DaveB Posted May 23, 2002 Share Posted May 23, 2002 My 1700 X-Flow lost oil pressure this evening. I was out on a blatt and suddenly noticed I had no oil pressure at all. Fortunately I was only a few hundred yards from my fathers house. I have just spent the last couple of hours trying to find out where the oil pressure has gone, - --Plenty of oil in the sump - haven't grounded out --Took the oil filter off and turned the engine over - no oil pi$$ed out --Took the pump off and it all looks OK - Though I don't really know what I'm looking at (It's a High Pressure Pump) --Filled the filter with as much oil as I could squeeze in and replaced it - still no pressure. --Removed the oil pressure sender - no oil pi$$ed out Any Ideas???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blatman Posted May 23, 2002 Share Posted May 23, 2002 You're sure the guage is working? Check the electrics of the guage first. Ground the wire off the sender by touching it on a chassis rail/engine block. If the guage moves to max, then it's working. If it doesn't then you probably have pressure, but a duff guage or sender....... If the guage appears to be working, check the pressure relief valve in the pump (I'm not a x-flow expert, but I'm guessing it has one). It could well be stuck shut.......or open.........it'll be a spring with a plunger type thing.......I think....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Keene Posted May 24, 2002 Share Posted May 24, 2002 If it is a high pressure pump then the pressure relief valve is capped off on a xflow. Although it could be a dodgey gauge / light, do you have an oil cooler fitted to it? It sounds very similar to a problem I had on my crossflow last year. I went out for a run, parked it on the drive, all was fine, opened the garage door, no oil pressure. After a bit we decided it was indeed a lack of oil pressure not a dodgey reading (no oil pumping out the sender hole when cranked), after much b*******ing about (senders removed and checked, pump removed and checked etc) I decided to remove the oil cooler. It turned out the oil cooler was blocked solid, when the cooler was closed everything was fine as soon as it opened oil pressure just disappeared. My best guess at why the cooler got blocked is this, unless you get the oil really hot before an oil change you won't open the cooler and therefore the oil in the cooler doesn't get changed and after a while it sets solid. Becuase it got blocked I figured it couldn't be doing a lot anyway and removed it, with no difference in oil pressure at high tempreatures, ie 30PSI when hot at idle. Hope that makes some sense.............. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fordy Posted May 24, 2002 Share Posted May 24, 2002 If it is a high pressure pump then the pressure relief valve is capped off on a xflow. Although it could be a dodgey gauge / light, do you have an oil cooler fitted to it? It sounds very similar to a problem I had on my crossflow last year. I went out for a run, parked it on the drive, all was fine, opened the garage door, no oil pressure. After a bit we decided it was indeed a lack of oil pressure not a dodgey reading (no oil pumping out the sender hole when cranked), after much b*******ing about (senders removed and checked, pump removed and checked etc) I decided to remove the oil cooler. It turned out the oil cooler was blocked solid, when the cooler was closed everything was fine as soon as it opened oil pressure just disappeared. My best guess at why the cooler got blocked is this, unless you get the oil really hot before an oil change you won't open the cooler and therefore the oil in the cooler doesn't get changed and after a while it sets solid. Becuase it got blocked I figured it couldn't be doing a lot anyway and removed it, with no difference in oil pressure at high tempreatures, ie 30PSI when hot at idle. Hope that makes some sense.............. A high pressure pump does have a pressure relief valve - its just set at a higher pressure - i had this exact same problem on mine a month or 2 ago - the pressure relief valve (on a high press pump) was stuck open - i ended up changing the pump as i didnt want it to get stuck again - its fine now. If you take the filter off (assuming no oil cooler) then you'll see the relief valve - it looks like a little siler plunger - it should be all the way out - if it isnt use a screwdriver to press it in further then release - this freed mine up. Good luck and let us know how you get on. cheers Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveB Posted May 24, 2002 Author Share Posted May 24, 2002 Thanks guys, Now you mention it, the silver plunger wasn't all the way out. Therefore I think the problem is with the oil pressure relief valve. I'll check it tonight. Assuming the pressure relief valve is stuck open can I get it out to clean it up and try to stop it sticking again or should I just replace the pump. In reply to Martin - I don't have an oil cooler but I do get a drop in pressure when the engine is hot (60psi cold - 30psi hot) I'm using valvoline racing oil (recommended by Burtons) - Should I be using a different oil which dosn't thin when it gets hot, should I get an oil cooler or is this acceptable?? Cheers Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blatman Posted May 24, 2002 Share Posted May 24, 2002 30psi at hot tickover is most acceptable. I have heard of crossflows with hot tickover pressure as low as 10psi, and this is still not a cause for concern.......apparently.......I personally would take action if it dropped below 20psi at tickover, or 45psi under load and hot . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fordy Posted May 24, 2002 Share Posted May 24, 2002 Id just clean it - and try again - if its sticks again, then consider changing the pump. I changed my pump, but its now only a standard pump, not high pressure, so i think im going to clean the relief valve and change it back, the standard pumps max out at 2.5bar. cheers Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveB Posted June 13, 2002 Author Share Posted June 13, 2002 It's 3 weeks on - all I did was clean out the pressure relief valve. I've done about 150 miles since and all has been fine. Thanks for your help guys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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