Discolored FE pushrods

[RICK LAKE]

priobe I over fill the race motor about 1.5 quarts over full. This is to the bottom of the windage tray. Here are MY reasons,
#1 FE motors have poor oil returns without the rocker shield that you get with stock motors. I don't run shields. I flood my heads with oil to the bottom of the pushrod holes. The valve spring generate alot of heat when racing. This oil cools them better that a light mist or very little fluid at the bottom of the spring. I also run a HVHP oil pump with a 100# spring. Cold the motor pressure is 135-138 at idle and hot off the track is 65-80 depending on how hot the day is. My car spends 95% of the time at the track. I either autocross or road race. Both at hard on motors if you are racing and turning high "G" turns for short and worse long turns. The oil can't return to the oil pan. A also have a 3 quart accusump that works as a preoiler and pressure controller to help maintain good oil pressure on high long "G" turns. Dry sump system is the way to go but I don't have the money to do a complete system at this time. I have found no bad effect of the extra oil hurting the motor to date. I do run a canton windage tray. I like this over the solid one but it doesn't do the same to keep oil from hitting the crank or being pull up out of the pan. With the high skirts the FE block has, a windage tray is not that important like on other motors to keep the oil from sucking into the crank. FE crank is high in the block. The solid one a ran caused some longer time for oil to return to the oil pan. I had 15-20 psi at Gateway's road course. This means that there is no to very little oil going to the rocker arms. I know because I could hear them ticking. The accusump stopped this noise and raised the oil pressure to between 35 and 40 psi. For my oil level in the motor I installed the windage tray and filled the oil pan with oil until the level reached the tray. I measure the dipstick length and cut it and marked it to the same height if the pan was on. The only thing a get is a small rear main seal leak after hard running. The rear seal is rope and it need to be kept lubed.
I am not a pro builder, pro racer, or machinist. I do have over 30 + years of working on alot of different motors and apply this to my motors. I also know the limits of my motors and stay in the safe zone. I $13.00 trophy is not worth spilling a $20K motor all over the track. I am there for the fun. If you are running 95% on the street, you don't need to run 100 psi pressures, HOWEVER, IMO running a 60# spring on an FE original motor with FE bottom end and .003" clearances I wouldn't do. I think that #80 is a safe number. I will tell you that running HP oilpumps is hard on the gears of the distributor and camshaft. I have a little extra oiling going to the location. The correct end play of the camshaft is also important to keep gears meeting smooth and not shaving off either gear. I have run the 452 motor for 8 years and now run the 482 motor going on 8 years. Basic maintainance and common sense are the best things. Motor don't live without oil and some motors like the FE need more pressures than others. Small rod bearings and heavy bottom ends. I check bearings #4 & #8 after every year. Barry R stroker kit was dead on for clearances and with preoiling there is no real wear. This is also a BBC bottom end with rods, wider bearing. Rick L.