At cold start, the engine idles at around 50-55 psi oil pressure.

Once she gets all warmed up and bothered like a hot hooker, oil pressure is down to about 15-20 psi depending how hot she is. From what I've researched, this is due to the CAM bearing allowing too much oil to pass through. And if you remembered in the beginning with my fuel trims being 3-5 points different between the 2 banks causing the left bank to lean out more than the right bank. This is because of oil not reaching the left bank lifters. And she runs like a dead dog after being hot. Gutless.

i would suspect carbon build up in the combustion chambers and valves before an oiling problem, and possibly an oil leak.

15 hot at idle is not bad

15, no. 5 psi per the service manual at idle is fine. How GM came up with that number is beyond me.

But I still suspect an oiling problem because the left bank cylinder head(under valve cover) is dryer than the right bank. Again, I'm told this is due to oil bypassing the cam bearings. I guess its the way the oil system is designed.

This is the first I have heard anything llike that. I have heard and seen alot of uild up. People get so much it starts to misfire. They do the mopar combustion chamber cleaning, drop the valves in it and much better. I spent hours cleaning crud out of my intakes. Im sure the inside of the head looks the same

Before that it had lifter knock. So u know there was oiling problems. Then after I put seafoam in the oil and ran it a while to clean out the system. Then changed the oil and after a short while the ticking went away. How many miles on yours?

I know your not building a race motor but this is why I suggested the high pressure pump. Having much experience with hydrollic lifter race motors "mandated in the rules" the more you can keep the lifters pumped up the better performance your going to achieve. Most people wouldn't know that 15psi oil pressure can effect engine performance but than again gear heads aren't most people.

You can change the lifters with out doing a rebuild. Hydraulic lifters do wear out. That'* why we used to set valve lash on older carbonated hydraulic lifter engines once a year.

the lifters on this engine for stock applications last for 2 to 300k and so do all the other mechanical things. i have been told by a bunch of respected engine builders and racers 10psi per thousand is good enough even for a hydraulic race engine.

i just remembered mikes real problem anyway. i told him not to use the POS poppets when he put this engine in there because they are the worst thing gm ever did to a small block and he put the junk stock ones in it anyway instead of doing the conversion and just changed his fueling to mask the real issue. to put that in 3800 terms you have a l36 thats hydrolocking and want to only replace the head gaskets not the lim gaskets and uim

I remember that discussion we had about the POS poppet injectors and your probably right about a couple of injectors causing his lean bank. But, it'* hard to turn off the racer and want to make things bigger, better, faster.