Oil Pressure

DCTiger

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What is the proper oil pressure reading for a 260?

I have rebuilt my 260 and am currently registering 15 lbs.

Do not know if gauge is reading properly or functioning.

If gauge is functioning properly, what could the problem be?

I am ready to drop pan to see if oil pump shaft has dropped.

Also ready to find an accurate gauge.

TIA
 

michael-king

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Robert, I hope the gauge is blocked... You really want at least 50lbs cold idle minimum on a fresh motor.
 

Warren

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Pick one

Gauge, fitting, crappy plastic lines with a kink, let's hope its one of them:)

Since you had a spurting adventure with your tappet adjusting fun probably something easy. I have some beat up ones with possible good guts.
 

Moondoggie

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Let's not over react here.....A small block ford motor is pretty happy at 15 lbs pressure at idle and at normal operating temps.We need to know what oil is in the motor and at what temp was the reading at.....Small blocks don't need allot of oil pressure to be happy 15 at idle is fine and 30 at 3000 rpm is also okay. I run a 302 with 375hp with 20-50 wt oil and at normal 190F coolant it has 30lbs at idle and 55lbs at 4000 rpm, its all about volume not pressure. My Porsche Carrera S with 400+ hp idles at 10 lbs and never goes over 35 lbs at 8000 rpm...don't panic

Moondoggie
 

TigerBlue

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Flow is important

Dog is right again. Pressure is much less important than a steady flow.

Pressure does not lubricate. The film of oil does an amazing job but it has to be there. If there is pressure? there is flow because it is not a closed system like your brakes where flow means a leak.
 

DCTiger

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20W-50

I've got 20W-50.

And wrt adjusting mechanical lifters, I did not get oil squirting everywhere, which surprised me. I had the old style rockers and there is no hole for them to shoot out thru the top

I still want to look and be sure that the oil pump rod is in place. Make sure that the oil pump is working.

Also want to get a oil pressure tester to see if my gauge is working.

VACAT33 has the same wt oil and is getting 50 lbs.
 

steven

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The dizzie shares the same drive as the oil pump. So if the motor is running the pump is working.
 

michael-king

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Dog is right again. Pressure is much less important than a steady flow.

Pressure does not lubricate. The film of oil does an amazing job but it has to be there. If there is pressure? there is flow because it is not a closed system like your brakes where flow means a leak.

Rick you are right that flow is important, but a cold oil psi with fresh oil on a freshly rebuilt motor with only 15lbs is a sign something is not as it should be.

I'd be checking the gauge and lines to see I'm getting an acurate reading and if its only 15 I'd be doing some research as to why.
 

TigerBlue

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Cold Idle?

Is that 15 psi you talk of at "Cold" Idle? That would not be good. At 2000 rpm cold? psi?

Oil pumps are stone reliable most of the time.

Main and C-rod bearing clearances? are subject to wear and when replaced must have correct clearance so the oil can do its magic.

Rick
 

0neoffive

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From Experience Again

Once upon a midnight cloudy, a does-it-himself owner brought in a sweet ride with a fresh done motor he had assembled only to find the oil pressure at the bottom of the scale. Short story forward, we found a nicely prepared .010 crankshaft with std bearings on the mains. It actually ran fine, but I doubt it would have lived long once the babbitts started revolving.
 

DCTiger

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Engine rebuild

IRT rebuild, went to Ford Motorsport machine shop that manufactures the Boss 429 engines.

Had them machine the heads, engine, crank, and order the parts, I just put it together based on the "Rebuild the Small Block Ford" guide.

So unless the book is wrong and the guys ordered the wrong parts, should be put together correctly.

It is my first rebuild tho'.
 

Redbaron

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Robert,
when you cleaned the block,did you refit the three welch plugs behind the timing chain sprocket,these block the lifter galleries,and if not there oil pressure will be lost.
 

DCTiger

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Oil Pressure Tester

Bought a new oil pressure tester and removed the line from the oil pressure gauge in the dash.

At cold idle, I am getting 13psi at the tester which verifies the dash gauge.

I will recheck the lines to make sure they are not kinked and too tight on the engine adapter.

I looked at an old oil pump and unless the rod lifts up and falls out, there is no way it can fall thru the pump.

Redbaron, I do not remember the status of those plugs. I will have to look and see if I took pictures of that point in the rebuild. Otherwise I will have to pull the timing chain cover.

Thxs,
 

0neoffive

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What's Normal ??

Bought a new oil pressure tester and removed the line from the oil pressure gauge in the dash.

At cold idle, I am getting 13psi at the tester which verifies the dash gauge.

I will recheck the lines to make sure they are not kinked and too tight on the engine adapter.

I looked at an old oil pump and unless the rod lifts up and falls out, there is no way it can fall thru the pump.

Redbaron, I do not remember the status of those plugs. I will have to look and see if I took pictures of that point in the rebuild. Otherwise I will have to pull the timing chain cover.

Thxs,

Just another old guy's opinion, BUT, every motor I freshen starts out with 55 - 60 lbs at cool idle and maintains it thru the range of temp & rpm. 2-centavos
 

DCTiger

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Talked w/Engine shop

They gave me two things to look for:
1. The 3 plugs that Redbaron mentioned on the front of the block, and
2. The oil pickup is too close to the bottom of the pan not allowing oil to get up thru the pump.

I hope it is the clearance btwn the oil pickup and the pan, that would be a lot easier than ripping off the front of the engine in the engine compartment.

Will keep you posted.
 

spmdr

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The other plug

Years ago I had a Tiger come to me that suddenly lost most of the oil pressure.

I pulled the dist. and ran the pump.

I could hear the oil / air flowing at the back of the engine.

I pulled the intake to find the rear top galley plug popped out.

I put a new plug in, but it didn't fit well.

I drilled through the side and pined it with a big wire.

If a front plug is not there, you may be able to detect it from the Dist hole as well.
 

DCTiger

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50 lbs of Oil Pressure

All,

It was that oil galley plug at the back end of the top of the block below the intake manifold mentioned by SPMDR.

VACAT33 and I took a 4 hr trip today to remove replace/intake manifold and verified my build pictures that the plug was not installed.

I got a solid 50 lbs upon start up and now I am ready to go to the alignment shop. Too bad it took away my summer of driving, but I am now confident that I will be heading to Atlanta for the TEAE United.

I will definitely talk with the guys at the machine shop since they did not install this lone plug after they installed the cam bearings and the rest of the plugs for me. They also did not mention to install this plug.

The "Rebuild your Small Block Ford" book also did not mention the plug.

So, this will be my next post of what not to forget when putting your Tiger back on the road. I hope this post will help others that are of the DIY mindset.

Regards,
 

dlyle

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I just had a similar issue on a Chrysler 392 hemi. Started out with great pressure on initial start up after rebuild. Had about 55 lbs for the break in period of about 30-40 minutes but when I eventually got it closer to idle speeds it went below 10 lbs. Pulled the pan and tried a different pump and got the same readings.

Searched online and there was mention of a galley plug down the distributor hole that often gets missed. Sure enough that was it. Was a bit of a chore to get it installed but now I have 55 lbs at warm idle and over 70 lbs with a little rpm.
 
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