Spring for the O-Ring!!!

So after I got done buttoning everything up after my cam and Paxton install I'm nice and happy until the engine oil warms up and I develop a nice ticking from the drivers side head. Using a feeler gauge between the valve tip and rocker I find that #7 intake lifter is not pumping up. So I begin mentally preparing to yank the head and while I'm researching I find that the o-ring from the oil pump to the pickup can be very pesky. If it is not in tip top shape it lets air in with the oil and the #7 lifters are the first to see this airated oil preventing the pump up. So now I don't have to yank the head but I do need to yank:

Blower
Water pump
Alternator
PS Pump
PS rack (Yay!)
Pulley
Timing cover
Oil pump

All to change out this $5 o-ring (yes, it's a $5 dealer part)

:banghead:

So the moral of the story is "If you remove the oil pump on an LSx engine, replace the o-ring to the pickup regardless of what shape it looks to be in".

Bill, glad you figured out what it was...:banghead: Unfortunate but also fortunate that you found it before anything got hurt!:yay:

Here is the source of the problem. When you put the oil pump onto the pickup make sure the o-ring is on the pickup tube and not inside the oil pump.

Still working out some bugs but the tuning can now begin.

That damn o-ring has caused many headaches on LSx motors. It's the "optispark" of the LSx. I had problems with mine when I put together the motor in my Corvette. Glad to hear that you figured it out.