I have a 95 "w" code that I put a crank kit in,oil pump,new lifters,head and intake gaskets.Upon tearing it down it was very clean inside,no sludge or build up. The engine now has about 5000 miles on it. My problem is that the oil pressure is excessively high, when I first start it up its almost at 80psi, after driving awhile it will go down to between 60 and 70 and the upper drive train is al ittle noisey. I took the drivers valve cover off and the push rods barely dribble oil out of them..........anybody have any ideas ?

 

Are the pressure readings from the electronic dash gauge or a manual gauge? If not from a manual, I would first verify them by hooking one up.

 

Has it always been this high?

Sounds like one or more of the bearings were installed incorrectly, partially blocking off an oil port to the top end.

 

it's a mechanical gauge, its also read this way from the first time I fired it up. Before the engine work it was about 20 to 30, but the oil sensor was changed out when the engine was reinstalled. I tend to think its not the sender because of the slight valve noise and dribbling push rods.......I'm 99 percent sure the bearings are in right, I'd have to be pretty much asleep to make that mistake

 

Since an oil pump only creates flow and not pressure (which is created by restriction to flow), then something is causing the restiction in the oil movement.

 

How did all of the crank bearings line up to their oil holes? I have seen blocks were the oil ports were not aligned with the center of the bearing both axially (along the crank centerline) and radially (instead of being in the bottom of the bearing saddle, it is off by a degree or two. If this is not looked at and accounted for (back filing the hole in the bearing), it can cause a restriction and oil starvation to the top of the motor.

Another thing, did you play with the cam bearings at all? Were the oil galleys cleaned out?

 

The bearing holes aligned okay, didn't really see a problem there. Didn't touch the cam bearings. I basically rolled the engine over and put a crank kit in it along with an oil pump,steel rod, timing set,lifters. Maybe debris of some sort ? The valve train noise is so slight that a normal person wouldn't think anything. A mechanically oriented person would.

 

But you should have oil all over the place under the valve covers, not just a little bit. There is a restriction somewhere in the oiling system.

Have you tried a lighter oil? Have you tried an engine flush? How did the bottom end look when you rebuilt it? Did you remove the heads? Intake?

 

Yea, I'm thinking its a restriction but I don't know how to fix it, someone told me to use compressed air at certain locations. I took the heads and intake off when I did the crank kit.I have been useing 40 weight but tonite I put a can of seafoam in it and it helped drastically. After running awhile it will now go down to 45 or 50. If I floor it, it goes to 75 and hangs there for awhile then gradually works its way down. When idleing sometimes the needle will become eratic and kind of bounce around. Tomorrow I'm going to try 30 wt oil and more seafoam.

 

Sounds like you are figuring it out.