The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Oil pump? What do I need?

*sigh*

I just drove my truck about 6 miles. Started fine, drove fine. Backfires and doesn't seem to have full power but since it hasn't been driven more than 20 miles in the last who knows how many years.... I'm not surprised. Stop at the store, come back out, starts right up....putt putt putt on home. Park it. Try to restart it and nothing. I noticed the temp gauge was kinda high and my oil pressure gauge wasn't registering anything.

Since it has all new radiator, hoses, thermostat etc... I assumed it wasn't a cooling issue.

I did notice there was a bit of steamy/hot "smoke" coming from the oil fill cap. Kinda like the oil was not circulating while I was driving and the engine had heated way up.

I find the truck does not start when it is too hot. (smart truck!) but will re-start after it cools down.

Is there an oil pump at the bottom of the engine?? Or perhaps could it be clogged down there? I have changed the oil but I have never dropped the pan to look at things.

Am I searching by the wrong term? When I google "Oil Pump 1953 Chevrolet truck", I get references to parts places or decorative gas pumps. The parts places when I search them come up empty.

What do I need to get that oil circulating or is that the issue?

I did search the engine board but found nothing specific to my query.

Thanks in advance again.

Could be several things wrong.

Backfiring is usually a timing issue , though lean running also contributes.
Hard to start could also be timing related.
When did you last check the valve clearences.

Can you mount a remote gauge on the oil line from the block to determine if the dash oil gauge is faulty or not.

Ok, check the timing. I'll have to find someone that knows how to do that. Is there a standard for doing it? The last thing I timed was an old Packard and I was more an observer than participant. I remember discussions of "So many degrees top dead center" etc.....

I have not checked the valve clearences. Do I take the valve covers off and measure somehow? I think I may have seen reference to doing that in the old online manuals.

I really am willing to learn all this but sometimes its hard when you have no one around to teach you and the questions I asked may not be the right ones. I'm tryin though!

I can get a remote oil gauge at Napa or something like that, right? Hopefully it had instructions on how to hook it up.

Thanks again. Have patience with me... Some day I may turn from being a pain to being an asset. lol!

OOh.. I did find about the valve adjustment. That I can do.
http://chevy.tocmp.com/chevyowner/53tom23.htm

Thank God for whoever put those old manuals online.

You can buy the repair manual and factory assembly manual from just about any vendor selling parts for your truck.

I like manuals with greasy fingerprints on the pages.. it's comforting.

Have you had the distributor out? The oil pump is driven by a "key" on the end of the distributor. If it isn't engaged you don't have oil pressure.

You can check the oil pump by removing the distributor and turning the slotted chilibob you'll see at the bottom of the hole. (It's the top of the pump.) Be sure to have the engine sitting on TDC when you pull the distributor and note the position of the rotor. You'll have to put it back in in the same place.

Do this while you have the valve cover off for the valve adjustment. Use a ¼" drive socket that will fit in the slot and a long extension chucked into a drill motor. Be sure to turn he pump in the direction the distributor travels. You should see oil flow at the rockers.

Don't let the socket fall into the engine.