[DeTomaso] Oil pressure help needed

[JDeRyke at aol.com]

Don't worry about a fireball, Chris. Your Melling (and other) big oil pump 
will not cause damage to your street engine. What it will do is wear the 
distributor drive gear due to the almost 2X power draw from the big pump 
pushing oil out the pump bypass almost constantly. Most Panteras don't need a 
non-stock sized pump UNLESS they run a big oil cooler (which most Panteras also 
don't need!).

We talked about this before but remind me again: your stock AND mechanical 
gauges are both attached to the normal port on the back of the engine, 
right? There's a second pressure port on Clevelands right next to the fuel pump, 
and if a gauge is attached to that port, oil pressure on the gauge will be 
MUCH higher and will not relate to any figures you might get from other 
Panteras plumbed differently. The front port is directly out of the pump while 
the normal rear port is at the far end of the Cleveland's oiling system after 
the bearings and lifters have used some pressure. Good luck- J DeRyke