Running Trans-Am In

[TransAmDan]

A continuation of this thread:- http://www.solent-renegades.co.uk/general-discussion/25510-started-dismantling-trans-am-engine.html
To summarise, finding the fault, fixing the fault by fitting better/bigger parts, pretty much changing every moving part in the engine. It's now a rebuilt 383ci engine.

Done 20 mins run in at over 2k rpm, then oil change.
Done 100 miles of driving not exceeding 3k rpm then oil change.
Currently in the process of doing 500 miles before next oil change.

The clutch recommendation is to run it around town for 500 miles before launching it. So almost there. Around 200 miles to brandshatch and back.

Car ran well up to Brandshatch at the weekend. Felt good doing 70mph, it certainly seems happy. Driving around the tracks between 2mph and 5mph that it did not like. It doesn't like low load scenarios, it's not sure weather to accelerate or decelerate, the cam is very lumpy, and probably the root cause of it. Not too concerned as won't be driving like that very often.

Soo much that could have gone wrong in the rebuild, I'm very happy, Especially starting it up first time and it ran.

 

[TransAmDan]

Drove the car to work yesterday, got near work, all warmed up. Accelerated from a junction quite hard took it to 4000 rpm, dam did it feel great. Sounded awesome.
a few hundred meters on from there, I turned into work, got a waft of oil smell. Parked it up outside will work place, and left it for the day. Been there all day, chatted to will before starting it up. Rolled the car forward, no oil patch on the parking space. Dam it sounds nice on tick over the sound bouncing off all the workshops.

Drove it home, about half way home, the low oil light came on, only a short distance to go, so just on idle all the way home. Parked up on the drive way. Check the oil this morning. Not a lot of oil to be seen on the end of the dip stick, there is oil there, just below the min mark.

So what is the oil loss, well....

• Last time I changed the oil/filter it looked a little oily around the filter, and along the edge of the sump near the filter. Some of the sump bolts could get a half a turn on them, so tightened up. Replaced filter with oiling ring and hand tight with two hands as tight as possible.
• Trip to Brands hatch, people following didn't smell burning oil. Although at one point a puff of grey smoke came out.
• Went under the car last week to tighten up exhaust bolts, the filter was oily again(different filter to last time, but same make) checked sump bolts, but all good.
• On tick over in the drive way at home or work, no oil comes out at all.

So with all that, seems to be loosing oil over a certain RPM, not seen the oil pressure exceed 80psi, it sits around 65-70psi. I'm thinking that the seal isn't good on the filter, and blowing out over a certain RPM's.

I think I will change oil and filter again before the weekend in hope to see whats going on. Oil filters should take 120psi+ so no where near their limits. Perhaps I just couldn't get the filter tight enough, or something stopping it sealing correctly. These are budget filters from don't know the make, perhaps the mating surface isn't flat.

 

[AmericanThunder]

Sounds stupid but check to make sure you haven't got an old oil filter seal stuck to the block. The two oil seals together are not good!

 

[TransAmDan]

Sounds stupid but check to make sure you haven't got an old oil filter seal stuck to the block. The two oil seals together are not good!

That is possible I done that once before when I changed the heads and cam 10 years ago, was being careful this time. Going to have to take the filter off to check anyway.

They have sunk the filter into the side of the sump, and the other side is the exhaust, so very hard to get a good hand grip on it.

 

[AmericanThunder]

My Dodge oil filter has a socket hex on the bottom to make removal easier but could be used for tightening too.
I think it's a K & N filter. Maybe see if you can get one of those?

 

[TransAmDan]

Yes, I had the same idea. 2 x K&N filters on their way from Opie. HP1007's.
K&N Performance Gold HP-1007 Oil Filter
It will make removal a lot easier, having to tap screw drivers through to get it to turn. Dont know why more filters dont have a nut on them, soo much easier.
Can get it a little tighter than by hand I'm sure, I'll use a small socket bar. I could use my torque wrench, I wonder if there is a torque spec for a filter.

EDIT: Just googled, came across 22 lb/ft for the oil filter. LS1Howto.co

 

[TransAmDan]

Order from Opie has arrived. Arrived at work this morning, the FedEx man saw me arrive and said he has something for me.


