I can be wrong - it's my understanding is that dexcool works best with a factory sealed cooling system. So I used green type that works with all engine.

Believe it or not, I got my oil/coolant from the neighborhood Home Depot. They have the best prices compared to Walmart/Autopart store.

Well I got everything ready for a first start and had a couple of problems. Main on was oil pressure. Tried to prime motor with plugs out, no fuel or ignition relays. That didn't work. Tried to prime motor with pressurized oil tank, still no pressure. So I start to trouble shoot electrical. On the phone with psi and Dakota Digital. Both companies very helpful. Bim module wasn't reading the obd2 port. DD got me to verify that my bim was working properly by hooking it up to another vehicle and it worked as it should. So on the phone with psi we found that my oil pressure sensor wires were mixed up (black & brown swapped- fixed them) and a ground wire wasn't hooked up to the back of the head- I missed that one somehow. Go to crank engine over again and still nothing. Starting to think I may have punched the oil pickup tube o ring or something in the motor like bearings are shot. I'm stressing out. Motor is a 70-80k mile pull out. Sat in garage for 3 years. Installed holley 302-2 pan

I did start the motor for a couple 5-10 second runs to see if more rpm would build pressure. No luck with that either

Keep at it man!

:captain:

Might make sure you don't have a gauge issue. Would be worth hooking up a temporary mechanical gauge just to make sure you're not chasing your tail.

That's my next step! Like you said I'm not chasing something that's not

If you're priming it with a pressurized oil tank, and it's not showing pressure on the gauge, then I'd try a mechanical gauge to confirm, as Gmachine1911 suggested. Another thing to check is pull the valve covers while priming the motor with pressurized oil tank - oil should seep up thru the push rods.

Best $20 I've spent in a while :)

Cranking with a mechanical gauge, got pressure!!!!

That's a gotta be a huge relief!

huge!