Well, THAT scared me pretty good...

[moparedtn]

We were off to town this evening for the local cruise-in and once it was time to go, off we went.
We came to a fairly steep downhill stop sign and the OIL light came on briefly on the dash. I took a quick glance down to the electric aftermarket gauge and sure enough, suddenly I had no freaking oil pressure!
I carefully pulled away from the intersection to level ground, popped it out of gear to take the load off the engine and oil pressure returned quickly.
Thinking not much of it, we again set off for home again.

When we got to the 4-lane, I did my traditional "beat on it" through the first three gears, shifting at about 5200RPM, which the car did just fine. Let it into 4th easy and went the rest of the way to the next turn (about a 1/4 mile or so) which is another slight downhill incline, coasting down to make the stop and turn - and the thing again went to zero oil pressure, this time with some accompanying staccato rattling from the engine!
Popped it into neutral again and waited a couple seconds and sure enough, the oil pressure returned again and she quietened down.
We basically snuck back home at that point, thankfully with no further incident.

Now, I know the engine probably pumped all the oil into the top end on the 4 lane, right?
Makes me want to put a bigger pan on the thing for sure - or at least, give her an extra quart in the "699" pan on her now.
You know, that original pan I have that has seen some dents and such....

Is all this just simply not enough oil in the engine or do I need to worry about the pump, pickup, etc.? First time it's pulled this nonsense.

PS Sorry, I assume everyone knows what I have. The engine is a low mile, rebuilt early 70's 440 that actually runs pretty darn good. Has the purpleshaft 484 cam in it. Nothing fancy, typically sees 30 psi oil pressure when hot and idling, goes up over 60 when up in the RPM's.

 

[Ranger16]

Have you checked then oil level? Sure sounds a lot like low oil level.

 

[Fran Blacker]

Is it a baffled pan. Do you have 4 qt pan plus a high volume oil pump?

 

[moparedtn]

Is it a baffled pan. Do you have 4 qt pan plus a high volume oil pump?

No idea on pump, didn't build the engine remember?
There is a windage tray; I think I remember putting one on it when the engine arrived in shipment.
This "699" pan is 5 quart according to 440 Source.

EDIT: I'm assuming it's a 5 quart pan because 440 Source says they sell an almost identical pan with an additional quart capacity for a total of 6.
Apparently this pan was the OE for a 400 or 440 in a C-Body 72-73?

 

[Fran Blacker]

Next time you change the oil maybe check dipstick calibration by adding 4 qts and check the stick? Winter project check/change the pan? Hope someone has a simple answer.

 

[BBishere2]

If by chance your engine has a high volume oil pump, you may need a 7 quart oil pan to keep up with demand.

 

[biomedtechguy]

Next time you change the oil maybe check dipstick calibration by adding 4 qts and check the stick?

Do THAT.

 

[moparedtn]

HOLY CRAP, I'm an idiot....
I just went out to the garage and dug through a bunch of my spare parts pile and sure enough, I had kept an old dipstick
from some earlier 440 I had years before. I grabbed that one and yanked out the one that the engine came with when I bought it from the fella in Nevada, then stuck my greasy old one in there and....
THE DAMN THING IS LIKE 2 QUARTS LOW!!
I don't know where the heck the fella got the dipstick that was in the engine, but it was REALLY wrong.

Honest to God, I'm an idiot.
Nevermind, mystery solved.

 

[mopar 3 B]

Still need to check the amount of oil in the pan. To much oil is no better than to little.

 

[moparedtn]

Still need to check the amount of oil in the pan. To much oil is no better than to little.

OH trust me, there's gonna be an oil changin' going on this weekend.
Do I have this 699 pan capacity right?

 

[biomedtechguy]

THE DAMN THING IS LIKE 2 QUARTS LOW!!

Have you checked then oil level? sure sounds a lot like low oil level.

Do THAT.

Glad you found the problem. Glad you didn't hurt anything.

 

[moparedtn]

Glad you found the problem. Glad you didn't hurt anything.

