*This is a lot to read, I know, but it's best if I give you the full story
A few days ago I loaded my '89 Suburban (V2500, 350 motor, 52k miles) to the brim with furniture and was also pulling a trailer. The drive was from Tucson to San Diego, which is roughly 420 miles. I had recently removed my Edelbrock sequential EFI system (it was 5-7 years old and failed) and replaced it and the intake manifold with a good 'ole fashioned carburetor from Summit racing.
This being said, I was highly excited to see how the carburetor would compare to the EFI system on the trip with the trailer, as I have made this drive many times. 150-200 miles in or so, I'm going roughly 75 mph and the thing feels great. This is when I ran into my first issue. As I was driving, i felt the sensation that one feels when running out of gas. I was certain I wasn't out of gas, so I was a bit confused. After surveying all of the gauges, I noticed my oil pressure gauge was bouncing off of 0 and only going up to maybe 5-7.
I pull over, turn off the truck, wait a few minutes, start it back up and my oil pressure was at 15. I continue down the 8 west only to be pulled over a few miles ahead due to the same issue, right before a long hill climb. I called AAA, and when the arrived and distracted the traffic for me I popped the hood and checked everything out.
I noticed there was oil all over the intake manifold just pooled up in certain places. It was clear that the valve cover gasket had been hemorrhaging oil. This being said, I pulled the driver side and passenger side PCV and made sure they were clear. One of them was clogged solid and I cleared it. Got back on the road, and made it up and over dome valley and dropped down into Yuma. When pulling into Yuma where I normally stop to get gas, I get to the top of the exit, and I can feel the idle dropping very low and wanting to die. (My carburetor needs a tune, its running slightly lean so I figured it was just the carb) I fed it some gas as the light turned green, pulled into the intersection, and the suburban died right there in the middle of the intersection. It would crank, and crank, and crank but would not start. Oil pressure was at 0 according the gauge. I sat in the middle of the busy intersection for about 5 minutes with my trailer not knowing what to do, and alas, it started up.
Oil pressure was at 15 as I pulled into the gas station. I filled up, called some mechanically inclined friends and family, waited about an hour, tinkered with the carb, and got back on the road. I made it out of Yuma and into El centro (roughly 20-30 miles) before the problem started happening again. At this point, it was around 70 degrees outside and the sun had gone down. Oil pressure dropped to 0, and the truck sputtered out. I would pull over, wait 5-10 minutes, start it back up and go a few more miles before it would happen again.
I made it all the way past Imperial Highway (roughly another 20-30 miles) before I began the largest grade I had to climb before reaching San Diego. I made it about 5 miles up the grade, and the truck died again. This time it seemed worse than the others. It wouldn't start even 15 minutes later. I called AAA and was towed the remaining 80 miles home.
Here I am today, I fired up the suburban, oil pressure sat at exactly 30 while it idled in park (which is about 1300 rpm, like i said, carb needs tune), when i put it in park it sits at about 20, and after 1-2 miles of driving at idle at a stop sign it is at 0, and while driving it is about at 15. I have not tried to reproduce the problem on the highway or larger streets because I really don't want to be stranded again and have to call AAA. They dont like my suburban.
Please let me know what you guys think, how I can troubleshoot it, first steps to take, etc.
Oh, and, I do NOT have a fram oil filter.
A few days ago I loaded my '89 Suburban (V2500, 350 motor, 52k miles) to the brim with furniture and was also pulling a trailer. The drive was from Tucson to San Diego, which is roughly 420 miles. I had recently removed my Edelbrock sequential EFI system (it was 5-7 years old and failed) and replaced it and the intake manifold with a good 'ole fashioned carburetor from Summit racing.
This being said, I was highly excited to see how the carburetor would compare to the EFI system on the trip with the trailer, as I have made this drive many times. 150-200 miles in or so, I'm going roughly 75 mph and the thing feels great. This is when I ran into my first issue. As I was driving, i felt the sensation that one feels when running out of gas. I was certain I wasn't out of gas, so I was a bit confused. After surveying all of the gauges, I noticed my oil pressure gauge was bouncing off of 0 and only going up to maybe 5-7.
I pull over, turn off the truck, wait a few minutes, start it back up and my oil pressure was at 15. I continue down the 8 west only to be pulled over a few miles ahead due to the same issue, right before a long hill climb. I called AAA, and when the arrived and distracted the traffic for me I popped the hood and checked everything out.
I noticed there was oil all over the intake manifold just pooled up in certain places. It was clear that the valve cover gasket had been hemorrhaging oil. This being said, I pulled the driver side and passenger side PCV and made sure they were clear. One of them was clogged solid and I cleared it. Got back on the road, and made it up and over dome valley and dropped down into Yuma. When pulling into Yuma where I normally stop to get gas, I get to the top of the exit, and I can feel the idle dropping very low and wanting to die. (My carburetor needs a tune, its running slightly lean so I figured it was just the carb) I fed it some gas as the light turned green, pulled into the intersection, and the suburban died right there in the middle of the intersection. It would crank, and crank, and crank but would not start. Oil pressure was at 0 according the gauge. I sat in the middle of the busy intersection for about 5 minutes with my trailer not knowing what to do, and alas, it started up.
Oil pressure was at 15 as I pulled into the gas station. I filled up, called some mechanically inclined friends and family, waited about an hour, tinkered with the carb, and got back on the road. I made it out of Yuma and into El centro (roughly 20-30 miles) before the problem started happening again. At this point, it was around 70 degrees outside and the sun had gone down. Oil pressure dropped to 0, and the truck sputtered out. I would pull over, wait 5-10 minutes, start it back up and go a few more miles before it would happen again.
I made it all the way past Imperial Highway (roughly another 20-30 miles) before I began the largest grade I had to climb before reaching San Diego. I made it about 5 miles up the grade, and the truck died again. This time it seemed worse than the others. It wouldn't start even 15 minutes later. I called AAA and was towed the remaining 80 miles home.
Here I am today, I fired up the suburban, oil pressure sat at exactly 30 while it idled in park (which is about 1300 rpm, like i said, carb needs tune), when i put it in park it sits at about 20, and after 1-2 miles of driving at idle at a stop sign it is at 0, and while driving it is about at 15. I have not tried to reproduce the problem on the highway or larger streets because I really don't want to be stranded again and have to call AAA. They dont like my suburban.
Please let me know what you guys think, how I can troubleshoot it, first steps to take, etc.
Oh, and, I do NOT have a fram oil filter.
and the rear main seal needs replacing. Its only leaking oil while the motor is running, which is causing the pressure drop. No news about exactly where its leaking until I have the means to pull out the behemoth T400.
