Rising Oil Pressure?

[Yatesy350i]

Hi All

I took the 350i for a little warm up run yesterday just 5 or so miles as she's not been out for about 5 weeks. Noticed the oil pressure gauge was erratic when lifting off. Acting like a windscreen wiper! Just been out for another quick blast and it now seems worse. Not only do I still have the erratic gauge on lift off. The reading also rises significantly as the revs rise. Almost hitting 5 before I noticed. This can't be a good sign. Any ideas? Oil pressure is normally between 2-3 all the time. Oh car was well up to temperature before putting my foot down.

Cheers Karl.

[Yatesy350i]

Thanks Adam

I'll have a look at the PRV one night this week and report back.

Cheers Karl.

[Yatesy350i]

wild rover said:

Had a similar problem which was traced to the sender unit.

Yep I think you are right. Luckily I have a friend with a 390se who probably won't mind me stealing his sender unit for a bit of fault finding ;-)

Cheers Karl.

[Yatesy350i]

Right Gents

I got around to looking at this today. Cleaned out all breathers and the oil PRV. Replaced the sender with a known good one. The erratic nature of the gauge on lift off has disappeared. But the oil pressure still matches the revs from 3k up all the way. So I suppose the next step is to change the gauge or fit a capillary fed gauge for testing. Has anyone got either of the above I could borrow please? The car has never done this before last week. Oil pressure always between 2-3 no matter what?

Is this something I should be worried about? What oil pressures do other 350i owners see?

Cheers Karl

[Yatesy350i]

Thanks Gents

[Yatesy350i]

Well I replaced the electronic gauge with a temporary hoes fed gauge in place of the sender and sadly it confirmed that the oil pressure does deed flow the rev range from 3k upwards. So 5000rpm = 5bar.

Had a chat with V8 Developments and several others and the general census seem to be that a cam bearing has probably turned and blocked or semi blocked one of the oil ways.

V8D have offered to rebuild it or build me a 3.9 as a direct replacement.

Looks like I may be a passenger at this years Fest :-(

[Yatesy350i]

Thanks for the replies Gents.

Before I desided to take the engine out I removed and cleaned the PRV again and all of the hoses on the remote. All was shiny clean inside no signs of any blockages. The only thing I could inspect was the actual PRV housing as one of the small fixing bolt heads is rounded off.

All was reassembled and an new filter and oil (Valvoline VR1 20,50) was added. Symptoms all exactly the same.

What's a tadpole value and where can I get one. Got to be worth a try before stripping everything out.

Cheers Karl.

[Yatesy350i]

Thanks Adam

I'll give John a bell on Tuesday. Think I'll give it a try before proceeding any further with the engine out plans.

Managed to get the PRV housing off after wrestling with that damage bolt for two hours. All looked very clean inside. But there was minuscule evidence of some scoring on the PRV. Fingers crossed if all goes well I might be able to put off the GB refurb for another couple of years ;-)

Cheers Karl.

[Yatesy350i]

Update

Normal service has resumed.

I took the whole oil pump cover and remote filter assembly over to John Eales Engineering for them to have a look. Sadly John was out so never got to meet him. But his son Richard was there and was a massive help.

For a start he machined a seat into the oil pump cover to take the head of the tadpole correctly (I didn't know you needed to do that, though it was a direct replacement). He also modified one of the oil channels slightly. Cleaned it all up in the parts washer and job done.

Richard advices that I should change the whole oil filter remote system as the bore of the entire system was very small. He provided me with a replacement set of bolts for the oil pump cover and a new gasket and then after exchanging a little cash I was on the way home.

I purchased a complete Mocal remote oil filter setup from Matt Lewis racing when I got home for £106. Which turned up this morning. Fitted the whole lot to the car. Pumped a load of oil down the bores of the filter head and after a brief spin with the King lead off let it rip.

Oil pressure came up immediately to 2.4bar. Allowed the car to warm up at a fast and variable idle and took it for a blast. Idle pressure now warm around 1.8bar and rising to just over 3.2bar when the load pedal is pressed all the way into the fibreglass.

Job done all in for about 150 quid plus new oil and filter. Bargain.

Thanks for all the advice.

KY

[Yatesy350i]

Hi Adam

No I didn't bother trying as last time I refitted it all the hoses started leaking on the remote, so I just fitted new. One of the elbows on the old hose was really badly corroded externally as well so it was time for an upgrade.

The old sandwich plate also had on old leather gasket which I was struggling to find a replacement for. So for £106 it seemed a good move to replace the lot.

I just need to try and clean the engine bay and front suspension up now ready for the BBWF. Put it this way I don't think anything will be rusting anytime soon. More oil in the engine bay than in the engine :-)

Cheers Karl.

[Yatesy350i]

Lesliehedley said:

Karl, If you don't mind me asking, which of the Mocal remote kits from Matt Lewis Racing did you use and was it a straight replacement for the old system or did it need modifications to fit?

Thanks
Leslie

Hi Leslie

I contacted Matt to ensure I got the correct kit as you need a slightly different remote to the one in the kit. Please feel free to quote my order reference number 202788 when you call.

I ordered:-

1 x MLR.XU, Mocal RFK2 3/4UNF Remote Oil Filter Kit Land Rover Range Rover V8 SD1 3500 3.5 3.9

And then sent him the following.

Order placed (Order No 202788) and payment sent via PayPal. As discussed can you provide the compact side entry/exit filter head RFH1E please.

Regards Karl.