Oil pressure gauge readings on my 16V

Discussion in '16-valve' started by Trev16v, Jun 24, 2005.

  1. Trev16v

    Trev16v Paid Member Paid Member

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    Today I plumbed in my Spitfire oil pressure gauge onto my 16V MK2 (standard 1.8 engine). I have had concerns about the oil pressure ever since I had the buzzer whine at me very briefly the other weekend, just as I was slowing down having booted it to the red line moments before (and it's never done it since).

    With the engine cold, I was initially getting these readings:

    2000rpm: 30psi
    3000rpm: 40psi
    4000rpm: 45psi
    5000rpm: 45psi

    And with the engine left to idle for a long time to heat up, I got:

    2000rpm: just over 20psi
    3000rpm: 25psi
    4000rpm: 30psi


    It looks like I've got around 1.5bar at 2000rpm when the engine has warmed up. The Haynes manual states a minimum of 2.0 bar at 2000 rpm with the oil at 80 degrees C on a 1.8 engine.

    Just wondering if anyone has any comments. Do you have an oil pressure gauge and if so how do your typical readings compare to mine? Is my oil pump shagged?

    Thanks, Trev
    Edited by: Trev16v
     
  2. Oplaii Forum Member

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    Mine reads 6 Bar at idle when it's cold, stays around their until its warmed up, and then it's about 1.5 bar when up to temp at idle.
     
  3. PaulM Forum Member

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    My VDO shows about 1.5-2 at warm idle.
     
  4. DODGER Forum Member

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    Mine shows 1.75bar @ 2000rpm oil fully hot. I guess they are not that accurate as I bet we all use VDO's out of old audi's.
    With the oil @ 80 it's over 2bar.
    Edited by: DODGER
     
  5. TheSecondComing Forum Addict

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    My valver has a receipt with it saying the oil pickup was cleaned out due to the oil buzzer going off, and the pressure BEFORE the clean was 2.2 bar hot at 2000rpm.
    Your high RPM readings sound low, as well. I'd be checking the pickup and/or pump ASAP.....
     
  6. GVK

    GVK Paid Member Paid Member

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    Is this the engine with the 'pinking' Trev? [:s]
     
  7. Trev16v

    Trev16v Paid Member Paid Member

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    Gary - it is, yes. :(
     
  8. GVK

    GVK Paid Member Paid Member

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    Sounds like you want to be looking inside the sump, all your problems could be solved :)
     
  9. Trev16v

    Trev16v Paid Member Paid Member

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    The harsh noise can be eliminated completely when the ignition is retarded a lot (and ECU vacuum hose pulled and blocked). So I would have thought that the noise is a separate issue to that of the oil pressure, and (hopefully!) not due to a dead bearing or something.

    Or have I not put two and two together here?

    Despite the ignition retarding thing, do you still reckon low oil pressure could be causing this?
    Edited by: Trev16v
     
  10. TheSecondComing Forum Addict

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    Well your oil pressure is obviously a problem, so sort that first - then see if it has an effect. It could be that retarding the ignition so much is reducing the load on the engine enough that it won't knock.....
     
  11. Trev16v

    Trev16v Paid Member Paid Member

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    Okay.

    I have got a brand new GSF oil pump. Can't find a brand name on it, but I guess it will be good enough.

    Can get a sump gasket tomorrow.

    What's it like replacing the oil pump with the engine in the car? I've stripped a block on the bench and obvously that was dead easy. Do I just take the sump off and take a couple of bolts out for the pump, slap the new pump in, and away I go? Do I have to shift the gearbox slightly to get at those two awkward sump bolts?

    Thanks,

    Trev
     
  12. Trev16v

    Trev16v Paid Member Paid Member

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    Coming to think of it, I'll read that FAQ that Riley did.
     
  13. GVK

    GVK Paid Member Paid Member

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    Yep, that's what I was going to say, with less advance there won't be as much load on the piston and the crank will knock less :)

    Remember those 3 cyl Daihatsu Charade GTTI ? 900odd cc things.. Anyway, one came in knocking it's balls off, removed the centre plug lead and the noise stopped [:D]

    Crank was dead tho. :lol:
     
  14. GVK

    GVK Paid Member Paid Member

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    Before changing the pump I would check the state of the big end shells, waste of time changing the pump if the big end shells are worn.It's the tolerance of the bearings that makes the pressure, the pump flows the oil through the system.
     
  15. Trev16v

    Trev16v Paid Member Paid Member

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    Noise most definitely comes from the head.


    I found Riley's most excellent oil pump change guide. It wasn't in the FAQ section, so I moved it :)
     
  16. GVK

    GVK Paid Member Paid Member

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    I hope I'm wrong, but it just seems too much of a coincidence that you've got very little oil pressure and a knocking engine Trev. :)
     
  17. Trev16v

    Trev16v Paid Member Paid Member

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    To be honest Gary, I've got to the stage where it would be great to just know the answer to all this so that I can just move on and get it sorted.

    If the oil pump / engine is fecked then it'll be a bit strange, because the car was fine when it was running with the other gas flowed head. Then the car went into storage for almost a year. Wonder if the pump just gummed up or something.
     
  18. Andy947 Forum Addict

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    Trev, i think that engine will be utterly screwed

    I think you have failed to maintain it properly and as such, it is entirely you to blame :thumbup:
     
  19. Trev16v

    Trev16v Paid Member Paid Member

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  20. GVK

    GVK Paid Member Paid Member

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    In the year before I bought GVK, it only did 3k, as the guy had a company car ( PT cruiser ) :lol:

    Car had been maintained by C+R regular oil changes etc..

    I view the car, sounded fine, no rattles or anything, collect the car following weekend, do 70 miles down the M62/A1 and the crank is knocking [:^(] Some dried up sludge from out of the breather had dislodged and blocked up the oil pick up. [:^(]
     

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