1973 Plymouth Satellite Oil Pressure Problem

[Tuffdrvr88]

Alright everyone, i can use some help. When i bought the car the oil pressure light was coming on. I immediately took out the Pressure Sending Unit and replaced it with a mechanical gauge for better reading. (Those P.S.U.'s in that time sucked.). I have 35-40 p.s.i. when she starts. As soon as i drop her into gear she bottoms to zero or MAYBE 4 p.s.i. I lifted the motor and replaced the oil pump and screen with nice pretty Napa Parts. Standard flow. The car didn't run great if at all when i bought it. I replaced rocker arms shafts and pushrods, plugs, wires, coil, and ignition box. The car was good for a short time but now is noisy as hell and doesnt have much power at all. When i removed the oil pan it had shards of plastic in the pan. Now someone told me that the plymouth gears back then were Nylon. Which is a fancy word for plastic lol and they could have broke. I did have oil pressure for a while after i changed the pump and cleaned the pan. I had oil pouring off my heads and onto the headers when i first had it going. Does anyone have any suggestions? I'd hate to drop in a rebuilt motor if i can prolong the life of this one! Any suggestions would be great. Thanks everyone.

Car: 1973 Plymouth Satellite
Engine: 5.2L 2BBL V8 318
Transmission: 904

[MagicRat]

The nylon bits in the pan are likely from the cam chain sprockets.

I bet the chain is old, stretched and possibly has jumped a tooth, which throws off the cam and ignition timing, causing it to run poorly, low power, etc. and has broken off some sprocket teeth.

Change the cam chain and sprockets, and re set the ignition timing. Make sure the vacuum advance is working.

Also, consider removing the intake manifold and clean out the exhaust cross-over passage. This is notorious for clogging up with carbom in the Mopar LA blocks. Such a clog reduces the heating of the intake manifold charge, producing an uneven fuel/air mixture and poor performance.

[metalhead608]

i have the same car that had similar problems, get a mechanical gague from harborfreight(10$) and hang it over the ac hoses and then drop it in to gear and have someone check the gague for you, remember your gagues in the car are old, and the pressure sending unit has a wire that slips on top, so check with a hose type first that goes directly to the gague. also i would check the oil pump drive shaft. i also need to change my timing chain and cam gear go with a cloys double roller. i have an ssp with rally gagues and i havent put my new sending unit in yet so i still got the mechanical hanging out in the engine bay, unit is in my truck waiting, were your headers difficult to put in?

[tjegz]

good car~

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