Low oil pressure

[gzig5]

Good news, an interesting bit, and bad news. 

Good news:  Put new Wix filter on and put in five quarts Valvoline 10w-40.  Dipstick said Full.  Crank for several seconds with no coil to get a head start on priming till I could see fresh oil on the rocker through the hole.  Took a couple seconds to come up but the idle pressure started out about 36psi at 950rpm and was stable.  Dropped a little as  it warmed up but stayed above 30 as the idle settled down after five minutes.  Nice.

Interesting:  Check dipstick and it's down to Add after filling the new filter and whatever else. Seems normal.  Add 1 quart so six total on a stock pan.  Start up and settles in nicely a little above 50psi and stays there.  No other changes than more oil and it picks up 20 psi.  I think I have an issue with the pickup tube?  One way or the other the pan needs to come out for a look inside.

Bad News:   buoyed by my success I go for a short drive to monitor pressure and all is well hanging right at 50.  Give it the beans for 100yds on an empty road near home and sounds good.  Look in rear view and all I see is fog and then it starts coming into the cabin.  Seems that when it kicked down it blew a seal or something on the front pump or shaft seal.  ATF pouring out of the inspection cover and blew all over under the car and on the exhaust.  Hence the smoke.  Looked like Earnhardt blowing up down the front straight.  Nursed it the few hundred yards home mostly in neutral but it seemed like it still had positive drive.  In the morning I guess I'll call the shop that rebuilt it last fall and see what they say.   

[Chryco Psycho]

I am Happy that the simple fix worked , too bad you got kicked in the butt by the trans now 

[gzig5]

Yeah, I don't think the pressure thing is fixed just yet.  But while the trans is out, I should have plenty of time to drop the pan and sort out the pump/pickup issue.  I just can't seem to get ahead of this thing.    Hopefully the shop that rebuilt the trans last fall will step up.

[Chryco Psycho]

Yeah , if they built it last fall it must have almost nothing for miles on it ,
if you are holding 50 PSI at least the engine is OK , maybe the pick up tube has a problem , I guess you will know soon 

[Strawdawg]

It does not need to be 50, or even 30, at idle.  It needs to be 50 when you are getting on it.

[gzig5]

Further update:  I hate when these threads are left hanging without conclusion.

Just talked to the shop about the transmission.  He says it looks like the torque converter body cracked at one of the mounting pad welds.  This is a "new" 2500 rpm convertor, which is actually re-manufactured OEM one.  He says that they have seen this before, for some reason the pads are too thin and the bolt bottoms out on the body, which then stresses the weld.  I don't know if I buy that or not.  I used a new OEM flex plate and the OEM bolts.  But, as long as they don't blame it all on me (and ask me to pay for all the work) I'll go along with it.  Another converter on the way and we'll go from there.

[Chryco Psycho]

At least you found the problem , a new converter should fix the problem