[Healeys] oil pressure problem

[Len and/or Marge Hartnett]

HMJ:  My search for the cause of low oil pressure ended up at the top of my 
engine.  I removed the valve cover to see if I was getting excess oil at the 
rockers.  What I discovered was that the washer under the banjo fitting at 
the oil tube from the head to the rocker arm was split and passing a large 
flow of oil.  I replaced the washer and gained oil pressure.  I am currently 
getting about about 60 psi cold, 45 psi at 180 degrees engine temp cruising 
at 70 mph on the Interstate (oops!  I mean 65 mph, officer  ;-)  ).

(The Other) Len
Fairfield, CA, USA
1967 AH 3000 MkIII, HBJ8L39031


----- Original Message ----- 
From: <healeymanjim at hansencc.net>
To: <healeys at autox.team.net>
Sent: Thursday, September 11, 2014 7:18 PM
Subject: [Healeys] oil pressure problem


>a while back i had mentioned a newly rebuilt bt7 engine that had very low 
>oil pressure.  after doing all the obvious external investigations to no 
>avail, we dropped the pan and tried to plastigage the rods.  here is where 
>we discovered the problem.  the plastigage would not even flatten out.  i 
>checked all big ends and they were all loose as a goose.  pulled all rod 
>caps and discovered that even though crank stated it was .020 reground and 
>mains were .020 undersize, all six rods had .010 bearings.  new bearings 
>were installed and now  at operating temp the oil pressure is over 30 psi 
>at about 1000 rpm.  all is well, right?  wrong.  we cannot figure out why 
>even at high rpm we cannot get over 50psi pressure on a cold engine using 
>two different guages.  we even put some washers behind a brand new relief 
>valve and spring with no success.  the owner is going to live with it, but 
>sure would be nice to know what is happening.  could it be a gallery leak 
>we could not find or something i hav
> e never heard of.  would really like to know.
> _______________________________________________