Ok guys, I recently sold off my 63 SDV, I had been driving it regularly since last Oct. with no problems at all. When I purchased it I was told that the engine had been completely gone thru at 98000mi, it has 102000 on the clock now. I had no reason to doubt this b/c the engine was extremely clean and had been painted, etc. I also verified with a local tranny shop that the trans was rebuilt about the same time. Anyways, the guy that bought it didn't get to drive it more than 30min when the oil pressure light came on and the rockers started clattering. I bought a pump rebuild kit and changed the oil. We pulled the front cover off to rebuild the pump and the engine was just as clean inside as out. Cranked it up and still no oil pressure. We pulled the oil sender out and there is absolutely no oil coming up to the sender. What is the actual oil path thru these motors? Keep in mind this is the redesigned 390. There is no bottom end noise and it runs like swiss watch, just clattering on top. I would imagine that the oil would travel from the pickup to the pump to the filter to the sending unit then on to the rest, which could be a clogged pickup screen or plugged galley. We have blown air into the sending unit hole and can feel it coming out of the dipstick tube but it didn't make any difference. What's the deal, and why just all of the sudden?
I had the same problem with my '63. The oil passages run up into the valve train and they were partially blocked. There is a great yahoo message board for 63-64 Caddies, search it out, they have all the answers for these cars.
The Jalopy Journal
