Ok,
Lets review.
New build -- with a very special "X" crankshaft. (Don't ask me what was different about it, except the whole thing was polished. It looked exactly like the original)
-40 lbs of hand torque to turn the complete engine over by hand, minus tranny.
Perceived problem: No oil pressure immediately after start up, engine reaching rpm Idle.
Oil pump is of the vertical type, twin gears with relief valves and springs built into the timing case cover. Driven directly off the crank shaft.
"My" First clue that I should have paid attention to, was the oil warning "light!". As Niles mentioned, we build the DV's with redundant guages. All the critical areas are guarded with guages and warning lights, and some times a buzzer is added.
The "Oil Light" lit at power but went out almost immediately at start up. Never did re-light! (Should have paid attention to this!)
Ok -- Oil guage #1, pressure would immediately go to 80+ lbs. then drop off to +/- 10.
Oil guage #2 repeated. Both guages were electrical
Two new sending units installed with the same results.
By-pass valves and springs replaced in the oil pump.
Tried both guages again, still read the same.
Pulled the timing cover off. Did a full "mike" of the gears and the timing cover walls. (No bearing here!) Well within specs. Decided to replace the cover plate and both gears.
Again, re-fired with the same results, using both guage #1 & #2 and mixing up the now new sending units. (Aint this getting redundant?
)
Nothing to do now but to get out a MECHANICAL guage that has been in my tool box for years and give it a try.
Ten minutes later, (I can change the whole set up in my sleep by now! ) and it PEGS OUT AT 85 LBS. & doesn't drop off!
The motor had always idled and ran under full load at 70 to 80 lbs.!
The guage doesn't go any higher than 85 lbs and it is sitting right on the peg! I then inspect both of the stock guages and they only go to 80 lbs.! (This is why the oil warning light never came on..the oil pressure never was low!)
I then purchased a 100 psi oil pressure guage, hooked it up and the motor sits right at 85 +/- lbs. of oil pressure!
The original oil sending units, made for a max. of 80 psi. The inner rocker "needle" in the sending unit was being shoved off it's base once the pressure exceeded 80 psi! This is what caused the dash gauge to drop to 10 psi!
Two weeks, couple of hundred bucks, about 60 hours aggravation.... You gotta love this hobby!
DV -- 300 Cobras is NOT enough! You know what...we're going to make it!
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