Oil pressure

[PSL184]

I'll admit there is always a first but, I have never known a relief valve to play up.....

[mike.perry]

I know of two people having oil pressure problems on side valves, both on newly rebuilt engines. One changed the pressure relief spring in the oil pump and is now getting 75-80 psi.
The other was on an engine rebuilt by a quite well known firm of engine builders. He was getting 40 psi on a cold engine dropping to nothing on a hot engine. He is still trying to get his engine repaired.
The Workshop Manual mentions a gasket on the oil pump on the early engines. Whatever happens it is a sump off job which also means slackening the engine bolts around the clutch housing to give some clearance, and a new set of gaskets.
Good luck and let us know the outcome. If the pressure has been very low then it might be worth checking a couple of shells.

[DAVIDMCCULLOUGH]

Sumps coming off tomorrow......

[DAVIDMCCULLOUGH]

So.........

I dropped the sump and my bro took out the oil pump. There was a tiny bit of metal stuck between the seat and the ball in the pressure releif valve!!! Thank goodness that was all it was

The ball wasnt seated very well, sort of off centre. Andrew reseated it slightly with a drill bit and the spring was slightly stretched ( says in the manual that it should be no shorter than 1' and this was exactly 1') and the whole thing put back together. The sump was refitted, oil refilled through a gauze strainer, new filter and on starting up the gauge went straight up to 60, which is normal for that engine. I think I will do another oil change after about 500 miles as there was some 'bits' in the sump.

Needles to say I am very happy as I had visions of engine out, crank out, new shells........ Drove it about 4 miles tonight and going well

[DAVIDMCCULLOUGH]

I know an old post but, I was having some work done today and there was a strange noise, lots of smoke and the engine cut out.... The plastic pipe I had fitted melted with the heat of the exhaust manifold (clipped to the bulkhead about 1 1/2' from the manifold) and sprayed warm oil all over the engine bay. Good rust protection but not how i had planned it.

As a temporary measure i have shortened the pipe and had to move the gauge out of the dash panel because of that. So I need to find a metal pipe just in case this happens again. I did mean the plastic one to be a temporary fix but had sort of forgotten that I had fitted it! Any good ideas were to find one?

[mike.perry]

I had the same problem on on the way to a rally last year, out came my bulb end to block off the feed from the engine

[DAVIDMCCULLOUGH]

I found a new copper oil pipe on ebay, it arrived the other day and doesn't look long enough to fit but hopefully when its uncoiled it will be! Planning on fitting that tomorrow so will see how it goes

[RobThomas]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/22mm-ID-Fires ... 3cc157c3da

This is the stuff we use outside fuel hoses on aeroplanes. Fireproof and scuffproof. Might be worth a try on plastic hoses. I remade my lines in cunifer after finding some NOS pipe and some old fittings. Not enough left to do another one, I'm afraid.

[DAVIDMCCULLOUGH]

Fitted this today, was 6ft long when uncoiled so plenty long enough!!

http://www.automech-uk.com/home?page=sh ... gory_id=65

I was able to add an extra coil behind the gauge so there is plenty of room to bring the dash panel out without stressing the pipe.

[hdavy]

After top end overhaul my gauge reads max cold starting and 70 after a few mins. Then at fast tickover it's 40. Is this OK? I thought pressure release valve would keep it at max 70 cold.

[RobThomas]

I get full scale deflection on cold starting for maybe the first 3 mins idling. Warm it will idle at about 40 as well. Guess we both have decent engines?

[mike.perry]

Sounds good to me