Oil Pump Upgrade
Discussion
The RV8 is well known as being a low oil pressure design. One of my friends has a RV8 in a Scimitar and after chatting to him he has said a company called "Real Steel" do an upgrade kit to improve oil pressure. Has anyone else heard of this mod? Also, I have been looking on the net and can find reference to the company but there doesn't appear to be a web site. Can anyone enlighten me?
My copy of David Hardcastles Tuning Rover V8 engines gives an address for Reel Steel as
Unit 9
Tomo Industrial Estate
Packet Boat Lane
Cowley
Uxbridge
Middx
UB8 2JP
0895 - 440505
Its a fairly old copy though!
In the book it says the kit is for pre sd1 V8's and apears to be an upgrade to the later spec using a spacer to get higher volume gears in (like the SD1's).
You can get an uprated oil pressure relief valve spring from Rimmer Bros or some people have mentioned an adjustable system.
As I understand it higher oil pressure = higher oil temp so perhaps a 74 C coolant themostat might be a good idea as well??
GF.
Unit 9
Tomo Industrial Estate
Packet Boat Lane
Cowley
Uxbridge
Middx
UB8 2JP
0895 - 440505
Its a fairly old copy though!
In the book it says the kit is for pre sd1 V8's and apears to be an upgrade to the later spec using a spacer to get higher volume gears in (like the SD1's).
You can get an uprated oil pressure relief valve spring from Rimmer Bros or some people have mentioned an adjustable system.
As I understand it higher oil pressure = higher oil temp so perhaps a 74 C coolant themostat might be a good idea as well??
GF.
Mine was done on its rebuild and has a tadpole non stick valve but I understand there is a bone of contention with that in that other people have had problems?
My oil pressure is certainly a lot better though. Looking at the bill I was charged £35 for the base uprated and £30 for a new pump but it was already in bits at DJE so easy for him to do, also its what is listed in the prices in his price list (out of date now by a bit so don't take it as gospel).
My oil pressure is certainly a lot better though. Looking at the bill I was charged £35 for the base uprated and £30 for a new pump but it was already in bits at DJE so easy for him to do, also its what is listed in the prices in his price list (out of date now by a bit so don't take it as gospel).
Theres nothing wrong with the 'low' oil pressure aspect of the RV8 as this is what it was designed around and the bottom end tends to last very well. Problems come about when a high lift cam is fitted and the lubrication for this is already marginal which is why you hear of so many TVRs with worn out camshafts.
Also all of the TVR V8s are at least SD1 spec and already have the longer oil pump gears. A point to bear in mind is that the drive for the oil pump is taken off the bottom of the distributor drive and is not exactly sturdy, so if you whack up the oil pressure you increase the loading on this part.
If you are concerned about it the best thing to do is switch to a serpentine drive engine as these have a much improved oil pump and lubrication. Although there are many SD1 spec engines happily motoring around as standard TVR spec. Just use a proper 15W50 or 20W50 oil and you'll helping things considerably.
Matt
Also all of the TVR V8s are at least SD1 spec and already have the longer oil pump gears. A point to bear in mind is that the drive for the oil pump is taken off the bottom of the distributor drive and is not exactly sturdy, so if you whack up the oil pressure you increase the loading on this part.
If you are concerned about it the best thing to do is switch to a serpentine drive engine as these have a much improved oil pump and lubrication. Although there are many SD1 spec engines happily motoring around as standard TVR spec. Just use a proper 15W50 or 20W50 oil and you'll helping things considerably.
Matt
Thanks all. I have sent an e-mail to RPI (where my high lift cam is from) and I will call Real Steel. Matt - As I originally stated - I know that the RV8 is a low pressure engine but my engine has been rebuilt, compression is good, but even when caning it I can only get a best pressure of 25 psi, at cruising speed this drops to 21 psi. When hot, at tickover (800 revs) the pressure can drop below 10 psi. I just blip the throttle a bit and it rises above. I don't think the pressure gauge is reading low... Every one has a different idea about oils and god knows it has been covered exhaustively on this site. I do not want to get into that but I have tried a few different oils and have found that running a 15w50 mineral oil such as GTX or a synthetic like Magnatec at the same weight produces the same pressures. I will try a 20w50 but this isn't really the best answer. I want better pressure and I am confident there is nothing wrong with the engine so I will try and uprate the pump.
Gareth - my friend mentioned about uprating the oil pressure relief valve spring too. I will ask about this also. Your statement about higher oil pressure = higher oil temperature is strange, because when you first start the car at tickover my oil pressure is 25 - 28 psi. That would mean exactly the opposite of what you said. If that was the case then a larger more efficient oil cooler could be another idea. This sounds terrible but I don't even know if my car has an oil cooler fitted! It does take 6.5 litres at an oil and filter change so maybe. Will have a look later.
I have seen a couple of cars with oil coolers fitted into the front air dam in front of the radiator on wedges before. Looks quite trick to. Wheres my Serck Marston catalogue? (Pass the blue alloy fittings please!)
>> Edited by 350mk2 on Sunday 1st June 13:36
Gareth - my friend mentioned about uprating the oil pressure relief valve spring too. I will ask about this also. Your statement about higher oil pressure = higher oil temperature is strange, because when you first start the car at tickover my oil pressure is 25 - 28 psi. That would mean exactly the opposite of what you said. If that was the case then a larger more efficient oil cooler could be another idea. This sounds terrible but I don't even know if my car has an oil cooler fitted! It does take 6.5 litres at an oil and filter change so maybe. Will have a look later.
