Oil Pressure Very low on new setup!!!
 

ok i have searched past threads and got some good advice but i was hoping some of the guru's on here could maybe help with my particular issue. Ok i have a 331 stroker motor with all new everything!!! The pump is a melling standard pressure, standard volume. However when i got the pump the guy also sold me a kit with a new knockout plug and a 1\8th inch aluminum spacer that goes in between the spring and plug that gives the pump an extra 10 psi of pressure. So the new motor has 3000 miles on it and it is now showing really low oil pressure after it warms up. The old stock gauge wouldnt even read at idle so i bought a mechanical and installed it. Well when cold the pressure at idle is 60+ but as the car starts to warm up it drops off and when i ran it down the road it runs in between 30-40 and if i step into it, it will peak at 60. So i get back to the house and let it idle and the pressure drops to 10 psi @ 650 rpms. Yes it idles down really low. So if i rev it up a little the pressure will go up to about 30 @ 2500 rpms and if i tach it up to 4500 or higher it will again spike at 60. When the car is idleing at 650 rpms and the pressure is really low but i DONT get any chatter out of the valvetrain which i figured i probably would if the pump was defective. Please guys, any help is greatly appreciated. Is this normal? If you need more details on my setup check out my mod list.

Sounds like the motors just set up on the loose side. Don't forget, you don't need a ton of oil pressure at 650 RPM (I wouldn't let it idle that low). I drove a 406 FE motor that was set up on the loose side, and had pressure just about like yours ... i drove the crap out of it for about 6 years, and it had very little wear when i finally took it apart and sold it for parts.

I agree, you're probably fine. You don't need more than 10 psi per 1000 rpm. As long as you have that, I wouldn't worry.

Take care,
~Chris

My old motor was on the low side, but when I had the crank looked at, it had no wear and was only polished. I went standard on the bearings again and the new motor was a little lower than I liked. I run 20w50 and get about 25PSI at idle and about 50PSI once the RPM's come up. If the pressure comes up pretty quick, you are probably fine. You might just want to run a heavier oil. Ford's only specification is 40-60 PSI @ 2000 RPM's!

i guess what confuses me the most is that it held great pressure for the first 3000 miles, now all of a sudden its like this, that why i didnt lean towards the loose bearings notion, what are your ideas on putting in a high volume?? goods or bads?

65 views and only 4 replys with two being mine = LAME!!!

If you're worried about it then the only solution would be to pull a few bearing caps and check the bearings out. My van started running crappy a month ago and the oil pressure dropped to 0 after it warmed up when I'd come to a stop. I tried replacing the sending unit, then checked it with an ohm meter, it was working. Then I adjusted my rockers, one was loose so I tightened it (as much as I could, it seemed to bottom out before it was tight enough). It still ran crappy, so I pulled all the lifters, the loose one was trashed, it was worn down and concave, one of hte lobes wiped out on the cam. I put a new cam in it (comp Cams xe274), I put it back together and still had hte same oil pressure. I dropped the pan, the pickup fell off the pump but luckily I already had a retainer bracket from jeg;s that I never got around to putting on (bought it after I put the motor in, they didn't carry them when I built the motor). I put it all back together again and still had no oil pressure. I got to lift the motor again later that day to check bearings, the all got trashed from the metal that used to be a cam lobe so I had the block cleaned up and the crank turned/polished and had a few valves replaced. Now it has good oil pressure ( between 40-80). If I hadn't gone through all the trouble checking everything when I did I probably would have trashed the new cam, so I'd say look everything over good incase somethings starting to mess up.

i think im gonna try some heavier oil first then if it still aint were i think it should be i will pull it apart. I want to check the main bearings if i change the pump but that will be a ***** with me having to take off the main girdle.

Well, with only 186 posts in three years, you don't have much room to gripe. Looks like you do a lot of lurking yourself and not much posting.

I'm not ragging on you for that; I think that's perfectly fine. But just don't expect everyone who reads your post to reply. Many people just read the posts, and others don't reply because the answer has already been covered by previous posts.

Anyway, sorry to bit*h at you. Good luck with the motor.

--nathan

the 186 posts is because i dont live my life on the boards and try to use them with a purpose such in case "Tech Questions" check out all my past tech posts. Everyone of them has gone almost unanswered. I dont know if people are scared to reply cause they arent ASE certified but hell i try to at least look down the list of threads and give my .02 if i even have a clue. Sometimes gettin peoples "opinions" is like pullin teeth. So i guess im just spinnin my wheels.

I am ASE certified, and I did reply. I hit these pages once or twice a week when time permits. It's not my fault if you didn't like my answer.

dude seriously chill, i definately appreciate your answer and everybody elses who do answer, i just figured for as many hits as it got that more people wouldnt post their thoughts and opinions. Sorry guys i didnt mean to start anything.

pkrwud you have given me some great advice in the past, please dont think the gripe was pointed at you.

I'm sorry man, it just reminded me of the kids that ask a question, already knowing what they want the answer to be, and who then get upset when it isn't what they wanted. I guess when you try to help as many people as I have, you're bound to come across quite a few jerks. I know you're one of the good ones. :)

Peace?

:)

ok to all thank you for all your advice, as an update to my situation, i have put some heavier oil in and bumped up the idle to around 900 - 1000 rpms and the pressure stays at 20 for the most part. I took it out tonight and goosed it a few times and pressure is shooting up between 60 - 70 so i think i will be ok for now. I will be driving it to work all this next week so ill keep my fingers crossed and you guys updated.

to silver_pilate: you are right, i shouldnt be such a window shopper if ya know what i mean.

to pkrwud: peace as always. thanks again bro.

Hey man, it's no big deal. Sorry to bust your balls. I was kinda on the same line of thinking as Chris. I've been on the boards for a long time, and I guess I kinda take offense when people criticize them.

Anyway, I know that wasn't your intention, and actually, I've felt the same as you have in the past when posts don't get many replys. Just remember, this board is free and it's made up of regular Joe and Jane Does who often give awesome advice.

Like I said, it's all good. You use the boards however you see fit. If that means posting like crazy, great. If that means browsing and occasionally helping out, that's just fine, too.

Feel the love :D ... and let us know what you decide to do on the motor.

--nathan

New update!! Well to those who care it looks like the pump i have is no good so will be replacing the pump. Also to add to my dilema it looks as if the fluid damper i have isnt working out so i will be selling it and going with a stock 28oz balancer. But the think that kills me most is it looks as if im going to have to pull the motor out and yank out the crank and take it, the new balancer, and the flywheel to a crankshaft shop and have them turn, polish, and balance the lot. Looks as if my turbo kit is going on the backburner!!!AGAIN!!!

If I had a penny for every time a turbo kit has been put on my back burner, I'd be a rich man. You know, gotta feed myself, pay rent, all that junk. :D

--nathan

Saw the thread was done, but didn't want to browse it and not post. Ok I'm done.:D :D