Oil pressure whats normal?

[BillyWhizzz2002]

I keep reading threads about oil pressure problems on pinto's. I even enquired my self before as my oil pressure gauge moves up & down.

But i am not sure if all pressure drops are bad or is some drop normal & i am worrying over nothing.

So what i have is an instant rise to 5 bar upon starting engine. Then as car gets to operating temp settles at 4 bar on tickover and rises to 5 bar when reved.

When driving in general pressure is always above 4 bar. When braking hard (worst when braking hard down slip roads off motorways)  it dose drop to usualy 2 bar but has been lowest i seen at 1.5 bar.

People tell me this is oil starvation?

I know oil starvation is bad but still having 1.5 or 2 bar is it ok or do i need to get it sorted?

Car has lowered baffled high capacity sump.

Am i worrying over nothing?

[vt-marty]

ON COLD START UP MINE SHOWS ALMOST 90 PSI (6 bar) ON THE GAUGE (balls caps lock on!)

then when warm that idle pressure is about 35 psi. (2.4 bar)

when driving ive never noticed it less than about 85-90 psi.

im not too sure how accurate these gauges are but the important thing is it seems to show good high pressure which is maintained during all types of driving. thats the important thing i reckon.

[Arm]

85 to 90 is higher than it needs to be.

If the oil pressure is showing on the gauge as dipping when braking then you likely have oil surge. Considering the gauges are slow to react the oil pressure at the engine is possibly lower. IE the 1.5 to 2 bar reading cannot be trusted.

I would recommend you get it sorted.

[BillyWhizzz2002]

As car has a 4.5ltr baffled shallow sump i duno what else to do apart from selling a kidney & dry sumping.

Also is there room in the westy chassis for a dry sump system on a pinto?

These i have seen have a scavenger pump fitted on outside of dry sump at inlet side driven by belt.

Looks like it wont fit as second chassis cross member and bottom front wishbone mounting look to be in way.

Anyone done it or got any pics of install?

[Bean]

What make sump have you got, you are certain it's baffled?

[BillyWhizzz2002]

Yes its a steel sump (RHOC one) that is same depth al way along with a windage tray full length apart from hole for pick up to go through. Under windage tray the sump is divided into 2 compartments with a one way trapdoor letting oil flow to pick up but not away.

[Blatman]

Make sure the pick up is not too close to the floor of the sump. You need to have about an inch (25mm) minimum between the base of the pick up and the floor of the sump. You wouldn't be the first to have suffered this problem.

[BillyWhizzz2002]

An inch? wow didnt think it should be that distance. Think mine is about 6 or 7mm from bottom. But it is slightly angled so one edge about that and other about 10mm. But looks like it is too close if what you say is right.

[Matt Seabrook]

Make sure the pick up is not too close to the floor of the sump. You need to have about an inch (25mm) minimum between the base of the pick up and the floor of the sump.

Thats way too much.

[perksy]

Make sure the pick up is not too close to the floor of the sump. You need to have about an inch (25mm) minimum between the base of the pick up and the floor of the sump.

Thats way too much.

Agree with Matt

Too big a Gap and You'll end up with more problems  

[StuartMackay]

Also , dont use thin synthetic oils, the engines were designed back in the days of good old Duckhams 20-50!

I suffers for ages with fluctuating oil pressure with the cossie and changing to Castrol 10-60 solved all that.

[BillyWhizzz2002]

Always used valvoline racing 20-50

[Blatman]

Always used valvoline racing 20-50

Me too. That's all I ever put in the Cossie

[BillyWhizzz2002]

Getting harder to find now though. I had two local suppliers but one stopped stocking it now. The other (Lockside engineering ) at Castleford have had to put up price to £25 a gallon.

Is it worth getting a couple of gallon & putting aside to use for next couple of years or am i best off getting fresh oil when needed. (life expectancy of oil unknown to me)

[Liam]

Oooooh don't get me started  

I had endless problems with my original Pinto. It had a Westfield cast alloy sump and despite trying a high pick up, a low (5mm) pick up, new oil pump, different sump, more oil (which just ended upon the floor), checked the electrics to make sure the brake lights were not shorting and draining power causing the oil pressure gauge to misread, tried a mechanical oil pressure gauge, added more baffles and trap doors than a computer game, clutched at numerous straws etc etc, I never solved it .

There, that helped didn't it