Re: oil pressure

[Glenn Merrell <gmerrel@domain.elided>]

Hello Ralph,
    I have some experience with this one, and I bet your gas mileage is crap,
and/OR your tailpipe is lined with black soot!  In any case, you have pulled
your engine in vain.  You should have consulted us'ins  know-it-all's (far
beit!!) before removing the engine.

    I believe that you have two problems, Mike Wattam has already answered
one of them about a week ago concerning oil pump pressure relief springs and
improper adjustment.

The second sounds to me like you have either an over rich condition caused by
worn metering jets/seats, or a flooding bowl valve.  Gas in the oil is by one
entry, past the rings (unless you have connected the fuel bypass line to your
oil breather connection, in which case your engine was potentially a
terrorist weapon!!).  This condition will cause immediate, rapid and undue
wear in the cylinder wall as the rings have little lubrication on startup and
running until the oil pressure comes up. In your case, the oil pressure is
not necessarily the primary cause of the problem.  As Mike points out, lack
of oil pressure is not necessarily from engine wear, as you may have found by
removing your engine...but  from improper spring tension of the oil bypass
spring.  (since you have it out, time to do it right).
    Mic'ing the cylinder walls will disclose the damage done, but make sure
that you get the carbs reconditioned.  Lucky for you, Rimmers is having a
tremendous sale, TWO reconditioned carbs on the pedestal, exchange, for
£155.00 ($248 USD).  Considering that the carbs alone usually go for over
£200 each, I think this a great deal, and a complete engine rebuild kit for
£675 ($1080 USD)  includes EVERY part in the engine...and a Repari Operations
Manual.

Hope this helps.

Sincere Regards,
Glenn Merrell

Ralph Vrana wrote:

> Gentlemen:
>
> I just pulled my motor out of the car because of low oil pressure.  When
> I checked the main bearing journals I hap a 2 to 3 thousands gap and a
> 1.5 to 2 thousands gap on the rod bearings.  I do not believe those kind
> of gaps could cause me to have 2lbs of oil pressure at idle after the
> motor is hot and 50 lbs when you rev the motor.  I took out the oil pump
> and the pressure relief valve is worn in one spot.  Beside the oil pump
> is there any other areas in the motor that could be causing the low oil
> pressure at idle.  Your thoughts would be appreciated.
>
> I also had a intermitent rattle in the front of the motor that would come
> and go it sounded like it was coming out of the drivers side of the
> motor.  Ther is no pattern to when it comes and goes.  When I took the
> front cover off I did not find any loosness in the timing chain.  The
> timing chains do not have any slack in them, could they still be bad or
> is there something else that could cause an intermitten rattle.
>
> I have gas in my oil.  Could that be causing my problems and it normally
> points to a bad set of floats or needle valves.  What causes this problem
> in stag motors.
>
> Ralph Vrana
> Cleveland Ohio
> 73 Magenta automatic