VR1 10w-30w Racing oil for 428scj good or not???

[1969_Mach1]

Wow gxr02190! Does the oil pressure increase much more off of idle, or is it already opening up the pressure relief valve in the oil pump?

You can get away with it most of the time. But, occasionally it destroys distributor gears in a short amount of time. That and shearing distributor gear roll pins are issues with high oil pressure. To be fair it is not always oil pressure that cause these issues. Improper dist gear installation also causes excessive gear wear or failure, and roll pin shearing.

Clevelands have a small rod and main bearing. Is a high volume pump typically needed on them? Or is it mainly for high RPM racing conditions?

The other thing to be aware of, if a Cleveland is like all other small block Fords, is the bottom of the distributor gear contacts the block during normal operation. If I recall correctly, the load on the gear pulls it down onto the block. Intuitively, the greater the load on the gear, the greater the bearing force it will have against the block. I would think that could increase the wear on the block.

Best Regards,
Mike

[gxr02190]

I've never sheared off a distributor gear roll pin, but I have twisted off an oil pump drive when the pump seized - that was a long time ago. Any mechanical part can fail, whether by design (laws of physics) or fatigue. I do experience a slight amount of blow-by at high rpm (VERY slight) but I attribute that to the chrome rings I opted for instead of the cast iron ones I SHOULD have used. The chrome rings don't seem to seal as well. The other issue with oiling in the Cleveland (and other Fords) is that high rpm tends to load up the top end with engine oil as it can't return to the pan fast enough. A restrictor plug kit is available to remedy this (or ALMOST remedy this). Maybe some of the other members have experienced oiling system woes, but I think I've fared fairly well.

[1969_Mach1]

I guess we just have different ideas and opinions regarding motor builds. I've heard high volume oil pumps draining could drain the oil pans at high RPM. But since I don't know anybody that uses one, I don't know if that is actually true. I thought the main purpose of oil restrictors was to direct more oil to the rod and main bearings by reducing the oil to the valve train. Typically only used for solid flat tappet or solid roller lifter applications when less oil is needed for the lifters. I can see where they would also reduce possible draining of the oil pan at high RPM but I don't think that is the main purpose of them. If you are using restrictors, I would think that is contributing to your high oil pressure.

Using a cast piston ring is very uncommon these days. They are usually some type of molly faced ring and the oil rings are usually chrome plated or stainless steel. Why did you select a chrome piston ring that doesn't seal as well, reduced friction for less parasitic power loss?

Best Regards,
Mike

[gxr02190]

None of the above. A friend of mine had them on a shelf in his garage. He was going to use them on a rebuild he planned on doing but bought another already rebuilt engine. He gave them to me for free.

[1969_Mach1]

That makes sense. Since your going to spend over $100 for piston rings today, I probably would have used them as well.

Best Regards,
Mike