[Healeys] Oil pressure relief valve, moving along.

[Simon Lachlan]

I'd noticed that my oil pressure was not too good, so I read the string (and
strings and strings) with considerable interest. Someone pointed the way to
an excellent article by Roger Moment, one of our Gurus who has reached the
Very Highest Levels. This article persuaded me that I would benefit from a
new oil pressure relief valve spring as my car's symptoms matched up with
some in the article and if Roger says "do it", I do it. (Spring costs
pennies and engine work/parts cost serious money, so all indications were
good).

 

My car is right hand drive and it has a servo, so access wasn't easy. The
nut is 1 and one eighth inch and came off easily enough with a ring spanner,
coming at it from below.

 

The new spring was longer, stiffer and fractionally heavier than the old
one. By "heavier" I mean it looked heavier and it weighed more. (Same width
and same number of spirals). I got the impression that the new spring was
identical to the old one, but with 50 or so years' less wear in it. Hope you
see what I mean.

 

The nut with new spring was a pig to get in the first half turn. No space
for tools (without removing servo and maybe oil filter etcetc) and my hands
are not what they were forty years ago. Age and arthritis. However, I'd
taken it to local garage to attempt it on a ramp. Garage had a Big Strong
Boy, very useful tool, who got it in for me. (Smaller hands, but younger and
stronger).

 

Result......well, I've got the figures on the old spring (pressure at which
temp and how many revs after 2, 5, 10 & 20 minutes) but I've not been able
to do it with the new spring yet.

BUT, I am 99% sure that I've gained about 10+psi all round. Maybe more. Fast
idle, warm engine, was around 60. So, it's all to the good.

 

Just thought I'd let you know how I benefitted from the accumulated wisdom.

 

Am going away until after the weekend and will tabulate the new figures when
I get back. If anyone wants them...

Simon