Oil pressure.
- Thread starter phil
- Start date
Your Ammeter is showing a discharge Phil.
What was the coolant temperature? How many miles has your engine covered? Does the engine have 20w50 oil at present?
'If coolant temp is around 85 degrees C, then to me the pressure is a touch low, but then having said that it is still acceptable for a Rover V8. My original 3.5 displayed similar levels with over 200,000 miles on the engine.
Ron.
What was the coolant temperature? How many miles has your engine covered? Does the engine have 20w50 oil at present?
'If coolant temp is around 85 degrees C, then to me the pressure is a touch low, but then having said that it is still acceptable for a Rover V8. My original 3.5 displayed similar levels with over 200,000 miles on the engine.
Ron.
What are your thoughts on engine flushes? Failing that what grade of diesel oil should I put in it and any particular brand to give it a flush? Under the filler cap it looks a little dry, that's all and that worries me.
I know the gauge isn't a precision instrument but it's ok as a reference, surely?
I know the gauge isn't a precision instrument but it's ok as a reference, surely?
I would avoid engine flushes, if they do work they just move the crud around and where it ends up can cause you far more problems than you have now. For the same reason I wouldn't start using a diesel oil if you have no idea how dirty the inside of the engine is.
The gauge is purely that, a reference, but at the moment you have nothing to compare it with, including other cars, because there can be such a variation in the readings. Only way to be sure is to use a known accurate master guage to check, but do you really want to know?
The gauge is purely that, a reference, but at the moment you have nothing to compare it with, including other cars, because there can be such a variation in the readings. Only way to be sure is to use a known accurate master guage to check, but do you really want to know?
stina
New Member
Hi Phil .
I Had a dry rocker box and a tapping top end when i got mine . Was easy to remove rocker shafts and poke around to get an oil feed back up the top end . I also replaced a worn rocker shaft with a good 2nd hand one ( cheers again Kev ) O.k since ( touch wood ! ) The motor had really good oil pressure until the sender failed , i tried 2 two 2nd hand ones that read nothing , then replaced it with a new , new type . mine now reads pretty much as yours does . I think the good pressure is still their but choose to ignore the gauge to a certain extent as a few of the guys on here have said the senders are prone to lying to the gauge ! Also as Harvey and i think Ron have said you will have the oil light flicker when your down to about 8psi . This is from memory from the experts on here . I'm sure they'll correct any mistakes .
Ps was worth a try with the tank breather before you moved on .
stina
I Had a dry rocker box and a tapping top end when i got mine . Was easy to remove rocker shafts and poke around to get an oil feed back up the top end . I also replaced a worn rocker shaft with a good 2nd hand one ( cheers again Kev ) O.k since ( touch wood ! ) The motor had really good oil pressure until the sender failed , i tried 2 two 2nd hand ones that read nothing , then replaced it with a new , new type . mine now reads pretty much as yours does . I think the good pressure is still their but choose to ignore the gauge to a certain extent as a few of the guys on here have said the senders are prone to lying to the gauge ! Also as Harvey and i think Ron have said you will have the oil light flicker when your down to about 8psi . This is from memory from the experts on here . I'm sure they'll correct any mistakes .
Ps was worth a try with the tank breather before you moved on .
stina
Hi Stina, thanks for that. Does the rocker shaft simply bolt on and off without interfering with anything, tappets and the likes. Where did you poke to get oil to the head? How oily should they be in there? The engine doesn't sound excessively noisey. How long did it take to remove and replace? I've just ordered gaskets so I can have a crack at it at the weekend. will I need to order anything else? I don't mind rebuilding it if I need anything replacing as it is my daily car. So the mission is only to establish if anything is blocked.
stina
New Member
Hi Phil
I'm no expert and am only talking from what i learnt through having a go and listening to the guys on here . To remove the rocker shafts and investigate is only a few hours work . Then depending on what you find and what you need to do , well that's up to you . In my case i removed the shafts ,( no you don't disturb any thing else ) . Loosen bolts a little at a time so as not to bend the shafts under the pressure of the valve springs . The shafts are orentated so that the oil ways line up with the feed holes in the heads , so take note / pictures before you get to carried away . Your manual will explain . The oil is fed up the heads through the rocker pedistals then along the shafts , feeds the rockers runs down through the head into the tappet chest and onto the cam . I had a poke down the feed hole ( the oil feeds from the front of the heads ) . I then removed the dizzy and spun the oil pump with a drill ( you can easy make up a tool to engage the pump drive ) to ensure oil was flowing up through . As i said mine was dry and i had to replace some parts , you may be o.k if it's not vocal yet .
If you have the time have a read through tapping top end thread in v8 engine section , (skip the banter it's a long one)
That was my experiance ,and how i dealt with it . The guys will point out anything i've missed .
stina
Ps careful with the push rods you can displace the tappets , i replaced the push rods on mine . If you sort of apply side pressure they come out without disturbing the tappets .