I have seen a couple of cars with oil coolers fitted into the front air dam in front of the radiator on wedges before. Looks quite trick to. Wheres my Serck Marston catalogue? (Pass the blue alloy fittings please!)
>> Edited by 350mk2 on Sunday 1st June 13:36
Ahh.. You didn't mention how low your 'low' was... sorry it does sounds like yours is a bit on the low side. Something that boosted my pressure by about 6-7Psi was exchanging the remote filter hoses for the next size up (Std 1/2" bore, I fitted 5/8") which is a pretty cheap mod.
Matt
it does sounds like yours is a bit on the low side. Something that boosted my pressure by about 6-7Psi was exchanging the remote filter hoses for the next size up (Std 1/2" bore, I fitted 5/8") which is a pretty cheap mod. Matt
You don't need high oil pressure on a Rover V8 engine, if anything you need high flow. I have fitted a high flow oil pump (longer rotor with an extension to the housing). If you are worried consider a feed to the camshaft gear/distributor drive, this went on my engine after 8 months, after the mod no problems.
Oil pump relief valves have been known to stick open (never happened to me) but there is a mod that I'm told is successful Tadpole?
Oil pump relief valves have been known to stick open (never happened to me) but there is a mod that I'm told is successful Tadpole?
I will definitely try the hoses trick - that is a very good idea. Will phone RPI and Real Steel tomorrow and see what they say about the pressure mods too. I will definitely feel a lot better when I have sorted it. Oil flow would be improved by using a thinner oil such as a 15w15 rather than going to a 20w50 - is that right? I have heard that mentioned before and that is one of the reasons I have continued to use the 15w50 weight oils.
Your oil pressure does sound a bit low - I run Magnatec and get 35 at 3,000 revs and 15 at idle. Is your car running hot? This has a big impact on the pressure (have you checked your gauge/sender?). I would thoroughly recommend the adjustable pressure - but don't even think about the tadpole.
Hi Vincent,
It does sound a bit like your pressure release valve sticking. Your quite right about the pressure dropping as the heat rises and the oil gets thinner.
I think that a liquad put under a higher pressure will heat up by itself due to the forces being put on it, although this is propably not a significant due to the heat an engine generates anyway and were only talking a few psi.
That's what I was thinking anyway but I'm propably wrong.
Gareth.
It does sound a bit like your pressure release valve sticking. Your quite right about the pressure dropping as the heat rises and the oil gets thinner.
I think that a liquad put under a higher pressure will heat up by itself due to the forces being put on it, although this is propably not a significant due to the heat an engine generates anyway and were only talking a few psi.
That's what I was thinking anyway but I'm propably wrong.
Gareth.
OK Gareth!
Your quite right, a liquid under high pressure will become hotter because of the friction, but there is that much heat in the engine from the explosion in the cylinder that it will be negligible in comparison.
Isn't a tadpole just an evolution of frog spawn?
What is tadpole???
>> Edited by 350mk2 on Tuesday 3rd June 16:19
Your quite right, a liquid under high pressure will become hotter because of the friction, but there is that much heat in the engine from the explosion in the cylinder that it will be negligible in comparison.
Isn't a tadpole just an evolution of frog spawn?
What is tadpole???
>> Edited by 350mk2 on Tuesday 3rd June 16:19
350mk2 said: OK Gareth!
Your quite right, a liquid under high pressure will become hotter because of the friction, but there is that much heat in the engine from the explosion in the cylinder that it will be negligible in comparison.
Isn't a tadpole just an evolution of frog spawn?
What is tadpole???
>> Edited by 350mk2 on Tuesday 3rd June 16:19
Hi Vincent,
The tadpole relief valve has a ball with a bit of rod sticking out which the spring goes over (and sortof looks like a tadpole ??!!@@!, the normal one looks more like a bottle top where the spring fits into the hollow bit.
The tadpole valve is described as a non stick valve although there are a couple of people on here that would disagree with that.
The adjustable system looks pretty good though, as it is just a threaded rod through the middle of the big bolt that holds the spring in (at the back of the oil pump assembly) and you can screw it in or out to adjust the pressure.
If your pressure relief valve is stuck open there should be a fair bit of fresh oil splattered round the oil pump I think.
Are you sure its not the guage, does the oil pressure warning light come on as well?
Good luck with it and let us know how you get on.
Gareth.
I had a tadpole - it wore a nice little recess in the oil pump cover for itself - then stuck! I now have a standard relief valve fitted. At least if a normal relief valve sticks it doesn't trash the pump cover in the process! 
The valve releases excess oil pressure at high revs/cold temps and prevents oil draining back inot the sump and "unpriming" the oil pump when the engine has stopped.
If you have a tadpole and are going to stick with it, make sure you check your oil pressure continually - if anything out of the ordinary happens don't run the engine at all.
If you have a tadpole and are going to stick with it, make sure you check your oil pressure continually - if anything out of the ordinary happens don't run the engine at all.
danny hoffman said: The valve releases excess oil pressure at high revs/cold temps and prevents oil draining back inot the sump and "unpriming" the oil pump when the engine has stopped.
If you have a tadpole and are going to stick with it, make sure you check your oil pressure continually - if anything out of the ordinary happens don't run the engine at all.
Sort of what I was aware of, cheers. Motor is under warranty but for the effort, wonder if a piezo can be fited across the oil light?
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