[Healeys] Oil pressure

[Chris Dimmock]

Hey Jerry,
Agreed  but Not on a rebuilt engine.
That's 9 lbs at 900rpm on a stock rebuilt Healey.
Mark,
Ok. Confession time.
My Bj8 was the most expensive engine rebuild I've ever been through.  
And by far the most hp per litre, and reliable.
And by far the best to drive - for the past 12 years.
But I've had my fair share of $200 engine rebuilds in sprites 100/4s  
and 3000s. I've done my fair share of the second hand pistons, the  
copper tube wrapped in wetn'dry bore crosshatching; the wetn'dry crank  
linishing, old cams, and the turn the rocker shaft upside down, hit it  
with an angle grinder, and carve out the appropriate holes.
But if you play these games, you need to understand oil pressure  
springs, shimming them, and lapping the valve to the block.
You have time, or money. Or both.
If you have neither.... Forget it.
Many years ago, I raced a Bugeye Sprite. 1220cc. Hillman Imp pistons,  
a later ribcase gearset in a smooth casing, and a 948 block.
Impossible. But I had time. And no money.
It was very quick - on a budget no one believed. My "best" engine was  
under $200. Way under. It had the best used bearings I could find....
I balanced stuff on digital scales from work. I read books. I used  
high tensile cap head bolts from army disposal.
Now? I use proper stuff. I don't have the time I had when I was a  
student.
Longwinded?
Pull the oil pressure relief valve, look at the light gray sealing  
ring on the sealing face. Is is sealing? Shim the spring. Fit the best  
quality filter your pocket can afford.
Did that help?
Put penrite HPR 40 in your engine.
Not good enough? Use HPR50
Oil pressure is about oil. And pressure.
Check both.
Sincerely.
Chris


Sent from my iPhone

On 28/09/2010, at 9:31 PM, jerry wall <jwbn6hrdtp at gmail.com> wrote:

> the old hot-rodder rule of thumb is 10lbs per 1000 rpm.
> cheers,
>
> On Mon, Sep 27, 2010 at 9:19 PM, Mark LaPierre <lapierrem at sbcglobal.net 
> >wrote:
>
>> FWIW,   You guys crack me up.   My rebuild is running at about  
>> 40lbs hot on
>> the highway,   lower
>> at idle.   I was wondering if my oil filter adapter was bringing my
>> pressure down.   The  average input
>> from you guys was that  40lbs was fine, not a problem. I was even  
>> going to
>> try to change the oil pressure relief valve and spring again but I  
>> was
>> talked out of that too.