When I was a teenager, I had a '65 Mustang I sold because of chronic low oil
pressure...... The new owner found a restricted capillary tube to the
pressure gauge.... Drove it for at least another 5 years..... Argg.
----- Original Message -----
From: Mike MacLean
To: Brashear, Jack, N
Cc: Healey List
Sent: Wednesday, May 18, 2005 12:18 PM
Subject: Re: Problem?? with oil pressure
Jack,
You need to hook up a CALIBRATED oil pressure gauge to see if the
gauge on the car is correct first. My Bugeye read 5 PSI at idle on the
dash and 40 PSI at speed. After I hooked up a calibrated gauge inline
the readings were 20 PSI at idle and 60 PSI at speed. I hooked it up in
line under the bonnet and ran the tubing through the lip of the bonnet
at the rear. I then taped the gauge to the windshield to watch at
different engine speeds and temps.
Mike MacLean
56 BN2
60 AN5
Brashear, Jack, N wrote:
>Hi Folks, I can't seem to keep the oil pressure in my "comfort zone."
>29E engine in my BT7 Mk2. I bought this car new and I've always turned
>my own wrenches so technospeak is OK by me. The engine is very fresh
>and has its second new oil pump recently installed. It doesn't seem to
>matter what oil I use...20W50 or straight 50 wt. Valvoline. Heck, I
>even tried straight 60 wt. once. Startup pressure is 65 psi with any
>oil. After spirited runs on a straight lonely road at 80 - 100 mph,
>running pressure at 3k rpm barely comes up to 20 psi regardless of the
>oil wt. All bearing clearances are correct. Could the relief spring be
>so weak that I'm bypassing all the time?? Has anyone ever jammed
>something behind the plunger to prevent its opening at all. Now I'm on
>my second new M+++ oil pump (gear type) in under 1000 miles. Are these
>ever so badly built such that the oil is bypassing internally?? What do
>you racers do to keep good oil pressure?? I have installed a spin-on
>filter conversion and I have an oil cooler that I could install if
>needed. This baffles the dickens outa me and I'm really hoping for some
>help from this awesome list. Many Thanks!!
>Jack
>
>
>
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