hey guys, hoping someone here can help me get headed in the right direction. i got a 74 duster i traded a buddy for, has a new 408 stroker that i put in, problem is, it didnt come with oil pressure. when priming it i can feel the pump build up resistance (drill starts to bog and almost rip my arm off) nothing shows on the gauge or when i took the gauge off nothing comes out the hole. im baffled, i checked the plug behind the oil filter its there and the one in front the dist, its also there, and the oil filter is full of oil leading me to believe it pumps oil. is it possible the hole could be stopped up with something? thanks in advance for any help

P.S. love the board its great!!

Did you rotate the crank slowly while spinning the pump? Maybe the cam bearings are installed wrong?

Roger that .... with a breaker-bar and the spark-plugs out ...spin the motor over 360 degrees.

i actually started it and ran it for 15-20 seconds.

Sounds like somebody installed a plug where it should not go. If I remember correctly, the small block galley routing, that the cam bearings won't keep oil from getting to oil pres-gauge block location on rear of block.

Gitten oil to the valve train?

well in that caase you have pressure. Electric gauge??? Make sure wire is hooked up. Mechanical gauge check for kink in line.

Try running a coat hanger down the hole to see if it's blocked.

Thanks for all the suggestions, i have not checked it out due to hurting my back but will let you know whats up when i find out, Thanks again!!!

the mini plug that is supposed to be driven up far enough to where it is between the 2 horizontle passages to/from the filter to divert oil out & back may have gotten driven too far up(past the top horizontle passage)closer to the sending unit & blocking the sending unit passage. Grab that coat hanger & check your depth. If so the good news is the bearings/valvetrain still got fed. Bad news is the oil isn't being filtered & though you only drove it for 20 seconds, how long did he drive it that way. EDIT if so drop the pan & the rear main cap & take off the sending unit & with a stiff rod drive the plug out the bottom & drive in a new one. there's a recess that generally stops the plug at the right place(in between the 2 horizontle passages)so it might not be that & all this info is for naught but holler when you find out what it was.

The proper depth measurement for that plug ( PT# 3462871) is 2 1/4" - measured from the rear main block surface to the inside of the cup on the plug ( it is driven in from the main cap surface on the block with the proper size punch that fits inside the cup of the plug.

My money's on that #5 main plug... If they used the wrong size it might just be far enough up to block the pressure tap...

ok, this sounds more like what is going on since i can see it oiling the rockers and it fills the oil filter with oil. bad news is its got a moroso deep pan so its gotta come back out, oh well, thats hot rodding.

Thanks Again Guys!!

i decided id measure from the top with a hanger and compare to a known good engine, 7 3/4 inch from the top, on both, when i pulled the hanger out it had crud on it, turns out it was actually plugged, guess i didnt consider this since it was a brand new rebuild, Thanks again guys

Thank you for taking the time to post what the problem turned out to be