Re: Oil Pressure Problems

Posted by Jim L. in OR On 2012/7/5 0:05:51

Quote:

Craig: Thank you so very much for the RPM - Speed Calculator. My Speedometer went into the shop work and came out not. One of the items on a short list of fixes. With your calculator I can pretty well guesstimate the RPM my engine is turning by knowing what the usual speed of traffic is on what has become my own edition of the Packard Proving Grounds.

As I posted yesterday, I added a quart of oil to the crank case (the dipstick showed FULL before I added the oil). I took it out afterward and received so-so results.

Today, with a cold engine, I ran the route again with quite different results. Oil pressure was well with spec on the outward leg on the freeway travelling at 55-60 to match traffic flow. The outward leg isn't where the problem truly showed. When I pulled into a parking spot the oil pressure read 12 psi in gear - which it hadn't done before. After doing a little more shopping (about half an hour as the store was packed) I got in for the home stretch. The starting pressure was 15 psi and rose to between 20 to 25 as I turned onto the main street. Throwing caution to the wind, I decided to take the freeway back. pressure at 55 or so was between 40-45 psi. Emboldened by these never before seen numbers at that speed with the engine at operating temperature, I blew past my exit and moved out a head of the traffic going 65 - 70 mph. Looking down, the pressure was between 50-55 psi. Finally coming to a stop (in gear) in my driveway, pressure was a shade less than 10 psi.

Now, I'm not going to claim that the addition of the extra quart solved all my problems, but the numbers are a heck of a lot better than I've ever seen before. Through it all, the engine ran very quiet and when leaving all the other traffic behind, the engine and the rest of the car seemed eager for more.

Needless to say, there will be more testing in the coming days and I still plan on going to the Olds Conversion pump simply because I'm leary of what's lurking down there.

My thanks to you, Craig, as well as Howard, Tim, Randy, Rowdy, Jack and any one else I have left out.

More news as it becomes available.

One more thing. On the way back home I noticed that the clock had started working. If my here to fore silent radio suddenly starts belting out Little Richard tunes I'll begin to think I've bought Christeen's older and richer cousin!