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Oil Pressure Problems
#1
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Jim L. in OR
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Hi people,
Since I got my '55 Patrician (AKA Sleeping Beauty) back 2 weeks ago I have confined my driving to surface streets and other non-freeway routes while the car and I got acquainted. During that time, everything under the hood exceeded expectations.
This last Saturday I took her out on the freeway for the first time. As I was merging from the on-ramp another car that was going quite fast ignored my turn signal and came into my lane. I was at a merge or stop situation so I punched the accelerator which resulted in a perfect downshift and a dramatic increase in speed leaving the offending driver in the dust. I also got a brief wiff of hot oil smell. I was headed to the grocery store which was a mile down the freeway and concerned about the smell of hot oil, check the pressure gauge. It was showing about 20 psi instead of 40 at about 55mph and by the time I pulled into the first available parking place the pressure gauge read zero. Aside from the oil pressure there was no indication of trouble - no lifter clatter or knocking - just a quiet smooth idle. I had quite a shopping list so I decided to do that, load the groceries in the trunk and call a tow truck. The shopping took 30-45 minutes and before calling AAA, I decided to start the engine and see what happened. The engine sprang into life, as quiet as the tomb and the oil pressure gauge read perfect pressure so I slowly drove home. By the time I got into the driveway the pressure was back to zero at idle, with about 20 psi the last few blocks to my house.

I checked the gauge and it was fine so I pulled the sending unit and put a manual hook up in it's place. Upon restart, the pressure was fine. Having had enough excitement, I postponed any further testing until the next day.

Sunday morning I repeated my freeway trip of the day before with the exact some results using the manual gauge.

Today I made the same trip using surface streets and a top speed of 35 mph and had no oil pressure issues.

My chief suspect at this point is the oil pressure relieve valve. The car doesn't have the infamous Packard oil pump. That was changed out sometime in the past with an unknown replacement.

The amazing thing to me is that through it all, the engine is as quiet, smooth and responsive as it can be. It almost seems as if there isn't really any problem - but two oil pressure gauges say there is.

Does anyone have any ideas and or solutions they've used?

Thanks in advance -

Posted on: 2012/7/2 18:21
1951 200 Deluxe Touring Sedan
1951 200 Deluxe Touring Sedan (parts ?)
1951 Patrician Touring Sedan
1955 Patrician Touring Sedan
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Re: Oil Pressure Problems
#2
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Tim Cole
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Dear Jim:

I assume the oil pressure gauge is reading mainline pressure at the back of the motor to the right of the distributor.

I handled a 54 Desoto V-8 with the same problem. Take it out and the oil pressure would drop off dramatically. The owner brought it in and requested a new oil pump. Okay. The new pump made no difference. The car had 93,000 miles on it and perhaps 193,000 and was quiet. Probably worn out cam bearings. I think he might have also asked for new rod bearings too.

Posted on: 2012/7/2 18:31
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Re: Oil Pressure Problems
#3
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Jim L. in OR
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Thanks Tim, for the benefit of your experience. I wouldn't have thought about the cam bearings. I was/am hoping for something related to its 28 year slumber but you very well might have nailed the problem.
Thanks again and if anyone else has some ideas, please bring them forth!

Posted on: 2012/7/2 18:42
1951 200 Deluxe Touring Sedan
1951 200 Deluxe Touring Sedan (parts ?)
1951 Patrician Touring Sedan
1955 Patrician Touring Sedan
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Re: Oil Pressure Problems
#4
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Craig Hendrickson
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Quote:
My chief suspect at this point is the oil pressure relieve valve. The car doesn't have the infamous Packard oil pump. That was changed out sometime in the past with an unknown replacement.


I agree on the oil pressure relief valve being the culprit since the oil pressure came back up. However, there's no telling when the problem will rear its ugly head again, but this time permanently sticking open with resultant zero oil pressure. It's best you drop the pan and inspect the "unknown replacement" oil pump. Unless it's an Olds conversion, I'd not trust it since the rest of your engine is currently running well and you'd not want to ruin it.

Craig.

Posted on: 2012/7/2 18:53
Nuke them from orbit, it's the only way to be sure! Ellen Ripley "Aliens"
Time flies like an arrow. Frui
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Re: Oil Pressure Problems
#5
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Jim L. in OR
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Quote:

Craig wrote:
Quote:
My chief suspect at this point is the oil pressure relieve valve. The car doesn't have the infamous Packard oil pump. That was changed out sometime in the past with an unknown replacement.


