low oil pressure

[wolfpackjeeper]

I know JT and have been trying to help him trouble shoot over the phone from 500mi away. But I think his problem is going to end up being that his engine builder turned the crank too much on at least one surface and it now probably has one or two bearings just enough out of spec to cause that drop.

He has removed and replaced the oil pump twice
From the bottom end he has checked the cam for free play as much as can be done without pulling it.
I could see a potential that if you grooved the lifter bores maybe, but it does not seem to likely.
He removed his oil cool and remote setup, which did provide a marginal increase.

I believe he is going to drop the pan and plastigauge the bearings to see if maybe one or all are just out of spec. He said that he thought the oil plug was in, and it is topped off. I also have him checking while he can to make sure he has the right pickup clearance with the bottom of the pan. Too much can cause it to drop pressure as well. I know I beat mine out to about 1/8th to 1/4 in clearance.

I'll throw up his findings here in case he doesn't, that way it may help someone else.

 

[Talyn]

Also, take a look at the cam bearings and make sure they aren't pushed out and crap.

 

[wolfpackjeeper]

Also, take a look at the cam bearings and make sure they aren't pushed out and crap.

he said it looked pretty good when he checked it out last time. I am sure he will look at it even more after I told him I think it is an out of spec bearing somewhere.

 

[sdryde]

if I was missing the oil galley plug sounds like I would not have 75psi @ cold start up, Right? or no

 

[wolfpackjeeper]

no, I don't think so. Jeff gets low pressure throughout the spectrum. Which makes me think that plug could be it, but even then it is a slight maybe.

 

[sdryde]

yea I get good oil pressure cold and then when the oil temp comes up then the pressure go down

In other words the oil pressure is indirectly related to the oil temp

oil temp up = oil pressure down

Thefore I am ruling out the oil galley plug

I still have not ruled out:
bearing clearence
oil pump pickup tube to oil pump connection maybe sucking air

 

[wolfpackjeeper]

yea I get good oil pressure cold and then when the oil temp comes up then the pressure go down

In other words the oil pressure is inversely related to the oil temp

oil temp up = oil pressure down

Thefore I am ruling out the oil galley plug

I still have not ruled out:
bearing clearence
oil pump pickup tube to oil pump connection maybe sucking air

fixed. Yea, I would check bearing clearances and your pickup between the bottom of the pan and the oil pickup. It's a pain in the ass to do, but might be well worth it.

 

[sdryde]

A little update

I checked the oil galley plug in the front of the motor behind the timing cover, IT WAS THERE.

I had a machinest/engine builder from Wholesale Automotive Machine of San Diego come to my house to check the motor out. By the way he offered to come to my house and refused the money i offered when he left. He and I took all the rod and two of the main caps of and found no smoking gun. he concluded the only way to find the problem is to pull it out and put it on the engine stand at the shop.

Spring break is next week and also the last chance I will have to go to the desert this season so I am going to put half lucas and half oil in it, bump up the idle to1300 rpm and run the shit out of it in ocotillo wells then pull the motor....