid has been a target I cant say for sure they been messing with his truck. (more on this later)

I get a call at 5:30 this morning it was him (I just got home from work and my front door was open and they ransacked my apt. they stole all my electronics! everything but my tv.)he said the sp was on thier way. well they dont do much but write a report and take notes.dont get me wrong it could help but doutfully.

so i figured I'll post on here again(cause his lap top is gone so he wount be able too)

mods its ok if this gets moved it wont matter anyway.

but anyway I thought I would elaborate on his truck situation you can kinda chalk it up too being inexpeirenced. learning but inexperienced.

it seems that when he did the intake swap the vc's bottomed out on the intake flange and the gaskets dont seal correctly whats funny is that he did buy new vc gaskets the thicker one's and he put it on the dr side that leaked the worse(this is when he told me he fixed the problem)well half of it cause he didnt do the other side and after warming the engine up never retorqued the holddowns also I do believe that since the gaskets were not being torqued down the vc flange is slightly bent right at the intake runners(lucky they didnt crack) and acting like a spring to loosen his hold downs.

now for the squeak,I had pointed out to him a couple weeks ago that the ps belt was ever so slightly loose and when it flexes it rubs the wp pulley well when the engine is hot like he described going to work(80mph down the highway for 20 mi) and lost a bunch of oil out the vc (no oil means no pressure) the belt flexes more there for squeaks more.

I was gonna let him explain this but without his lt he wont be able too
I feel for him cause he has been doing what any young man should be doing working hard takeing care of his daughter and playing with his truck.
He feels overwhelmed by this set back i cant blame him.

it really blows that there is non working welfaremooching blood sucking scum out there that really needs their sticky hands smashed to worthlessness.

[VWNate1]

At least he has a good Daddy who cares and is there to support him .

This is the *one* place where muslims have it right : get caught setaling and they cut off your hand .

Maybe you two can find a good used engine and do a slow Father & Son overhaul on it ? . I can only wish my Father had ever cared enough to do this with me , I made sure to do it with my son and the bonding is terrific .

[midniteblues]

thanks nate I didnt run the truck yet its raining here today and he had to get some sleep after working all nite(if he can) and my lil' one is home from school sick so.
hopefully the 350 will be ok but well see.

he's allways been a gamer and he had alot of $$$ in all them games and systems.
we have suspitions who it was but its really hard to point fingers when you have no proof.

the way the economy is its only gonna get worse for most of us.

somebody even stole an old ladys copper down spouting off her house over the summer while she was home yet so you know their sneaky as all hell.

[OJ1988]

Not sure I understand.

You think someone loosened the valvecover bolts, and all your oil leaked out?

[BlackedOut67shorty]

Well im slowly getting myself back together.. after my place being robbed i am not too much worried about the truck. But me and my dad are gonna replace the gaskets on the one side with thicker gaskets, get the motor cleaned up and once again put some better oil in it. And the chirp was from my belts rubbing each other, so im just gonna try and fix the valve covers and just try not be so fn stressed out about everything thats going on. I still think it was messed with but maybe it was just them loosining themselves out. i just hope that things will start getting better..

[BlackedOut67shorty]

Originally Posted by OJ1988

Not sure I understand.

You think someone loosened the valvecover bolts, and all your oil leaked out?

Thats what i believe, my dad thinks they justed backed themselves out, eather way the drivers side gaskets gonna be replaced with a thicker gasket cause we believe its still leaking on that side

[71swb4x4]

What kind of valve covers are on it? Most of the time when it's leaking it's because someone put the junky chrome valve covers on it, and/or someone overtightened the valve covers at one time. If the gaskets are fairly new, I would look at the covers first.
Many people overighten the valvecovers which dents them in near the bolt holes and pulls the outer edges up which makes them leak real bad.

[BlackedOut67shorty]

They are aluminum, they are slightly bowed but should be solved with the thicker gaskets

[71swb4x4]

If they are bowed you are going at the wrong problem with new gaskets.
Fix the problem, don't try to mask it. If the valve covers are bowed, you need new ones.
I am not making fun of you. I can tell you I have tried many times to mask a problem, either to save money or time, and RARELY does it work. Usually it ends up costing me more time and money.

First make sure they are bowed. Use a straight edge and see what you have.

[OJ1988]

It would take a long time to pump 5 quarts of oil out the valvecovers, not too mention the smoke and burning smell as thr oil would be pouring on the exhaust.
Posted via Mobile Device