[TR] Low Oil Pressure and Engine Noises

[John & Pat Donnelly]

Thanks Mark. I plan to work on the engine this weekend. I'll start with the
rocker shaft first, then the bottom end.
When cold, idle is at 20, and goes to 70 as revs increase. After water temp
comes up to normal the pressure starts dropping. After running for 15
minutes idle pressure is almost 0, and at 3000 rpm it's 35. 
I used to run the oil pressure on the high side, up around 90, and had it
that way for years. Now it's at 70. But, it's only been in the last year
that I've noticed the pressure dropping after reaching running temp.
One of the sounds could be valve train related. It makes a tin type noise,
like a small metal piece rattling around or hitting something. It's not
rhythmic or in sync with engine speed, but rather a constant rattle.
Another sounds like a shaft wobbling around, sort of like a journal is too
big. This one happens as I let off the throttle. It's not as fast as the
engine speed, maybe the camshaft?
The engine has plenty of pep, and is as fast as I've ever had it in 40
years. The engine went through a total rebuild 8 years ago and has about 40K
miles on it. I have my reservations for TFest and want to make sure I make
it, so I need to tackle this problem now.
Johnnie

-----Original Message-----
From: triumphs-bounces at autox.team.net
[mailto:triumphs-bounces at autox.team.net] On Behalf Of Mark J Bradakis
Sent: Tuesday, September 01, 2009 9:07 PM
To: triumphs at autox.team.net
Subject: Re: [TR] Low Oil Pressure and Engine Noises

> The oil pressure on my car is getting too low, and "bad" sounding noises
> have started to set in.
How low is too low?  What sort of pressures are you seeing at idle, at
startup and fully warmed?  You may want to pull the pan and take a
look at some of the rod bearings.

A worn rocker shaft can also contribute to noise and low oil pressure.
This is easier to check than the rod bearings.  Just remove the valve cover
and push the rocker arms around, see if you can see any scoring or wear
on the shaft.

mjb.
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