Discussion
Tax and insured from yesterday and first run out today!!!!! Got home and did my first service (Oil & filter, air filter and new plugs) You will see from my many posts on here I am quite inexperienced when it comes to weilding a spanner and so I am very happy with efforts. Took her out for a run again and had greaet fun. She is still running "Tappety" though.
There is a continuous problem with oil pressure, previous owner had it and I have had the senders checked and they are fine. Oil pressure drops to zero at under 2000rpm!!! above this and it sits really well at 1/2 way on the gaugewhen it is above 2000. Any ideas.....??
Next job is to give the engine bay a good clean... Had her up on axle stands, which is a big thing for someone like me, and it has given me a lot more confidence to get underneath for future jobs. Sorry about the long post but as you can tell, I have a big smile on my face today!
There is a continuous problem with oil pressure, previous owner had it and I have had the senders checked and they are fine. Oil pressure drops to zero at under 2000rpm!!! above this and it sits really well at 1/2 way on the gaugewhen it is above 2000. Any ideas.....??
Next job is to give the engine bay a good clean... Had her up on axle stands, which is a big thing for someone like me, and it has given me a lot more confidence to get underneath for future jobs. Sorry about the long post but as you can tell, I have a big smile on my face today!
Steve H said:
There is a continuous problem with oil pressure, previous owner had it and I have had the senders checked and they are fine. Oil pressure drops to zero at under 2000rpm!!! above this and it sits really well at 1/2 way on the gaugewhen it is above 2000. Any ideas.....??
If the senders are OK then that could be worn engine bearings.Do you get a clattering when you start it from cold for a few seconds? (bearings knocking)
If you are struggling for oil pressure then it could be struggling to get oil up to the tappets which will make them clatter more than usual.
Does the oil light come on when it is running and is hot?
(Oil pressure issues don't show up when the engine is cold as the oil is thicker)
Barkychoc said:
Steve H said:
There is a continuous problem with oil pressure, previous owner had it and I have had the senders checked and they are fine. Oil pressure drops to zero at under 2000rpm!!! above this and it sits really well at 1/2 way on the gaugewhen it is above 2000. Any ideas.....??
If the senders are OK then that could be worn engine bearings.Do you get a clattering when you start it from cold for a few seconds? (bearings knocking)
If you are struggling for oil pressure then it could be struggling to get oil up to the tappets which will make them clatter more than usual.
Does the oil light come on when it is running and is hot?
(Oil pressure issues don't show up when the engine is cold as the oil is thicker)
Is it an expensive job for engine bearings? Do you think I am ok to carry on using it?
Thanks
Barkychoc said:
Steve H said:
There is a continuous problem with oil pressure, previous owner had it and I have had the senders checked and they are fine. Oil pressure drops to zero at under 2000rpm!!! above this and it sits really well at 1/2 way on the gaugewhen it is above 2000. Any ideas.....??
If the senders are OK then that could be worn engine bearings.Do you get a clattering when you start it from cold for a few seconds? (bearings knocking)
If you are struggling for oil pressure then it could be struggling to get oil up to the tappets which will make them clatter more than usual.
Does the oil light come on when it is running and is hot?
(Oil pressure issues don't show up when the engine is cold as the oil is thicker)
+1 This link may help explain a bit more.
http://www.aa1car.com/library/us1097.htm
If it the engine bearings then the damage is already done - I ran an old V6 2.3 granada that had zero oil pressure at idle and only ever got a quarter of the way up the gauge when it was screaming for its life!
It never went bang, despite my best efforts to break it.
How was your oil pressure gauge tested?
If the rheostat (electric trickery bit inside the oil pressure sender) has a break in the wire then this would give the symptoms you describe - it reads nothing at all until the contact inside moves up the wire coil past the break then it reads as normal.
Does it gradually increase as revs increase or does it suddenly ping up to a reading at 2000 revs?
It never went bang, despite my best efforts to break it.
How was your oil pressure gauge tested?
If the rheostat (electric trickery bit inside the oil pressure sender) has a break in the wire then this would give the symptoms you describe - it reads nothing at all until the contact inside moves up the wire coil past the break then it reads as normal.
Does it gradually increase as revs increase or does it suddenly ping up to a reading at 2000 revs?
Barkychoc said:
If it the engine bearings then the damage is already done - I ran an old V6 2.3 granada that had zero oil pressure at idle and only ever got a quarter of the way up the gauge when it was screaming for its life!
