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Paul Merolla · 06-16-2016, 05:00 PM

I wanted to pass along "the rest of the story" as Paul Harvey would say:
I got the borrowed shortblock together and in the car but didn't have time to test before heading to Marion for the Midwest Class Racers deal last weekend. So...after the burnout for Q1 I noticed the oil pressure gauge do a little "flutter." Launched the car, and halfway through 2nd gear the gauge dropped to zero. I immediately pushed in the clutch, and in a few seconds it came back up. The thing had 5 quarts of oil in it, which is 1 more than I normally run. I figured it must be the pump, so ran to Napa and then spent a lovely few hours laying underneath the thing in 97 degree heat and swamplike humidity. Went back up for a test and it did the same thing. At this point I was not in the best of moods to say the least. A few of us had a little powwow and made a list of things that were different in the engine versus previous years: Heads (no effect on oiling), Lifters (had been in the borrowed shortblock for a year or two), and different brand of oil filter. That's all.
I have only used Wix Racing filters since I started racing this car, but for some reason I decided to use K&N this year. Dave Weeks had a Wix in his trailer, so we swapped it in.
Next morning went up for Q1 and it was fine. Ran Q2, fine. Won 2 rounds and lost in E3, no more problems. All this was apparently caused by the wrong brand of oil filter. Just thought I'd share in case anyone else ends up in the same boat: Try the easy stuff first!!!!!!!!

06-16-2016, 05:00 PM	#189
Paul Merolla Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Papillion, NE Posts: 611 Likes: 243 Liked 293 Times in 65 Posts	Re: Project 66 Nova I wanted to pass along "the rest of the story" as Paul Harvey would say: I got the borrowed shortblock together and in the car but didn't have time to test before heading to Marion for the Midwest Class Racers deal last weekend. So...after the burnout for Q1 I noticed the oil pressure gauge do a little "flutter." Launched the car, and halfway through 2nd gear the gauge dropped to zero. I immediately pushed in the clutch, and in a few seconds it came back up. The thing had 5 quarts of oil in it, which is 1 more than I normally run. I figured it must be the pump, so ran to Napa and then spent a lovely few hours laying underneath the thing in 97 degree heat and swamplike humidity. Went back up for a test and it did the same thing. At this point I was not in the best of moods to say the least. A few of us had a little powwow and made a list of things that were different in the engine versus previous years: Heads (no effect on oiling), Lifters (had been in the borrowed shortblock for a year or two), and different brand of oil filter. That's all. I have only used Wix Racing filters since I started racing this car, but for some reason I decided to use K&N this year. Dave Weeks had a Wix in his trailer, so we swapped it in. Next morning went up for Q1 and it was fine. Ran Q2, fine. Won 2 rounds and lost in E3, no more problems. All this was apparently caused by the wrong brand of oil filter. Just thought I'd share in case anyone else ends up in the same boat: Try the easy stuff first!!!!!!!!