Oil pressure

[fargo52]

 218 Canadian engine , So I get the  engine all back together after  I replaced the rear  main seal the oil pan gasket and installed the missing main bearing cap gaskets that the previous owner had neglected to install , started it and now I notice I have a fluctuation in the engine oil gauge , installed a second shop gauge into port #1 behind the generator, noticed that the gauge in both the truck and the temporary one fluctuates but never below 10psi then 2seconds later 20psi then 2seconds later 10psi and so on ,rev  engine and I get 35psi  ,changed  oil pump with another know good spare one and same thing . I am running 5w-30 oil has anyone else got any suggestions,I will be dropping out the  oil tomorrow when the parts store is open and will be putting 30w in hopping this is all that is wrong . I have provided a short video for you entertainment.

50932504280__A301233C-E744-4CF0-8B58-933CE594EC27.MOV

Edited February 20, 2017 by fargo52

[Don Coatney]

Did you clean the screen in the oil pick up tube inside the oil pan? Have you inspected the oil pressure regulator spring to insure it is not broken and the plunger is not gummed up?

[fargo52]

Cleaned the screen when the pan was off it was dirty but normal for its age ,swapped out the oil pressure relief valve spring with another spare and also swapped out the relief plunger but no change to the fluctuating issue . 

Edited February 20, 2017 by fargo52

[Don Coatney]

Is the pickup screen pivot moving freely? How much oil do you have in the oil pan? You might try adding another quart to see if the problem disappears.

[fargo52]

I did not pull the pickup tube off the  engine but it did move up and down freely , is there an oring in the strainer swivel I checked the parts book and it doesn't show anything , I will drop the  oil tomorrow and be putting 30w in. I put 5.3litre of  oil in and it's touching the full mark on the original dipstick. 

Edited February 20, 2017 by fargo52

[55 Fargo]

Rule of thumb, 10 psi oil pressure per 1000 RPM.

Now if you had prior stable oil pressure, then something is going on, with the gauge, the line to the gauge, the pressure relief valve.

5W 30, for your engine, uh uh, better go back to say 15 W 40, needs something thicker possibly.

What viscosity did you use prior to the work.

 

 

[fargo52]

It leaked so much  I was running anything that I had ,but all the leaks are fixed now so I will drop the oil In favour of some 30w and report back to the group tomorrow. Wish me luck I did get the old truck all polished up and ready for the first day that the roads are dry . Now the 52 gets to sit in the garage with out its bib under it. 

[55 Fargo]

Here is my engine clean out just a little over a year ago.

I took these pics as soon as a I dropped the pan.

Notice how clean this 60 year old un rebuilt engine is.

[55 Fargo]

13 minutes ago, fargo52 said:

It leaked so much  I was running anything that I had ,but all the leaks are fixed now so I will drop the oil In favour of some 30w and report back to the group tomorrow. Wish me luck I did get the old truck all polished up and ready for the first day that the roads are dry . Now the 52 gets to sit in the garage with out its bib under it. 

Truck looks great.

The green truck, with red rims looks like a winner.....

Had a few guys on here put down my red rims on my Fargo a few years back, but I still like red rims, and yours looks good...

[fargo52]

Wow that is clean , mine wasn't that clean and there was a lot of sludge in the valve tappet area and  oil pan  I have installed a PCV system and I run the engine  as hot as possible so I am hopping this will help keep the engine s internals clean . 

[55 Fargo]

4 minutes ago, fargo52 said:

Wow that is clean , mine wasn't that clean and there was a lot of sludge in the valve tappet area and  oil pan  I have installed a PCV system and I run the engine  as hot as possible so I am hopping this will help keep the engine s internals clean . 

Change the oil  change the change oil, you will be fine. It will stay clean for the entire time your are in custody of this truck...

[fargo52]

My rims  where red before the Internet was born so therefore the Internet opinions don't count ha ha . This picture was the day we bought the 52 Fargo in 1999 still the same paint on the rims . 

[fargo52]

OK I am confused and happy at the same time I dropped the  10w30 oil which after only running the engine for two hours and put on 5miles the  oil was thin looking but clean , put in new 30 w  oil 5 litres which put it just above the full mark 1/16 of an inch over , start the truck and the fluctuating in the oil gauge is gone  ran the  engine for ten minutes and still sits just over 40 on the gauge , rev engine up and it might go to 45/50 ish .so my conclusion is that not only does my truck not like 10w30  oil but it also likes to be right on the full mark which is 5 litres of  oil not including  the filter . 