I'm no expert and am only talking from what i learnt through having a go and listening to the guys on here . To remove the rocker shafts and investigate is only a few hours work . Then depending on what you find and what you need to do , well that's up to you . In my case i removed the shafts ,( no you don't disturb any thing else ) . Loosen bolts a little at a time so as not to bend the shafts under the pressure of the valve springs . The shafts are orentated so that the oil ways line up with the feed holes in the heads , so take note / pictures before you get to carried away . Your manual will explain . The oil is fed up the heads through the rocker pedistals then along the shafts , feeds the rockers runs down through the head into the tappet chest and onto the cam . I had a poke down the feed hole ( the oil feeds from the front of the heads ) . I then removed the dizzy and spun the oil pump with a drill ( you can easy make up a tool to engage the pump drive ) to ensure oil was flowing up through . As i said mine was dry and i had to replace some parts , you may be o.k if it's not vocal yet .
If you have the time have a read through tapping top end thread in v8 engine section , (skip the banter it's a long one)
That was my experiance ,and how i dealt with it . The guys will point out anything i've missed .
stina
Ps careful with the push rods you can displace the tappets , i replaced the push rods on mine . If you sort of apply side pressure they come out without disturbing the tappets .
Hello Phil,
How many miles has your engine covered? Oil change intervals are of greater significance than distance covered when it comes to the RV8, but it at least gives a bit of a guide.
Ron.
How many miles has your engine covered? Oil change intervals are of greater significance than distance covered when it comes to the RV8, but it at least gives a bit of a guide.
Ron.
Hello Phil,
That is not really all that many miles, although if the engine has been neglected then the wear could be far more than it should be.
Is your oil pressure transmitter a stout metal canister or a large nut with a black plastic cylinder sitting atop? If the latter, these are notoriously unreliable, so the reading is quite likely incorrect.
Areas that can result in lower oil pressure are worn rocker shafts, heavily worn camshaft bearings, heavily worn main bearings or caps which are coming loose, significant scoring inside the timing cover where the oil pump gears reside, significant scoring of the oil pump front cover where the gears spin against. A partially blocked gauze strainer on the oil pickup within the sump will also see a reduction in oil pressure.
As Harvey said, your best bet is to drive the Rover. Record what you do and when you do it, look for changes. You could well do another 88,000 miles and see no untoward changes at all.
Ron.
That is not really all that many miles, although if the engine has been neglected then the wear could be far more than it should be.
Is your oil pressure transmitter a stout metal canister or a large nut with a black plastic cylinder sitting atop? If the latter, these are notoriously unreliable, so the reading is quite likely incorrect.
Areas that can result in lower oil pressure are worn rocker shafts, heavily worn camshaft bearings, heavily worn main bearings or caps which are coming loose, significant scoring inside the timing cover where the oil pump gears reside, significant scoring of the oil pump front cover where the gears spin against. A partially blocked gauze strainer on the oil pickup within the sump will also see a reduction in oil pressure.
As Harvey said, your best bet is to drive the Rover. Record what you do and when you do it, look for changes. You could well do another 88,000 miles and see no untoward changes at all.
Ron.
Hi Phil
For a Rover V8 the key discussion is oil flow rate rather than oil pressure. They'll run happily for years at 5 psi hot idle providing the oil is free to get to all the important places. Like you, I'd be happier with more pressure, but it's an emotional thing rather than practical. Yours seems to say around 10 to 15 psi, so I wouldn't panic.
The lack of oil in the rocker covers is a cause for panic though! Rover V8's are known to run quietly until really very far gone, so precautionary action is advisable! First step is to asses the camshaft by running the engine (briefly) with the covers off. Check you have the same lift on all valves - the hydraulic tappets preclude doing it static and also take up lack of movement to disguise cam wear from an audible point of view. If satisfied here, then follow Stina's advice to regain oil supply to the rocker shafts. If you think you have a damaged shaft, then you can replace without further action. If you replace rockers, or the complete assenbly, then, in theory, you need to reset tappet preload, essentailly shimmimg under the pedestals to get an acceptable start point from which the hydraulic tappets can take up the remaing slack.
Chris
For a Rover V8 the key discussion is oil flow rate rather than oil pressure. They'll run happily for years at 5 psi hot idle providing the oil is free to get to all the important places. Like you, I'd be happier with more pressure, but it's an emotional thing rather than practical. Yours seems to say around 10 to 15 psi, so I wouldn't panic.
The lack of oil in the rocker covers is a cause for panic though! Rover V8's are known to run quietly until really very far gone, so precautionary action is advisable! First step is to asses the camshaft by running the engine (briefly) with the covers off. Check you have the same lift on all valves - the hydraulic tappets preclude doing it static and also take up lack of movement to disguise cam wear from an audible point of view. If satisfied here, then follow Stina's advice to regain oil supply to the rocker shafts. If you think you have a damaged shaft, then you can replace without further action. If you replace rockers, or the complete assenbly, then, in theory, you need to reset tappet preload, essentailly shimmimg under the pedestals to get an acceptable start point from which the hydraulic tappets can take up the remaing slack.
Chris