quick oil pressure question..

[Turbo6Smackdown]

I have a knock. Im about 99.99% sure its bearings. At what point in the knock, does the oil pressure dummy light come on. How bad does the wear have to be, before my pressure drops enough to turn my light on. Not that I plan on running it anymore but, was just curious. I parked her, until I can get up in there, and check things out.

 

[SouthernCal GN]

Idiot light comes on at about 4psi- has nothing to do with knock.

Many causes of low oil pressure- all end up at the same destination- motor damage.

Clogged pickup foot in the pan.
Gallery plugs popped.
Worn pump.
and so on and so on.....

 

[Turbo6Smackdown]

why i asked is because, i hear that when bearings start to go, the oil pressure starts to drop. Is this incorrect?

 

[bison]

why i asked is because, i hear that when bearings start to go, the oil pressure starts to drop. Is this incorrect?

Ive seen totally wasted rod bearings with decent oil pressure. The front main and front cam bearing if worn will bleed off a lot of pressure. If the mains are knocking its more of a dull thud. The rods will have a more pronounced knocking sound. Poor oil pump clearances will also cause low pressures.

 

[Steve]

I bought a WE4 with a knock in in the bottom end. It had great oil pressure but the crank and rod were ruined and unuseable.

 

[Blown&Injected]

I had an oil galley plug pop out and still had some pressure - about 65 cold and 8 psi hot - no light no knock everything sounded and ran just GREAT! only pulled it because the mechanical gauge said Danger! error-error

The bearings were hurting I'm sure do to starvation

 

[Turbo6Smackdown]

I see. I sure hope my journals/rods arent destroyed when i pull the pan. Because its going to be a long time before i can get up enough money to rebuild
Im going to start playing the lottery. Hell, whats the odds for small, 5000$ or so lotteries? Cant be much eh?

 

[SouthernCal GN]

How IS your oil pressure? You have no mention of the pressure; maybe you'll get lucky, and your knock will turn out to be a loose converter bolt......

 

[Turbo6Smackdown]

I dont have an oil pressure light. (hence my oil light question )

Converter bolts:
I couldnt get that lucky already checked their tightness. Though, this afternoon, when puttin my IC back on, i heard, what seemed to me, to be a decent knock thru my alternator. i put my hand on it, and the minute thumps, were congruent with the audible knocks I was hearing. I was like YES! LET THIS BE IT!, but then when I took her out around the block to get her movin around again, after her last winter break, the knock I kept hearing, was far too loud to be from an alternator
I still have two sources to check. Im going to check to see if theres any slap/slop goin down with the timing chain, and Im going to pull the converter back, to see if theres not something inside that thing, that could be rattling around, who knows. theyre both long shots but, I gotta do it.

 

[GNTIM]

I am a big fan of cutting open the oil filter at every oil change and anytime I suspect engine problems. I have been able to replace bearings instead of pulling motors because I caught it in time.

 

[SouthernCal GN]

You should have an oil pressure light- should come on when you first turn on the ignition. Take the serp belt off, and start the engine- takes the belt driven accessories outof the loop.

 

[83ttypecooled]

Hi,
It wouldn't hurt to pul the serpentine belt just to make sure something unusual isn't happening in the the accessory area. Beyond that,I must admit I hate the idiot lights, much prefer a gauge to tell me just how good, or bad, my oil pressure is. Install a test gauge at the pump, find out what you have,FOR SURE!

 

[Turbo6Smackdown]

hey southern, if you start the car, and take the serp belt off, how will the alternator fire the coil?

 

[83ttypecooled]

Hi,
Well, Northern,I would say the battery will run things long enough to find out if your problem lies in the accessory area. By the way, I was born and raised in suburban Detroit, still have lots of family and friends there. My kind of town. Go Tigers! Go Astros! Let's see 'em in the World Series!

 

[SouthernCal GN]

hey southern, if you start the car, and take the serp belt off, how will the alternator fire the coil?

Might want to take the belt off, THEN start the car :biggrin:

The battery is not only a starting device, it's a backup/emergency power source. Theory is that if the alt craps out, you'll have enough juice powering the car to get to a safe location before you suck the battery dry.


As was stated above, you'll have more than enough power to start and run the car for a while- make sure your battery is fully charged before you start.

 

[turbofabricator]

I forgot to plug the single connector into the alt one time and my wife drove the car to work (28 miles one way) for three days before it died on her on the way home one night. It'll run fine for HOURS with out the alternator hooked up. If you forget to plug in the field wire plug into the alt., it won't illuminate the dash warning/charge light, and it won't charge. (She doesn't like driving it with the power it makes now. She HAS raced it and even raced a Vette with the kids in the car. The kids came RUNNING into the house LAUGHING that Mom just kicked a Corvette's BUTT!! And she NEVER did burnouts in it )

 

[Turbo6Smackdown]

I see. I guess that shows you i never had an alternator crap out on me. (without some other stuff goin out with it)

i will do that then.