First start did not go so good.

[Xavier]

I just pulled off the valve covers and re-drilled again. All of the lifters are saturated with oil, inside of the valve cover completely splashed with fresh oil as well. Quite possibly in my excitement that the engine started, when I was not looking at the gauges, I had pressure, but then checked the gauges again once I seen everything get very hot, but who knows. What is for certain is that they got fresh lubricant somehow. But it was not from what I did today or now, again the drill failed to prime the oil pump, but at some time something was giving it oil recently. I will pull the oil pan off tomorrow night and examine the oil pump.

Tim; After market pan by the way; Proformance. I guess what you are saying with the pickup is the pickup has to have clearance between the pan itself and the feed end of the pickup? Is that the point you are making? I will give that a try to make certain the clearance is there, but I have a heavy suspision that when I take off that pan tomorrow night that it is going to be completely obvious what is hanging the pump up. I mean, when I am using the drill (1/2" electric) it is really bogging down, then it stays at a heavy load as if something was really hanging it up.

Edelbrock states 5.5psi max in their manual on the web. No reason to go any higher, so they say. Min. is 4psi by the way. At either rate it is the least of my worries and the fuel pressure will start much lower if I get another chance.