Enough for a couple of oil changes. Nice filters with a nut on the end. This has given me confidence, not only that I can get it that bit tighter. The instructions on the side of the filter say do it up hand tight then 3/4 turn. Well on the others I only could go hand tight as no way to tighten further. This could explain my loss of oil.

 

[AmericanThunder]

Ensure you clean up under the car with some degreaser to help you identify where any future losses are coming from.
A diluted "Gunk" works well.

 

[TransAmDan]

Yep, will certainly clean it. Liking the look of a clean engine from the bottom after spending the time painting it. I expect I will go back under then next week just to check for leaks.

 

[TransAmDan]

Jacked the car up, nice and high, ready to drain that oil out.


Probably around 2 litres of oil came out into the drain can.

Oil filter surface looking good. The filter came off fairly easy. I guess it could have lost oil from it.


Trying to look up above the filter, there is evidence of a small amount of oil, cant see it unless its with a camera flash and appears a little yellowy. Thinking this could be spray from the filter. Its soo minimal. If it was coming out from under the heads there would be other issues shown, plus its not under pressure at that point. Will keep an eye on that area. Its not coming from the rocker covers.


New oil filter looking the part, done it up hand tight, then a 3/4 turn on the nut. Feels a lot tighter than I could have ever done with hands. That bugger should seal now. So next it to put some miles on it and recheck.


Drain can had a bit of a hole, which hindered changing the oil. So a bit of cleaning up afterwards.

 

[saleen 192]

Lets hope it's now sorted ? opec loves you at the moment :thumb:

 

[AmericanThunder]

View attachment 83029
Oil filter surface looking good. The filter came off fairly easy. I guess it could have lost oil from it.

Have you cleaned up? If not and it was this clean then I don't think you have found it.

 

[saleen 192]

Any update ??

 

[TransAmDan]

Not yet, checked dip stick first thing today, looks good. Not driven yet, may do this evening.

 

[TransAmDan]

Took the car for a drive tonight, performs very well, smooth driving, pulled good. Giving it more throttle looking for smoke out the rear. Park up at the hill, and then moved the car, a couple of drops of oil on the floor. Perhaps I not fixed the issue.
The loose filter loosing oil would have been a good explanation as it wasn't tight.
Moved the car again, saw more drops. So perhaps it was me leaking. Got home and drive it up on bricks so I could get my phone underneath at arms length to take some photos.



Oil visible on the filter.


Oil visible above the filter. Oh no

Where can it come from... well rocker covers, oil pressure sender, rear cover.

Cant see any evidence around the rocker covers. cant feel the oil pressure sender as intake needs to come off really. Rear cover means gear box out. Cant see any oil out of the bell housing which is where it would tend to sit, as the bell housing covers the whole rear cover.

So in the morning i will take the intake off and inspect pressure sender and feel down the back of the block for anything.

 

[saleen 192]

Thats not looking good da, hope you an find the problem easy today.

 

[TransAmDan]

Been thinking over night. Thinking not the rear cover. As the highest point I have felt the oil is the orange circle area. If it was the rear cover it would be hard to travel sideways and through the bell housing to that point.
The Yellow circle is the Oil pressure sensor location. It would be very possible for oil to travel from that location to the orange circle, its on the drivers side of the car so would tend to run down that side of the engine.

Removal of the intake later will hopefully confirm where it is. Fingers crossed that's it.

 

[AmericanThunder]

Good luck.

 

[TransAmDan]

Wdll took the intake off. Didn't take too long, only 10 bolts, but quite a few wires be disconnect carefully.








Can see where the oil ran down the bell housing.


Whipped out the oil pressure sensor, totally dry. No leaks from there.

View attachment 83046

Trying to get a photos from above, can see the cam position sensor, and the hole where the oil pressure sensor came out from.
Does look oily around there.

Oil can see seen around the hole.


Can see oil has made it up the shaft of the sensor. So perhaps o-ring wasn't seated good.

All cleaned up, o-ring looked good. So dunked it in fresh out and re-seated it. If it leaks more then i will have to take it off again, but really need the car for tomorrow. So will take a spare can of oil with me and keep checking the oil level.

 

[saleen 192]

got some o rings for u various sizes