Re: IML: 1961 oil preasure should I be concerned - mildly

[Kenyon Wills <imperialist1960@xxxxxxxxx>]

--- Mark Battesby <a1web@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> My 1961 oil preasure gage has always on the low end.
> It has never even read dead center. I have had the
> car for 15 years and rarely drive it , and it runs
> good. But now it needs to be my main and only car to
> get around. Im curiose if  the preasure is low why
> then does oil blow out threw the breither  cap .
> Wouldnt that appear to prove that there is plenty of
> preasure? What is the normal amount of preasure on
> the oil for this 413 wedge moter? Als the car does
> not ever over heat wouldnt low oil preasure tend to
> heat the moter up ? 

Heat is relative to your coolant and radiator, not the
oil.  Oil plays a relatively small part in heat
dissipation in a water cooled engine, a larger one in
an air cooled engine (such as a VW or a motorcycle).

Oil pressure is relative to your oil pump's ability to
create pressure and the sensor/gauge set that shows
the pressure on your dashboard.

You may have a weak oil pump, or you may have a gauge
that just reads low.  The only way to tell for certain
is to put an alternate gauge on the engine's oil
passage when it is running.  

The engine has one or two threaded holes at the center
rear portion behind the intake manifold near the
transmission.  You can borrow or buy a gauge to screw
in there to see.

The oil coming out your rebreather cap has nothing to
do with oil pressure either.  When the pistons travel
up and down their cylinders, the rings are supposed to
seal as the piston compresses the air fuel mixture.  

When they don't do so effectively, the air/fuel
mixture that was supposed to be compressed winds up
partially leaking past the rings to whatever degree. 
This "air" then blows through the engine and out the
breather cap.  Since it goes down the cylinder wall,
which has oil on it, it atomizes oil too, taking that
out the door with it out the breather cap.

The breather cap flow is an indication that your
engine is worn and tired.  The low oil pressure is
probably due to a similarly worn oil pump.  The pump
creates pressure, and if it has loose tolerances, it
loses ability to force as much volume or create as
much pressure as it once did.  

You can replace your oil pump, but I'd suggest that
you're past due for an engine rebuild, or at the least
a ring & valve job with replacement of some
accessories.

Start saving now, and don't curse out the car if it
fails on you.  It's speaking to you already.

---

If you are not already running 20w50 oil, which is
thicker, you might want to.  That works better than
the lighter stuff in a worn engine.

Kenyon Wills
 
 






















 
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