Engine wear?

[paulio0898]

Hi,
wondered if there is a simple way to check for wear in engine?
I don't get much flow of oil up to the tappet shaft .

I took off the oil filter housing , and cranked engine without plugs fitted. When I did this I didn't get much of a flow from the feed pipe to the housing. So Im wondering if the oil pump/ bearings are past it?

When the oil filter is refitted the oil pressure light goes out after a few seconds of cranking , but I read that only indicates 5 to 10 PSI is achieved?

So if things are worn , does fitting a new oil pump make much difference to oil pressure, if the bearings are suspect?

Cheers
Paul in UK

[philthehill]

In short a new oil pump will not make any difference to the oil pressure if the bearings are worn.
The maximum oil pressure is controlled by the oil pressure relief valve. You could try a new oil pressure relief valve and spring.
To replace the oil pump you will have to remove the engine from the car and then remove the rear engine plate to gain access to the pump.
I think that in the long term you are going to have to strip and recondition the engine/crankshaft and fit a new oil pump. The oil pump is the beating heart of the engine and should be replaced whenever the engine is reconditioned.

[paulio0898]

In short a new oil pump will not make any difference to the oil pressure if the bearings are worn.
The maximum oil pressure is controlled by the oil pressure relief valve. You could try a new oil pressure relief valve and spring.
To replace the oil pump you will have to remove the engine from the car and then remove the rear engine plate to gain access to the pump.
I think that in the long term you are going to have to strip and recondition the engine/crankshaft and fit a new oil pump. The oil pump is the beating heart of the engine and should be replaced whenever the engine is reconditioned.

Thanks Phil

[kevin s]

Might be worth droping the sump and checking the pick up gauze is clean, you could also pull the centre main and a big end to check for wear. This can all be done easily with the engine in the car. Beyond this you need to pull the engine so as Phil says you may as well spend a couple of extra hours to pull it all appart and check everything.

[kennatt]

/wondered if there is a simple way to check for wear in engine

Is it blowing blue smoke out ,is it knocking, rattling failing to pull up hills,takes a long time to crank over from cold before starting.When you take the oil filler off is it blowing a lot ,A LOT ,of fumes out. If not then leave well alone,don't go looking for something to fix unless it need fixing. Unless you really want to pull the engine, strip and rebuild.If the oil supply is so low then I would think you would be getting one of the above symptons now.

[liammonty]

In short a new oil pump will not make any difference to the oil pressure if the bearings are worn.
The maximum oil pressure is controlled by the oil pressure relief valve. You could try a new oil pressure relief valve and spring.
To replace the oil pump you will have to remove the engine from the car and then remove the rear engine plate to gain access to the pump.
I think that in the long term you are going to have to strip and recondition the engine/crankshaft and fit a new oil pump. The oil pump is the beating heart of the engine and should be replaced whenever the engine is reconditioned.

Sound advice if the engine is worn and has low oil pressure. But, I would suggest you ascertain whether the oil pressure is indeed low by fitting an oil pressure gauge first, before you strip down the engine! It's a lot cheaper for starters - it's the only really cheap and straightforward way to get an indication of the wear in the bearings, crank, oil pump etc. without stripping the engine. Paulio0898 - you haven't said what you're comparing the perceived lack of oil flow with - there's never much oil at the top of these engines compared with a modern OHC engine anyway, so it could be that all is fine, as Kennatt suggests above .

[philthehill]

If your oil system is in good condition you will get enough oil for it to be visibly seen as a throw off from the rockers plus the observer being showered in oil.

[liammonty]

If your oil system is in good condition you will get enough oil for it to be visibly seen as a throw off from the rockers plus the observer being showered in oil.

Presumably with hot oil, not a cold engine, and the OP hasn't indicated whether the engine was hot, cold, running at speed etc. It just doesn't seem like sufficient information to me to advocate a full bottom end rebuild without first knowing the oil pressure readings.

[paulio0898]

Hi all,
Thanks for advice and replies,

Well, its an old car, that's been stood around for years.
I changed the oil and filter and eventually got engine running.
Thought I would adjust tappets , so rocker cover off and see that its pretty dry around rockers, pushrod holes.
So I took the rocker shaft off and cranked over for 15 secs with plugs out . After this there was hardly any oil coming up the oil feed hole at front of head.
Im away working for a couple of weeks, but will follow your advice and drop sump for a look /change relief valve , try to check oil pressure etc.

Happy new year all ;)

[kevin s]

If it's been standing for years there is a very good chance the bottom of the sump is full of tar like gunge blocking the pick up I would try cleaning it out, only takes an hour or so.

[paulio0898]

If it's been standing for years there is a very good chance the bottom of the sump is full of tar like gunge blocking the pick up I would try cleaning it out, only takes an hour or so.

Thanks Kevin

[philthehill]

What is the tip of the dip stick like when you remove it from the sump - is is covered in 'tar like gunge'?
Engines that are infrequently run benefit from being lubricated with a detergent based oil as used in diesel engines.
The detergent based oil keeps the oilways clear and helps carry the sludge to the oil filter where it is trapped.
You could use a flushing oil to initially clear the oilways and then use the detergent based oil.