Oil Pressure Gauge Drops after 5 Mins

SimonG

SimonG

New Member
Can anyone assist with this problem?
A new main rope seal has just been put in the engine of my P6B.
Now, the oil pressure gauge comes up to around 3/4 on start up, stays there for a bit and then after running for 5~10 minutes, drops down slowly to what looks like zero. All sounds ok from the engine, no leaks, no oil warning light and plenty of clean oil showing on the dip stick.

Can anyone offer any suggestions?
 
Had a similar problem happen to me many years ago when I reconditioned my MKIV Zodiak engine, I replaced the main bearings with the correct oversize to fit the newly ground crank shaft but when engine was started the same problem occured as yours, On engine dissasembly I found that the factory (ford) has overbored (line bored) the mains caps and block (who woulda thunk that) by 10 or 20 thou. :roll:

Graeme
 
From what you are saying, Simon, the oil pressure was not a problem prior to the new rope seal? What idling speed does your engine run at and what were the cold and hot idling oil pressures before? Do you still get a decent oil pressure when the engine is revved now?

Chris
 
Hello Simon,

I could well be the typical "Rover coincidence"...fix one thing and then something else fails. Given that the oil pressure light does not come on when the gauge is displaying zero pressure, that to me points the finger at the oil pressure transmitter. Is it the original Smiths sender (squat metal cylinder) or is it a replacement made by BMI? The latter has a black plastic cylinder atop a metal section compete with spanner flats?

If the latter they are completely unreliable and is to be expected. If the former...have experienced that too, gauge on zero,..engine running fine,..oil light not on...replaced the sender and problem fixed.

Ron.
 
Give the sender unit a light tap with a metal bar and see if the pressure comes back up
I can't see fitting a new oil seal would affect the oil pressure
 
Thanks gents for suggestions.
Master oil gauge test (after needle had declined to zero) showed that the oil pressure was fine. Some handling of the sender once removed and then replacing it seems to have (at least for now) fixed the problem as the gauge now functions as it should. Definitely the sender. If it goes again I'll replace it.

Thanks again.
 
I would very much like to fit mechanical oil gauges to our S2 TC & B's but the integral dial dash makes it awkward. I don't suppose anybody has ever adapted the original display to accept one?
 
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