DO NOT DO THAT !!!!!!
About twenty years ago I decided to try to raise the oil pressure in a (4
pounds when hot) very tired old 1494cc with a late style base/pressure relief
valve. I pinned the bore of the valve with a cotter-pin, at the point where
the piston would only half uncover the hole. When I started the car, the oil
pressure gauge went tink-tink: it pegged and blew out the diaphragm inside. I
had oil spraying from under the dashboard, from within the gauge. I stopped
the engine and had also blown the sealing ring out from under the screw-on
Fram PH-8 type oil filter. What a mess. I could have exploded the oil cooler
or the cooler hoses, or blown off one of their fittings, but they weren't the
weakest parts. It is also possible I could have pushed enough oil under the
rod or main bearings to float them and cause a spun bearing to occur. I was
very lucky. This may be "a" way to test the oil pump, but it is not the way
to test the valve!
Jim Leach, Seattle
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Tue Sep 05 2000 - 10:39:30 CDT