oil pressure

[larrym]

I was pulling my hair out with a low oil pressure issue when heat soaked......


Bought a TA shim kit pulled my pump apart and tightened the clearance .002 well it changed a bit still not happy since it has a freshly polished crank and new bearing. Then the little light and I mean little.... goes off, when I was putting it back together I used thread sealer on the distribution block and the sending unit for my gauge (no leaks). Pick up a mechanical gauge 60 PSI cruising at 2000rpm and no less than 30 hot idle.


I run Schaeffers Micron Moly 20-50 should I worry these pressures are to high and try a lighter weight  oil ?

[Steve Wood]

If those are on a warm engine, then I would go 10-30

[larrym]

heated it up as much as I could drove it an hour to work and did about 15 min in traffic.

[Steve Wood]

I would say that makes it hot

[SuperSix]

20/50 is too thick, IMO. A good 10w30 would be best.

[larrym]

changed it to 10 30 went out and thrashed it a little now hot at idle is just under 25  cruising is 45


That seems better    to bad they don't make the Micron moly in a 10 30 oh well

[Steve Wood]

that will put less wear on the front cam bearing, oil pump drive, and such

[Just a Six?]

Larry is that the cover I sold you?
I run 10-30 but used to run the Shell 15-40 with it & either had good pressure hot. I know some will disagree with me but I don't believe the end play has a lot to do with hot pressure.
At BPG 2 years ago I had a leak & added an extra gasket (so I had 2 on it) to try to seal it up & end play was easily 6+ thous. I still had a leak but the Hot Pressure after a pass was still 20+ I had rags stuffed around it so the leak was contained each pass. I found out because 1st run they warned me that there was a couple drips under the car at the end of the track where they watch to see you son't go faster than 11.50 without a cage etc. I found out that out of 4 oil pump covers that every surface was bowed UP in the middle where the gears ride? The local machinist said that almost every time he does a resurface the centre is high? Makes no sense to me but he has the equipment to measure correctly. After the resurface I never had a leak there again on 3 covers??
I'm sure someone knows why they get high in the centre & other than the 6 bolts maybe being too tight what else could it be??

[larrym]

yes all was fine with the cover it was my gauge......... ...
and the problem with the gauge could have been the poor connection at my starter.
Went mechanical and its solid haven't seen less than 22 psi even after thrashing it