Oil system questions

[Richie]

Description: I have a '54 pan engine that needs an oil pump.

I have a '54 pan engine that needs an oil pump. It has none right now, not an old or bad one. I'm thinking of getting the S&S billet one for my year and it has lots of connection holes (about 7) for inlet and return on top and bottom and I think you're suppose to plug the unused holes. Where should I connect inlet and return? Top or bottom? The guy at S&S told me "wherever you want" after sitting on hold for an eternity. Is that true? I think I've seen inlet hooked at the bottom of the pump and return at the top. Is there any best way or is it like he said "however you want". There's also a little drilling mod you need to do but he couldn't really tell me what it was. The pump comes with a jig for doing it. Anyone know what that mod is and if I need it for the 54.

There is also a 3/8" place to hook up a hose coming out of the case right above the pump. I think that's a crankcase breather hook up to go back to the oil tank but there's also a 3/8" hole in the case below the pump. Is this the place to attach the case breather hose? And there's one more banjo type attachment on the back left case bolt where it looks like you hook up yet another breather hose (to atmosphere?) How many case breather hoses are there and where do they all go?
Are there any other good oil pumps besides the S&S one or any to stay away from? I think the original ones are to low preasure although they worked. What should oil preassure be? I don't want a high volume oil pump if it's going to fill my valve covers with too much oil or squirt oil from the seams. Too much oil preasure can be a bad thing right? I've heard it said that I shoul upgrade to a post '73 type oil pump. Is it a good idea?
And yet one more oil question. The oil return from top end goes thru a channel in the cylinder to the base gasket but there's no hole in the case. There's a 3/8" hole in the gasket where oil could go if there were a hole in the case. I've seen both gaskets with and without the hole. My cylinders have the 1/4" horizontal hole in the cylinder wall for the oil to return to the case like the '55 up kind so I think they're not original but how did the oil return back to the case on the orignal 54 cylinders? They didn't have the 1/4" horizontal hole in the cylinder right? Is there supposed to be a hole in the left side of the case for oil return? Maybe my case isn't really a '54 the serial num says it is.

[panhead]

http://www.sscycle.com/

[65flh5326]

The early pans had a channel formed into the cylinder mounting area on the crankcases with a drain hole.
Later they used a drainhole inside the cylinder itself that continued through the shovelhead.
After the shovel they went back to a drain hole through the cases and called it evolution (wow)
The problem in 1936 to 1999 engines is getting the oil out.
Aluminum oil pumps can be modified for pressure feed by lightening the by pass spring (the tall tower on the pump) but be carfull fiddling aroud with that.

Don

[mbskeam]

hello,
last summer I put a s&s pump on, part# 31-6200. you can hook up the lines as you need. top or bottom depending on what you have for oil lines.I did not have to do any mods to the case.(my right case is a 49) The mod that I think you are thinking about will make it oil like 73 and up, heads and lifters get primary unrestricted oil supply, main and rod bearings get seondary, after top end is supplied.the book says this is only recommended if hydraulic lifters are used.
I dont think the jig to do this comes in the pump kit.
the hole above the oil pump is for a vent to the oil tank.the vent on the left case goes out to the atmosphere, this is part of the primary chain oil system also.
the stock oil pumps used volume not so much as pressure.

mbskeam

[Richie]

Thanks Panhead for the instructions link, that was very informative.

That's what I'm concerned about. My left case serial number says 54FLXXXX but I don't see any channel formed into the cylinder mounting area. It's flat all around where the gasket sits. Is that where it's supposed to be? There's no channel. It drains back thru the hole in the side of the cylinder. Is it possible that someone could have stamped a 54 serial number on a later case?
By the way I only have a Clymers repair manual, you know, the one with the blue pan on the front cover. It doesn't have many good pictures and I don't think it's a very good manual. Can you recommend a better repair manual. What's the best manual for Pan engine rebuild?

[mbskeam]

hello,

richie.....

you most likely have a after market case. I have the same thing , 56flhXXXX stamped in the case ,56 top end, but with a tapper sprocket shaft. my right is a 49 case. so this is where I think the lower end came from. The left case does not have the oil return groove. but oil goes thru the cyl. this is okay.

are there any manufactures name, ###,etc on the case. mine is a STD or house of horse power case I think,but the logo is not there any more. for the gaskets I use shovell head base gaskets, I poke the feed hole to match the case hole. That way there is not a xtra hole in gasket to leak from. when I bought This bike it had a good title and the #'s matched up. My thinking is that the bottom end blew on the bike and they did same scrounging of parts to get it running again. this bike came from a shop in oceanside cal. called tulsa bobs.(kinda wonder if he is still around down there) I also work with the guy I bought it from. So I felt is was a safe buy. The inspector thought so also and gave me a wash tile and did not green tag it as I thought was going to be the case.
If you get the "1948-1957 panhead service manual". the one with the green cover. this will show you in clear pics what is going on.

mbskeam

[fourthgear]

richie
mbskeam is right about the Panhead Manual , it shows pretty good photos of the oiling systems for Pans . I also have a S&S oil pump and my case was drilled and pluged for better oil flow but , I think it was Primary oil flow to the lower end and secondary was to the upper end , thats what the Machinest said , he talked me into it because you will get longer life out of your motor. I have solids and was not going to do it .
I too have a , what I call a bastard motor , I have 49 cases with a good 47 numbers , it was something that was done alot back then. Who ever did the change , they did a good job cause its looks like factory , I sent Cotton a photo of them cause I was not sure what I had .Thanks again Cotton . good luck