I just started my cat for the first time... It has 75 lbs of oil pressure while the starter is turning over..lol.. It PEGS the gauge ( 100 lbs ) right away... I bet it's got 150 lbs of oil pressure!.. I let it run for about six minutes, it topped out at 184 degrees with my shop fan in front of it. I'm running Brad Penn 20/50 and I was hoping the pressure would drop as the engine temp increased. I guess I will drop the pan and remove the heavy spring...

What pressure gauge?

What sender?

Stock are known for not being too accurate.

Try a mechanical gauge in place of the sender before dropping the pan.

Larry

Good idea, I was just chatting w/the builder ( who didn't really want me to run the heavy spring )He suggested the same thing. Get a mechanical gauge and double check it. I may run thinner oil also. But wow!! I'm glad it didn't push anything out.

You don't need anywhere near that kind of pressure. In fact I think that if you are running a hydraulic lifter camshaft that the lifters will actually pump up and the valves will tend to not seat.

A solid lifter is a different story but even with that too much oil will get pumped up into the valve covers because it can't drain back to the pan fast enough.

Best to check it with a mechanical gauge at the top of the back of the block.

80 psi at cold idle is plenty. 15 to 20 at hot idle is fine. 10 psi per 1000 rpm is all you need but 10 at idle is a little low.

A TRW hi volume pump is the most that you should run on the street. It's really over 7,000 rpm that you have to watch oiling on a Cleveland.

Good luck with your project.

OK well, I installed a mechanical gauge and same same.... It pegs the gauge instantly. All I can say is, thank God for the removable cross member...

I switched the from heavy back to stock spring and I'm runnin' 85psi cold... it's fixed..