I'm glad didn't trust stock oil gauge

[pyromanic]

So I didn't know if I had the TOD, the COD (clatter of doom), or what. This 85 EA 82 was suposed to have had 1800 bucks of engine work done to her before the auto trans died. Then she sat for five years. I picked her up for a song, (and sang it myself), and stuck a JY 5 sp DR in her last week. She ran, but oh, that clatter.

 

A pint of MMO then full up with 20/50 Castrol took care of most of the clatter. Not all, but most. Only took 30 or 40 miles too.

 

But still no oil pressure at idle. Plenty when cold, but nothing when warmed up. In fact NEGATIVE pressure on the gauge.

 

So what to do?

 

Today I installed a nice VDO mechanical gauge with the BIG gradiations, so that I could really se what is going on. Figured since these older Soobs are notorious for low pressure, might as well spend the extra dough so I could get an accurae reading of even LOW presure.

 

Heres what I got. 19.5 PSI at idle, when at operating temp. Up to 75 at 3500 rpm. Not great, but beats the heck out of negative, eh?

 

What to do?

 

I don't know yet. I am considering my options.

 

Time for a compression check. I am skeptical of that 1800 bucks of engine work. I know the outfit that was supposed to have done it, in Bend OR, and they are higher than heck on pricing of labor. So I'm thinking that maybe just the top end was gone through? The engine looks like at least that was done. And it runs great. It is leaking a very small amount around the front. I suspect cam seals or whatever. It just seems like if this engine had a complete overhaul, (as I was told) oil pressure would be better.

 

Oh well, it runs.

 

Comments welcome.

 

20 lbs aint that bad is it?

 

pyro

[Quidam]

Pyromanic wrote:

 

So I didn't know if I had the TOD, the COD (clatter of doom), or what. This 85 EA 82 was suposed to have had 1800 bucks of engine work done to her before the auto trans died. Then she sat for five years. I picked her up for a song, (and sang it myself), and stuck a JY 5 sp DR in her last week. She ran, but oh, that clatter.

 

A pint of MMO then full up with 20/50 Castrol took care of most of the clatter. Not all, but most. Only took 30 or 40 miles too.

 

But still no oil pressure at idle. Plenty when cold, but nothing when warmed up. In fact NEGATIVE pressure on the gauge.

 

So what to do?

 

Today I installed a nice VDO mechanical gauge with the BIG gradiations, so that I could really se what is going on. Figured since these older Soobs are notorious for low pressure, might as well spend the extra dough so I could get an accurae reading of even LOW presure.

 

Good move on the mechanical gauge.

 

Heres what I got. 19.5 PSI at idle, when at operating temp. Up to 75 at 3500 rpm. Not great, but beats the heck out of negative, eh?

 

That's not too bad actually.

 

Consider this from an '86 EA-82 owner's manual, page 28, titled "Oil pressure gauge":

 

"The needle indicates pressure in a range from 28 to 71 psi at normal driving. It is normal for the needle to remain near "0" when the engie is idling or at low speed, and the oil is at normal operating temperature."

 

What to do?

 

I don't know yet. I am considering my options.

 

Time for a compression check. I am skeptical of that 1800 bucks of engine work. I know the outfit that was supposed to have done it, in Bend OR, and they are higher than heck on pricing of labor. So I'm thinking that maybe just the top end was gone through? The engine looks like at least that was done. And it runs great. It is leaking a very small amount around the front. I suspect cam seals or whatever. It just seems like if this engine had a complete overhaul, (as I was told) oil pressure would be better.

 

Oh well, it runs.

 

Comments welcome.

 

Drive it and keep it under observation for a while.

 

20 lbs aint that bad is it?

 

No, not really.

pyro

[Handtool]

Your oil pressure is pretty normal for these engines. Almost exactly what I'm reading on my aftermarket mechanical oil guage.