I experimented years ago with a small block. I removed the windage tray on the stud kit and ran without it and it did the same thing. I have been told on more than one ocassion and reconmended to remove the tray I know better. Also, when i changed everything over to -12 with larger coolers and filter I filled them with oil in addition to the pan so I wouldn't suck the pan dry

Well, we took it out for a spin with a mechanical gauge hooked up. The electronic guage was reading a little low, but still stayed around 60psi on plain. Tyler thinks it was the loose wire, and I can't say otherwise, but I still can't figure out how a loose wire would show such a consistant oil pressure issue and not effect the other gauges.

Regardless, I'll just be happy if I don't have any more issues, but not knowing the cause for sure makes me hesitant.

Now if only I could figure out why the boat only gained 5mph going from a stock 330hp 454 with 1000 hrs, to a 550hp 502!! Time to experiment with props AGAIN.

So what did the mechanical gauge say as compared to the electric one?

Thanks Nordic95

For the most part it was within 5psi. The electric gauge must be electronically damped so it followed changes in pressure slower than the mechanical gauge. Either way, it didn't justify the 20psi readings I was getting while on plane.

bcarp,

Sorry to hear you are still struggling...It sounds like you are on the water now and I hope you don't have any more problems.

Just my .02..... I would have agreed with running out of oil at the pickup, but I had a similar problem in the past. I had a little Jet boat with a 550hp SBC in the back in the day. One time I had the exact same symptoms and it turned out to be a loose sending wire. I never beleived it would act the way it did, consistantly anything over 4g's the guage would fall out, but after tightening it there were no more issues.

Did you ask about the 180deg thermo? I still wonder about that. I see the point in using a 212, but then again, I don't know that stock Mercruiser engines have an oil thermo at all, so I don't know what to think. I am also running a 180deg and no probs so far.

Keep us posted, hopefully you will find the speeds you are looking for.

Tyler wants to stick with the 180, so that's what I'm going to do

I had a loose sending wire too. (After I got it back from Tyler :D) Not his fault as I did the install and it probably got bumped a bunch of times. The oil pressure gage did all kinds of strange things.The problem drove me nuts. Verified it had pressure with a mechanical gage then finally found the connector to the sending unit is a push on type. Just needed to crimp it a little tighter and problem was gone.

You should've seen what my tach did when I had a loose ground on an engine. It was reading 1000 high during a poker run. I thought I was overrevving until it fell off. :rolleyes:

Try a Fram HP series oil filter and check your oil lines, they might be reversed.