I agree on the oil pressure relief valve being the culprit since the oil pressure came back up. However, there's no telling when the problem will rear its ugly head again, but this time permanently sticking open with resultant zero oil pressure. It's best you drop the pan and inspect the "unknown replacement" oil pump. Unless it's an Olds conversion, I'd not trust it since the rest of your engine is currently running well and you'd not want to ruin it.

Craig.


Hi Craig -

Believe me, that car isn't going anywhere until this is sorted out. My thinking on the pressure relief vale is based in part in that both times this happened was after I had to floor the loud pedal. Calm sedate little old lady driving doesn't seem to trigger it. Never the less, I will be inspecting that pump.
If that does turn out to be the culprit, how does one go about scoring an Olds Conversion pump. I really don't like not knowing what something as vital as an oil pump came from as is now the case - I'm thinking seriously of swapping it out on general principal. As you said, the engine is running so sweet I don't want to mess it up.

At least I still have my '51 to fall back on if my need of a Packard "fix" gets too intense.

If there are any other thoughts out their, please jump in!

Posted on: 2012/7/2 19:56
1951 200 Deluxe Touring Sedan
1951 200 Deluxe Touring Sedan (parts ?)
1951 Patrician Touring Sedan
1955 Patrician Touring Sedan
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Re: Oil Pressure Problems
#6
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Randy Berger
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You probably posted this when you started this thread but I just don't remember. Did you drop the pan (sump for Mal) and clean it good and also the pickup screen? If not, now would be a good time to do it. If you did and posted that, I apologize for memory loss.



edit: pan for pun

Posted on: 2012/7/2 22:07
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Re: Oil Pressure Problems
#7
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Jim L. in OR
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Hi Randy,
I didn't mention it in this thread but what I had my mechanic do when I had it flat bedded to his shop last year was go through all the maintenance listed in the FSM list. As such both the engine oil pan as well as the transmission oil pan were dropped and cleaned and the screens in both cleaned too. I had him do it because he could put the car up on a lift for ease of access. It was then that we discovered the non Packard oil pump

I'm more or less excavating a "grease pit" off my carport so I can do these sort of things myself in the future.

What I still find amazing is that when the oil pressure zeroed out there was no lifter noise. I know that they are capable of it as when I first got the car running it had intermittent lifter clatter for a brief period. I suspect that the changes listed in the Service Counselors were done at the time of the pump change. I can't think of any other explanation for the stone silence of this rather amazing engine.

I know a little about memory loss too. The other day when I went to the store I forgot in which area I parked the car. Another plus for driving a Packard is that they are easy to spot in a lot.

Posted on: 2012/7/2 23:01
1951 200 Deluxe Touring Sedan
1951 200 Deluxe Touring Sedan (parts ?)
1951 Patrician Touring Sedan
1955 Patrician Touring Sedan
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Re: Oil Pressure Problems
#8
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Ozstatman
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Quote:
randy berger wrote:...Did you drop the pun (sump for Mal)...

Posted on: 2012/7/2 23:41
Mal
/o[]o\
====

Bowral, Southern Highlands of NSW, Australia
"Out of chaos comes order" - Nietzsche.

1938 Eight Touring Sedan - SOLD

1941 One-Twenty Club Coupe - SOLD

1948 Super Eight Limo, chassis RHD - SOLD

1950 Eight Touring Sedan - SOLD

What's this?
Put your Packard in the Packard Vehicle Registry!
Here's how!
Any questions - PM or email me at ozstatman@gmail.com
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Re: Oil Pressure Problems
#9
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Craig Hendrickson
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Quote:
If that does turn out to be the culprit, how does one go about scoring an Olds Conversion pump.


Contact Jack Vines at packardv8@comcast.net

Craig

Posted on: 2012/7/3 0:13
Nuke them from orbit, it's the only way to be sure! Ellen Ripley "Aliens"
Time flies like an arrow. Frui
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Re: Oil Pressure Problems
#10
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Bill
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Jim,
If interested I have one of Jack's kits, less pump, that I bought for my 56 but have since sold car. I would take $125.00+shipping for kit.
Bill

Posted on: 2012/7/3 10:08
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