Re: Oldsmobile oil pump conversion kit update

Posted by Craig Hendrickson On 2010/8/15 8:25:08

A Pontiac V-8 (1955-79) has a similar oil system layout to the Packard V-8, i.e., there is a vertical hole from the horizontal oil gallery between the lifter feed galleries. On the Pontiac, this hole is usually just plugged rather than using it for an oil pressure sender like on the Packard. So the opportunity for trapped air at the top of the hole is the same.

In my years of experience building and maintaining these engines, I have never heard of any oiling problem on a Pontiac V-8 related to possible trapped air in this location.

Pontiac engineers independently designed the Pontiac V-8 before its debut in 1955 and they didn't have any issues with employment from a clearly dying company. There were never any "service counselor" like notifications about something like this. The last Pontiac V-8 had exactly the same oiling system layout as the first one although some other running modifications were made (e.g., from rocker stud to pushrod oiling and reversal of the flow of the coolant).

IMO "trapped air" in this location is a non-problem.

Craig