Thanks - at least I don't think it hurt anything. She wasn't at zero pressure for long, recovered quickly.
Wish I knew for fact what this pans' capacity was....

 

[Cranky]

Yup, do an oil/filter change and go from there by doing what Fran said. The majority of big block stock pans are considered to be 4 quart pans (5 with the 'big' filter) and then the hi-po pans were 5 quart pans (6 with filter). If you have the high volume oil pump, you only compound the problem if you have the smaller pan and are low on oil. Also, when you drain the oil, check how many quarts came out....

 

[moper]

Most engines will use some oil. SO if in the past you filled it properly, it might have burnt it. It's not a big problem on an engine with some use and you may not see as much of it on the plugs with today's fuels.
"Sucking the pan dry" doesn't happen. Not unless it's low on oil - which will happen with any oil pump...

 

[Cranky]

Most engines will use some oil. SO if in the past you filled it properly, it might have burnt it. It's not a big problem on an engine with some use and you may not see as much of it on the plugs with today's fuels.
"Sucking the pan dry" doesn't happen. Not unless it's low on oil - which will happen with any oil pump...

But it happens faster with a high volume lol. Since he's stopping going downhill, I'm thinking it uncovered the pickup. Is the pickup at the right depth? Even if it is, it's possible to uncover it on a hard stop with a pan with no baffles. I've done it too on level ground!

 

[Dibbons]

I had a service station attendant tell me once there was no oil on my dipstick. I pulled it out again and showed him it was on the full mark. He was used to seeing oil colored "black." I kept my old bracket racer's oil so clean it was almost invisible on the dipstick (small block had drain holes drilled in valley and non-machined surfaces painted with RustOleum rusty metal red primer).

 

[Cranky]

I had a service station attendant tell me once there was no oil on my dipstick. I pulled it out again and showed him it was on the full mark. He was used to seeing oil colored "black." I kept my old bracket racer's oil so clean it was almost invisible on the dipstick.

Several years ago my wife and her 'brother' went to El Paso (about 800 miles from here) and since the Durango was getting some miles on it, I told him to at least check the oil when they got there. I checked it when they got back and it was 2 quarts over. The dipstick has a black coating on the tip to help guide it into the rear of the truck pan and he didn't pay any attention to that so he added at least two quarts to an already full engine. Should have known better since a few years before that, he put transmission fluid in his master cylinder.....high IQ moron....but man, how can anyone cover ALL of the bases for people like that and would they even remember if you did!?

 

[moparedtn]

Most engines will use some oil. SO if in the past you filled it properly, it might have burnt it. It's not a big problem on an engine with some use and you may not see as much of it on the plugs with today's fuels.
"Sucking the pan dry" doesn't happen. Not unless it's low on oil - which will happen with any oil pump...

When I discovered the dipstick that came with the engine was WAY wrong, I immediately went into "where the fluck did the oil go?" mode.
Under the car, over the car, in the car, in the radiator? Nope, nope, nope.
You mention burning it - I watch the mirror almost paranoid-style when driving to see if the thing is smoking.
When my wife is with me, I ask her to turn around and look, especially when the engine is cold.
Nope, no blue smoke ever.
Still, I expect some oil consumption. Heck, a lot of the modern hemi's will eat a quart between changes.

 

[moparedtn]

Ok, so this "699" pan is supposedly the same as a "187" pan I guess?
Apparently it's the choice of stock pans to get when swapping a big block into an a-body, since it has
the recess for steering clearance in it.
I'm seeing conflicting information on websites on the capacity of them, though.
Anybody know for sure what this thing is supposed to hold?

 

[moper]

If it's burning a small amount you won't see blue smoke. You used to see it on the plugs... But the fuels today are very high detergent and they clean the deposits off unless it's excessive. Not sure how old you are, but it used to be fairly common to hear "It runs great and will pass emissions but it burns a qt over xxxx miles..." NOt a big deal. Just be aware of it and "check the oil". That's why old service stations did that.