I'd check on a price for rod inserts. Best of luck.

 

Just a follow up in the event anybody may follow in the future.

So the initial issue found was low oil pressure about 20 @ 2000 and maybe 4 psi @ 600 rpm

Searching yielded the fact I was also losing coolant for no apparent reason. Investigating under the valve cover yielded scored rocker/pivots and a run with cover off let me view decent oil flow from all tubes. No obvious crack could be found in 0331 (NH5) head even when hot.

So decide to change head with a 0331 (YUPY). Upon diss-assembly I find the intake manifold is cracked at cylinder 6 so order a used one of them as well.

While waiting for head to be returned from machine shop I removed oil pan and inspected oil pump/screen and main and rod bearings. Rebuilt oil pump (didn't really need it) and replaced screen (REALLY did need it). Bearings had fine scoring but were within spec. I left them be. Figured replacing them would just score the new ones pretty quickly anyway and I'm not ready to do a rebuild. Replaced rms and reassembled.

Up top the cam lobe height was measured right around a quarter inch everywhere but one lifter was badly worn on the bottom. I replaced all lifters. and reassembled. The TUPY head I got from the jy had rocker/pivots in good shape so I was lucky there.

So now for the score...

THE GOOD
Whistle is gone, likely due to the intake manifold replacement
Clack is gone likely due to the lifter replacement
looks better and I had no extra parts

THE BAD
Oil pressure still drops to about 25psi @ 2000 rpm and only about 7 psi @600rpm when hot. I am using Rotella T6 5w40 and a napa gold oversize filter

Oddly enough it seems to run well, of course it did run fine prior to me sinking all the money and time into it too. I guess I will join bigbadun and just run it.

The good news is that it will likely only see 6k or less miles per year.

On to other things like...
>sits too low in the rear
>speakers in the front don't work
>brakes need checked and likely replaced
>steering seems a bit soft even though i replaced steering stabilizer and tie rod end while playing with oil pan

Thanks everyone!

 

Good work! Did the new head fix the coolant leak? It is possible that coolant was flowing into a lifter bore causing wear which would explain the low oil pressure. You said your getting oil to the top so you should be fine.