Hi all,
I had posted previously about seeing very low oil pressure at idle in my
'74 TR6. (0-20 psi)
I suspected it was the gauge, and since the oil pressure switch was broken
(and leaking oil too!), I went to PepBoys and bought the cheapest mechanical
oil pressure gauge they had (a $10.95 Sunpro Style Line).
Now, before you gasp in fear that I bolted that thing onto my dash, I'll
tell you that I didn't do that. I found the perfect spot to install an
auxiliary oil pressure gauge in the engine bay, but visible from the driver's
seat (with the hood up).
In my car, between the hazard relay and fuse box there were a couple of empty
holes and space, for mounting what, I don't know. But it was the perfect
spot for the gauge. Close the the oil pressure port on the engine, and within
view from the cockpit. (And since I was most concerned about idle pressure,
having to lift the hood up was fine.)
If you're not worried about perfection, this may be a good thing for you
as well if you doubt the veracity of your in-dash gauge, because when I
fired up the engine I got around 80 psi at cold (fast) idle (~2000 rpm).
(Idle is still a problem that I haven't looked into very much yet, the leaking
clutch slave cylinder is the next job.) The in-dash gauge was at half that.
I drove the car for about an hour on my favorite test track (a windy road
around Reeds Lake used mostly by joggers. It has one very fun steep, down-hill
dogleg 15mph turn which I can take at around 30, with some fun drifting.)
When I got home idling at just below 1000 rpm, the in-dash gauge was reading
well below zero (tapping it would sometimes get it to jump above.) The under-
hood gauge was steady at 20psi. This is at hot, normal idle. At ~2000rpm
(parked in neutral) the gauge was reading about 60psi. The in-dash gauge
around 20-30 psi.
It almost seemed that the in-dash gauge was consistently half of the new
gauge (except at slow, hot idle when it dropped off the scale.)
Now, the new gauge could be reading high, but even the average of the two
would be good.
And if you remember my post about the engine # and the Heritage Certificate,
this good pressure reading would back up the claim by the DPPO that the
engine was a rebuilt non-original engine.
Personally, the second oil pressure gauge gave me the confidence to have
some fun with my car this evening, drifting through corners around the lake,
dodging dismayed joggers. It was a perfect October day here in West Michigan.
While at a stop light, the person in the lane next to me rolled down their
window and asked what year my TR6 was. He said he had a '69 and a '71, and
then the light turned green. The more I drive or work on the car, the more
people I meet who have an interest in LBCs. My mailman says that the TR6
has always been his favorite British sports car. (In my neighborhood we
still have mail carriers who walk, and I often see my mailman in the morning
on my porch.)
Being a new LBC owner, I have to say that it sure is a great way to meet
and talk to people. I've talked to my neighbors more in the last week than
I had all year.
Have fun.
Bill
'74 TR6
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