Ok guys I have a big problem with my rebuilt engine.

The story:
Installed a PAW super stock bottom end rebuild kit(crank, pistons, rods, all bearings, rings), new HV oil pump, new timing chain and gears, new gaskets all around, I cleaned up the heads and installed new valve seals, installed new comp cams cam, new pushrods.
Everything was assembled according to the Hayes manuel.
Oh this is for a 305 LO3 motor out of a 91 camaro.

Break in:
Things didn't go to good cause I got the spark plug wires mixed up and did some bad backfiring. Got that figured out and then started up with no problem but couldn't keep its idle. Ended up being a timing issue. Got that figured out. Did the normal break in then took it easy on the car for a while to futhur the break.

After Break in:
Car emmediatly had a oil leak.Although the car ran fine and had a small white smoke puff at startup(which suggests a coolant leak somewhere). I figured out the oil leak, it was the back of the manifold cause I didn't use enough RTV sealant when I installed it originally.

Last night I did the manifold fix. I got some coolant inside the block but got most out with a towel. Installed everythign just fine and filled the coolant, drained and refilled the oil. I started it up and between 1000 and 2500 under load I have this horrible knocking sound. I can't figure out what it is. While I'm driving the oil pressure gauge drops to the red zone when I'm stopped and picks up when I accelerate. None of this happens when the car is in park or neutral.
Any help would be appreciated.

 

rtv got sucked into the pick up screen starving the oil pump. you lost too much oil because of the leak and hurt something, intake leaks a lot of oil, but you'd know if it did i think. you messed up thre oil pump drive shaft. did you trash the factory set up? i bet not. HV pump wouldn't of been you're best choice for street engine either. did you run it at high rpm? if so a HV pump can suck stock pan dry

 

I kept adding oil the whoel time it was leaking and didn't run it at high rpms too much. The engine was fine before I fixed the leak and the stock setup was kept except for the oil pump. Got a new pump shaft with the oil pump so that fine. I don't think any rtv broke off and got sucked into the pump cause I had a full bead of it on the manifold when i took it off and when I put the manifold back on I let it cure overnight. And another thing is wierd I haven't been able to get a clear oil level reading on the dip stick. After I did the manifold repair I put in 4.5 qts of oil to see if it would read right, it didn't so I added the remaining half qt to get it to the manuel spec 5 qts.

 

Just a thought. I had this happen once. I was getting low oil pressure readings, oil was clean, oil was at full level. I messed up and bought a Fram oil filter. When my engine was being built, I had the oil bypass plugged, this makes all the oil go thru the filter, no bypass. The fram filter collapsed inside. Called my engine builder to ask if it was possible that my oil pump went south, only had 120 miles on the motor. First thing he asked was what type of filter i used, and he hoped not a fram. Well, a new WIX filter and 1/2 quart of oil, no more problem. Change the filter see what it does.