OK guys, thanks for the reassurance thus far. I went over to Tim's house last night to check the car out. I lined the motor up on #1 TDC & pulled the distributor. Distributor is fine, no signs of shearing or damage. I did see a few slivers of metal clinging to the oil pump drive tang.
Next I put a screwdriver down into the oil pump drive and turned it by hand. It felt kinda weird, a little rougher than usual. So I chucked up a screwdriver shank in my makita drill and drove the oil pump. Tim wasn't there, so nobody could watch the gauges, but I felt resistance in the pump as it started to pick up oil. I could see oil move up the plastic tube to the underhood gauge but I couldn't see the gauge face, so I don't know what the pressure was. But I don't think the gauges are blocked/plugged because the oil moved in the gauge line.
I put a drain pan under the car and drained the oil. It came out the color and thickness of Hershey's syrup- black and thick. Lots of fine silver and bronze colored glitter in the oil. No big pieces or metal ribbons, but I don't know if this is normal.
I pulled all the oil pan bolts and popped the pan loose from the gasket. It got cold before I could drop the pass side exhasust and drop the oil pan off.
Here is what I think happened- I bought the '55-'57 style oil pickup & pan used from Stovebolt engine co. Pickup was really dirty, and the tin piece at the bottom (pickup & screen assy) had a few *serious* dents and kinks in it. I cleaned and straightened it out as good as I could before I installed it. I think the pickup is faulty. I think its sucking air cuz it was beat & bent up and also interfering with the dipstick. I should have listened to my gut, pitched it and found another one.
I think the black oil is from sludge that was stuck in the block or in the pickup and broke loose, contaminating the oil. This motor was a non-detergent baby. When I bought and dissassembled it a few years ago, it had 1/2" of black goo coating its insides. Maybe there was a clod left hiding somewhere. The replacement pickup wasn't much better before I cleaned it.
I don't know what to think about the metal in the oil, but it can't be good.
I'm going to pull the rear main and change the neoprene seal for one of the asbestos NOS seals. Gotta find a 'chinese finger' rear main installer. Assuming the rear main isn't already wiped out. What other bearings should I look at?
Assuming the bearings are OK, I plan on replacing pump and pickup. Anybody got a '55-'57 235 oil pump pickup? I'll PAY for one in great shape.
What do y'all think so far? Engine ruined or not?
chip
:o