It never went bang, despite my best efforts to break it.
How was your oil pressure gauge tested?
If the rheostat (electric trickery bit inside the oil pressure sender) has a break in the wire then this would give the symptoms you describe - it reads nothing at all until the contact inside moves up the wire coil past the break then it reads as normal.
Does it gradually increase as revs increase or does it suddenly ping up to a reading at 2000 revs?
Don't know how it was tested but I will try and find out. It really is strange because the needle just drops to zero below 2000 and pings straight up to 1/2 way above 2000rpm. it is not a gradual at all. It never went bang, despite my best efforts to break it.
How was your oil pressure gauge tested?
If the rheostat (electric trickery bit inside the oil pressure sender) has a break in the wire then this would give the symptoms you describe - it reads nothing at all until the contact inside moves up the wire coil past the break then it reads as normal.
Does it gradually increase as revs increase or does it suddenly ping up to a reading at 2000 revs?
She seems to drive ok, bit noisy and rattly but thats one of the reasons I love it!
Anyone got a rough price if it is the bearings????
I'd suspect the oil pressure sender and change it first anyway, or buy a cheap capilliary gauge off e.bay, plumb it in and see what it reads without the electrics involved.
If the mains and big ends were worn, you would get a very heavy knocking at start up with the mains, and a very heavy knocking when revving the engine if it was the big ends.
If it comes to it, then it would be quite expensive to replace these by a garage, and if it is that bad then the crank is probably scuppered as well. Unless you have £700-£1000 to spend on a bottom end recon engine, then it would be more economic to source a second hand engine. The bearings themselves are not expensive (about £60 per set of big ends and mains, but there is a lot of labour involved....I'm just doing mine at the minute while the engine is out...
If the engine is just rattley or tappety, then it might be worth getting the valve clearances set up (assuming it's not got hydraulic tappets, as some s3cs do). If the bottom end has gone, then you would kind of know that it doesn't sound too good, if you know what I mean.
Hope that helps but if not give me a shout....might be able to diagnose it over the phone..
Cheers
Ant
If the mains and big ends were worn, you would get a very heavy knocking at start up with the mains, and a very heavy knocking when revving the engine if it was the big ends.
If it comes to it, then it would be quite expensive to replace these by a garage, and if it is that bad then the crank is probably scuppered as well. Unless you have £700-£1000 to spend on a bottom end recon engine, then it would be more economic to source a second hand engine. The bearings themselves are not expensive (about £60 per set of big ends and mains, but there is a lot of labour involved....I'm just doing mine at the minute while the engine is out...
If the engine is just rattley or tappety, then it might be worth getting the valve clearances set up (assuming it's not got hydraulic tappets, as some s3cs do). If the bottom end has gone, then you would kind of know that it doesn't sound too good, if you know what I mean.
Hope that helps but if not give me a shout....might be able to diagnose it over the phone..
Cheers
Ant
Edited by Tant on Friday 2nd April 19:03
Thanks to you all for taking time to give your advice today, its a lot to take in for a non mechanic. There is a knock on start up (only 1 or 2 bangs and these come from under the car (sort of under the gearstick as if the exhaust is knocking) but when revving there is no noise (just the tappets) She does seem to go well and accelarates well.
She starts fine and idles well, am I ok to keep using the car. This has always happened and happened to the previous owner who also posted the problem on here and got a bit of advice but obviously didnt act on it. http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=0... (hope that worked!!)
steve
She starts fine and idles well, am I ok to keep using the car. This has always happened and happened to the previous owner who also posted the problem on here and got a bit of advice but obviously didnt act on it. http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=0... (hope that worked!!)
steve
It does sound like a dodgy oil gauge sender unit.
If it really is the bearings / low oil pressure then the realistic alternative is a replacement engine - they are regularly around for £50 to £100 secondhand obviously plus fitting, you are talking a lot of cash to have your existing engine rebuilt.
Personally I think the best plan is just continue to use the car and enjoy it, if it does go pop worry about it then, but it sounds unlikely.
If it really is the bearings / low oil pressure then the realistic alternative is a replacement engine - they are regularly around for £50 to £100 secondhand obviously plus fitting, you are talking a lot of cash to have your existing engine rebuilt.
Personally I think the best plan is just continue to use the car and enjoy it, if it does go pop worry about it then, but it sounds unlikely.
Gassing Station | S Series | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff