Thread: Potential Oil Problem in my 80 inch

Originally Posted by JDNSW

Reminds me of my first car, a 1955 VW pickup. One morning, starting up in very cold weather after camping for the night, I was fortunately backing out of a tight spot, and had my brother looking out. He noticed oil "everywhere".

Much more accessible in the case of the VW engine - the oil pressure switch faced backwards, and the guts of it were hanging on the end of the wire, with the base directing a jet of oil back against the engine compartment lid. Put a self tapper in to block the leak and got a new sender at the next town.

John

Hi John
same also happened to me on the F5 returning from Baulkham hills to Gosford, in 1973.
The oil pressure switch lost it on the free-way at night and I arrived back in gosford with a very rattlie Holden panel van HJ , hydraulic tappets almost none existent and made it up my driveway and then the engine stopped.
It seized and I had to have an reconditioned Higginbottom 202 engine fitted for $650.00 complete, using to old rocker cover.
So beware oil pressure warning light switches mounted in the block.
Always carry the appropriate sockets to suit the switch.

Originally Posted by JDNSW

I think you have a problem apart from the type of oil, and it is most likely either a partly blocked screen (as suggested) on the oil pickup or an air leak on the suction of the oil pump (or both), both exacerbated by the relatively heavy oil. But there are other possibilities, including a sticking oil relief valve that is freed by increasing temperature.

If it was only a problem with high viscosity oil, I would not expect low oil pressure to be a symptom, and particularly not when cold.

John

Thanks Guys for your thoughts, I had only changed the oil out approx three months ago, and checked the screen, and it was all clear and fine

Originally Posted by digger

when starting is it originally very slow to turn over?

eg slow starter turnover then gets faster and starts?

I had this problem on a Rollux years ago.

sat most of time but got serviced on dates not kms. as stated slow turn over etc then runs fast & fine (starter) and starts.. coudnt work it out, when finally running OK, you check oil and its sweet, clean and nice.

After lots of searching, off came the oil filter when car was COLD, and the oil was fair dinkum treakle!! the crank was pushing through this 'sludge' of jelly like stuff, after pushing it aside it stayed clear until car started, then the heat melted it to appear perfectly fine. Turns out the bloke that was servicing it wasnt changing the oil!!! he'd change the filter and top it up (god knows how he did that without loosing everything!) he did this because he was watching the kms and didnt think he needed to replace the oil (even though he charged for it.)

cost him a total engine rebuild because I refused to settle for anything less

The engine has only done approx 2000 km's since it's total rebuild, and when the oil was changed at the 1000 km mark, it was what you would expect at that stage. The engine turns over on start up at normal speed.

One thing that I probably needed to clarify is that the old girl is garaged in a multi level carpark, on the ground floor (actually about 1.5m below ground level) with open caged sides so the outside air blows through the carpark. I imagine that this environment would lower the temperature more so than a closed home garage.

I might change the oil to a more commercial grade and see what happens

Thanks for your assistance

Regards'

Wal