building a 455 and question one is, should I use moly rings- it is a '73 block and I've been told that if the nickel content of Olds blocks is higher, that it may be better to use stock rings as they may breakin better- also I bought a Melling high vol. oil pump and wondering , if it pumps 20% more, does this mean you have less oil in the pan? like 20% less- this is going in our '34 Olds and not being built to beat on, thanks, D.

 

I have a Melling high volume in the 455 that I built but didn't run yet. The engine has 50 psi of oil pressure just cranking it over with the starter (not running). When the engine was apart I cleaned up the casting around the lifters to allow better oil return and cleaned up (deburred) the other returns.

This is my first Oldsmobile build and I can tell you that I will watch the oil pressure closely the first time I crank it up to higher rpms.

 

Really depends on the total build of your engine. The pump's only gonna pump the volume of oil, it's allowed to. My engine has an oil restrictor kit on it, to keep more oil in the lower end bearings. Far as rings, really more on how you fit them. File fitting the ring gaps is timely, but I always do it. If the block is freshly honed, should be fine for any ring break in. You might consider Total Seal two piece top gapless rings, but many racers don't like them for continuous high rpm(6000 plus) usage. Personally, I like them for street usage, as virtually no ring blow by, and an easy install.

 

Hey olds34dude if your gonna run a high volume oil pump you need to use a 7 or 8 quart oil pan. Olds performance products and even summit has them.

 

Not true, stock pan is fine, been running a HV pump with a 5 qt pan for years.
There is soooo much bad information regarding Olds oiling systems and mods. Joe may chime in (for the 12,286th time) regarding restrictors, myths abound. With the tight tolerances of a street engine, you simply won't pump the pan dry, unless the drains are not free. IMHO the stock pump is fine, but the HV has the added benefit of a bolt on pickup, much less chance of it falling off.

 

Beat me to it...

The whole "sucking the pan dry" myth belongs in the same category as headers don't fit Supremes. As Jim said, unless the returns are blocked, the oil still drains back. The higher nickel content also remains to be proven. Moly rings do take longer to seat, that's the nature of the beast. You want a good quality finish on the walls if you plan to go that way.

 

To add to the above, if you do decide on Moly rings, let your machinist know, he will use different stones when honing.

 

Actually Joe I beg to differ.
Moly rings on the right wall finish done with a torque plate will seat in just a matter of minutes.
The wall finish for a moly ring is designed to hold less oil than for a plain cast iron or chrome as the moly faced ring holds more oil in the ring than either of the others.