Well, now I'm hearing conflicting approaches on the oil pressure issue. I have put the heavy spring in my oil pump and the restrictor kit, in turn this put additional strain on the dist/cam gears. I'm hearing that guys are starting to run their ford race motors at a constant 7000 RPM w 40 lbs oil pressure??.. What do you guy think??...

standard oil pump = volume and pressure - will be fine for a street 351C

I have a mechanical VDO gauge and run about 75 on start up, 65 or so once warmed-up and at speed.

Lower at idle, of course.

Larry

Not sure what setup I have but with the engine at full operating temp on a hot Atlanta day the pressure is a shade under 30 pounds with a 750 - 800 RPM idle and near 80 pounds at any RPM over 1700. On cold start up idle it is at 80 pounds. Haven’t had drive gear problems in the last eleven years. My oil pressure sender is in the stock position on the back of the engine. I think they recommend 10 lbs of oil pressure per 1000 RPM.

Mike

Contrary to what I have been told ..I run a High pressure spring and a high volume pump with 5w 30 and I have 40 at idle and 80 at high rpm and have no issues with distributor gears.

Ron

The rule of thumb is you need 10 psi for every 1000 rpm. 7000 rpm, 70 psi.

I wouldn't feel comfortable with only 40 at 7000 with any engine.

Now if you are going to run a Cleveland to 7000 or above it is highly advisable to sleeve the lifters and that will fix the oiling issues for all intents and purposes.

When people talk about Clevelands having high speed oiling problems they are talking about over 7000 rpm. Even the old Pro-stock Clevelands that Gapp & Rousch ran were just stock block Clevelands with oil restrictors in the lifters. Those were 8,500 rpm engines.

With all the talk about the oil pump relying on the roll pin in the distributor shaft how many do you actually know of that have failed? If it does you will loose the ignition gear drive and the engine will shut off anyway.

Run a TRW HV oil pump. It will give you 80 psi cold and never drop under 65. If you are running a hydraulic lifter camshaft you could use that pressure anyway to try to approach the advertised lift on the cam.

The set up I have is... Melling 84A oil pump, Relief Spring # 22850, and Heavy shaft #22565... These parts came under the best advice I could find, I'm sure it will be just fine. I really need to find a quality roll pin for my dist gear/shaft, I don't want an "off the shelf" chink pin.

That's all good in theory but how are you going to tell the difference?

Go to an oiling specialist like Aviaid. Tell them your story and do what they tell you, is the best advice I can give you.

I think you are over thinking this and over reacting. In changing out the existing pin you are more likely to do harm then not.

Use a Motorcraft distributor and leave it alone. If you go to crap like Accell or Mallory you are more likely to find generic Chinese parts in them.

Just my opinion which is one of 300 million in this country alone.

Over thinking and over reacting is probably the nicest thing anyone could say about my approach to this cat. I can't really afford this car and I am trying to be very careful, correct everything on the car and get it right. I have been trying to make any improvemnet to all systems that would make the power plant more comfortable. I guess at some point I need to just let it ride and go with it. It's been over two years since I have driven this car. I'm ready to get on w/it...

The stock engine is the most reliable component of the original car. The 73-4 US cars are noticible more dependable then the first ones.

This had to do a lot with Fords involvement in the Pantera.

The two piece valve in the original engine will get you eventually if you put enough miles on it.

The solid state Motorcraft ignition was not available quite yet to the car and it adds a good deal of dependability to the car if added. "Taxi tested tough".

A lot of the problems with the wiring stem from the difficulty in servicing it without stressing the harness.

The stock, as delivered '74 car is difficult to improve reliabilty on.

Recent developements with electronic updating will improve the car 1000%.

"Updating" the engine, if you know what you are doing", will give it more go power.

But think about what some people are adding. For instance, aftermarket roller cams? Those are strait out of the drag racing parts books and have lousy dependability in everyday use.

The reason many put this stuff in the car is because they want to increase dependability and the result can be exactly the opposite. They wind up shooting themselves in the foot.

This car is hard to work on and the simplest things can be expensive to do.

You want to make the car so that you NEVER have to go into the engine again. Changing the oil is all you want to have to do.

Stay away from aftermarket distributors and go with a Motorcraft electronic distributor and brain and you will have gone along way towards increasing the dependability of the engine, including the oiling drive.

quote:

the roll pin in the distributor shaft, how many do you actually know of that have failed?

Off hand, two.

Dennis "Mad Dawg" Antenucci's new MSD at the start of a Silver State. His only, I believe, DNF.

And about 2003, on the trip home from Vegas, I watched as Cal's mostly stock Pantera slowed and pulled off into the center median with a roll pin that sheared while driving down the interstate. Hour later, he was back on the road, courtesy of the PCNC on-the-road, never-leave-a-man-behind philosophy.

The snapping roll pin IS NOT an urban myth.

Larry