Okay, here's something that I just noticed today. My stock oil pressure gauge will stay just above the 20 psi mark (right around 21-22) when it's rev'd a little or regular driving around on the street. Higher rpm's will raise the gauge (can't remember where, around 30 psi, though) and coasting/idle will hold the previous pressure for a bit, then drop it (fairly quickly) down to red/zero on the gauge. At red lights today, I've been leaving her in neutral and taking her up to ~2000 or so to keep pressure (based on the gauge.)

Previously, I've noticed it would fluctuate a LOT all over the place and just giving her a little gas would shoot the needle up pretty high on the gauge. Haven't paid any attention to it in a while until today. (I doubt it's done this before, I would hope that I'd have noticed it.) Never paid attention to it before because it ALWAYS showed some pressure, usually pretty high, never below the 20 psi mark. It's a '91 v6 car with a carb'd 355 now. I assumed the gauge wouldn't be right anyway because of this.

Also, I've heard a ticking sound probably closer to the passenger side valve cover or header, not sure if the sound was coming from anywhere else. The sound rises with the rpm's.

I've heard that once before, and my mechanic told me my header bolts were loose. That was probably a year ago. Recently (in the last few weeks) is when it came back, and until today I thought I just had to retighten my headers.

Before I left this morning, I was putting in my alternator and battery so I decided to take an extra couple of minutes to see how loose my bolts were, and they felt pretty damn tight to me. Didn't check them all, but I couldn't budge the ones that I tried. I figured I just needed a longer wrench and would try it later.

Other relevant info... the engine is a 355 from the late 70's I assume. It has 882 heads (that's why I assume late 70's, is that correct?) with aftermarket roller rockers (1.5:1). It was built by the previous owner who worked at an engine/machine shop.
Just changed my oil last week, using thinner oil that I usually do. I mixed 5w-30 and 10w-30 (3-2 or 2-3) of mobil 1 synthetic. Rechecked my oil filter, it's on nice and snug. Noticed the drain plug had a couple drops on it the other day. Tightened it a bit more, and noticed none today when I checked.

Also, I just remembered this while reading through one of the search results- when I took off the passenger side valve cover a couple of months ago, the gasket ripped near the corner. The car wasn't running at the time so I just fit it back on carefully and tightened it down. Could this be my problem? (Duh, perhaps I should check on it anyway!)

So, is it probably just an exhaust leak and bad/wrong oil sender thing? (What's the oldest engine that had those crappy sending units that I keep reading about?) I didn't try many bolts, or try very hard this morning. Probably my valve cover gasket? Possibly my rockers? I doubt it's the rockers, but I might have lifted the valve cover to check them for the sound, because I don't know why I'd take 'em off for no reason.

Or, is it something worse? If so, do I need to see how much money I can put together and make a 'new engine savings' jar?

Please help, I'm retarded!

Thanks,
Scott

 

The first thing I'd do is verify your oil pressure. Get another sender and see if it improves.

If your oil pressure was really low, you'd hear the engine clacking and knocking.

 

Is that a standard sender for most sbc's? Where would I check on the block for it? I'll compare it to my '79 blazer's block, I think they'd be the same.

Should I just look around the back of the block for something I don't recognize and follow it? =)

The tapping/clicking noise I hear doesn't seem any louder than before when my gauge showed 'good' pressure, so that's a good sign, right?

Thanks,
Scott

 

Look right above the oil filter or on the rear china wall right behind the distributor