Re: IML: 1961 oil preasure should I be concerned
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Re: IML: 1961 oil preasure should I be concerned



The oil pressure on the gauge has nothing to do with the pressure that is pushing oil out of the filler cap.

The lubricating oil pressure is created by the oil pump and pushes the oil through the oiling system to keep the engine lubricated. The gauge may read low due to worn engine parts or due to a faulty gauge. The gauges on our cars are notoriously inaccurate. You can have the oil pressure checked at a shop. They will connect into the system with a real gauge and tell you if the oil pressure is okay. Generally, any oil pressure is enough. When it is too low, you will hear the lifters tapping at stop signs at idle when the car is warmed up.

The pressure pushing oil out the filler cap is crankcase back pressure, and can be caused by worn engine parts, namely piston rings, or a plugged up crankcase ventilation system. 1961 uses flow through ventilation. This means that air is usually sucked in though the breather cap and expelled via the draft tube. The draft tube starts on the right valve cover and runs down the passenger's side back of the engine. It ends under the car by the bell housing. If there is smoke/air/oil coming out of the filler cap, there should also be some coming out of the draft tube. If not, the problem isn't likely due to engine wear as much as to a plugged draft tube, or draft tube filter.

It is possible that at some time in the car's past, that it has been fitted with a pcv valve. If so, this likely would have been done in the vicinity of where the old draft tube had been, right side valve cover. If this has been done to your car, and the vacuum hose has become disconnected or split, or the valve has failed, crank case pressure will increase and oil will be pushed out the filler cap.

I hope this helps.

Paul W.

-----Original Message-----
From: rcjm60@xxxxxxxxx
To: mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Tue, 13 Mar 2007 12:56 PM
Subject: Re: IML: 1961 oil preasure should I be concerned

Hi,

My 61 does the exact same thing. The oil pressure reads pretty low and I get some smoke out of the breather cap until it warms up. I only have 81K miles on mine and it runs great.
It may be normal for this engine with some miles on it.
Kevin

"Steve B." <Imperial59@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
My 1961 oil preasure gage has always on the low end. It has never
even
read dead center. I have had the car for 15 years and rarely drive it
,
and it runs good. But now it needs to be my main and only car to get
around. Im curiose if the preasure is low why then does oil blow out
threw the breither cap . Wouldnt that appear to prove that there is
plenty of preasure? What is the normal amount of preasure on the oil
for
this 413 wedge moter? Als the car does not ever over heat wouldnt low
oil
preasure tend to heat the moter up ?

Oil pressure gauges are kind of like fishing buddies... You can trust them to tell you the basics but when it gets down to the nitty gritty they might
not tell you the whole truth. The best way to know for sure what is
happening is to temporarily connect a mechanical calibrated gauge and see
what your pressure actually is. I consider 10psi per 1000rpm (hot)to be
safe. Anything below that I start to worry a bit.

The oil blowing out the breather cap has nothing to do with oil pressure. As an engine wears more and more of the combustion gas blows by the rings. These gasses have to get out somehow and the breather is the easiest way out. You have to have a pretty good bit blowing out to carry the oil with
it. I dont remember what year PCV came out, but if you have a PCV valve
make sure the valve is good and the hose and passages aren't clogged.

From your description of the low oil pressure and excessive blowby it
sounds
like you have an engine that is starting to get old and tired. A rebuild would bring it back to good as new, but you likely have thousands of miles of life left in it. Change the oil often and make sure you keep it full and
watch the oil pressure. I would expect it to slowly get worse and worse
until it reaches the point that it will be obvious to you that it is time
for a rebuild.

Steve B.



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