Edited February 22, 2017 by fargo52

[55 Fargo]

Great news!

10 W 30, your first post said 5 W 30, which one is it? The 5 w 30 is awfully thin for your engine..

[fargo52]

It was 5w30  oil , you are correct . Thought I had a real serious issue while checking my pressure I could hear a ping /grind sound after a lot of searching found the starter was sticking and it was hitting the ring gear and making a not welcome sound . All is good now !!!

[Los_Control]

Sounds awesome.

Is pretty amazing the newer engines and the tight tolerances on them, you need 5-30 weight to get into the nooks and crannies and lubricate them properly.

Then look at the miles they are getting on these newer engines, is obviously working.

Not sure they knew the meaning of the word "tolerances" when the old flatheads were being made 

Glad it worked out for you.

[dpollo]

Just drove my 52 Fargo half ton for the first time after a full restoration.  I am quite pleased but there are the usual shake-down issues.

The truck itself had not been on the road since 1974 and had traveled only 57800 miles.... confirmed by the owner  at that time.

Except for the red wheels, it looks like  Fargo 52's truck.  I painted it Sherwood Green Metallic, a Chrysler colour, very much the same shade as the original Thistle green except  brighter.  I have somehow lost the  F=A=R=G=O  script from the front.  It will turn up when I least expect it. I have discovered that 49, 50 and possibly 51 are all different.  If someone has a spare, send me a PM should it be surplus.

  Also, is there an effective way to stop the clutch pedal arm from screeching against the floor ? The bushing on mine is good, but it still rubs.

   Glad the oil pressure problem worked itself out for you.  I use 15-40 with good results in all my older cars except the 28 Chrysler which seems to prefer a straight 30.

[ggdad1951]

6 minutes ago, dpollo said:

Just drove my 52 Fargo half ton for the first time after a full restoration.  I am quite pleased but there are the usual shake-down issues.

The truck itself had not been on the road since 1974 and had traveled only 57800 miles.... confirmed by the owner  at that time.

Except for the red wheels, it looks like  Fargo 52's truck.  I painted it Sherwood Green Metallic, a Chrysler colour, very much the same shade as the original Thistle green except  brighter.  I have somehow lost the  F=A=R=G=O  script from the front.  It will turn up when I least expect it. I have discovered that 49, 50 and possibly 51 are all different.  If someone has a spare, send me a PM should it be surplus.

  Also, is there an effective way to stop the clutch pedal arm from screeching against the floor ? The bushing on mine is good, but it still rubs.

   Glad the oil pressure problem worked itself out for you.  I use 15-40 with good results in all my older cars except the 28 Chrysler which seems to prefer a straight 30.

I tend to angle my foot a bit so it doesn't.  Otherwise you can try one of the following:

1. make sure the bushing is good and has no slop.

2. add a block under the toe boards to keep it pushed over

3. cut out a bit of floor 

4. add a plastic pad between the two

[Young Ed]

1 minute ago, ggdad1951 said:

I tend to angle my foot a bit so it doesn't.  Otherwise you can try one of the following:

1. make sure the bushing is good and has no slop.

2. add a block under the toe boards to keep it pushed over

3. cut out a bit of floor 

4. add a plastic pad between the two

On my 46 is only scrapped on the second half of travel. I have no idea how it would have happened but the pedal appeared bent so we heated it up and pushed it back over. No more squeak. 

[The Oil Soup]

On start up with some choke mine will run at 40psi, after a few minutes it drops to the 10-20psi range. I have dropped and cleaned the pan and inside the lifter area. The  oil pressure regulator valve was fine and the  oil pickup moves freely. Using 5w-30 with MMO, looks like it's time for 30w.

[55 Fargo]

15 minutes ago, The Oil Soup said:

On start up with some choke mine will run at 40psi, after a few minutes it drops to the 10-20psi range. I have dropped and cleaned the pan and inside the lifter area. The  oil pressure regulator valve was fine and the  oil pickup moves freely. Using 5w-30 with MMO, looks like it's time for 30w.

I guess so, Arizona heat from spring to late fall.

Try 15 W 40 or even 20 W 50, going to even 10 W 40 might make a difference.

Your bearing clearances may show this with an oil pressure drop once the engine warms up.

I would not use 5 W 30 in these engines especially if well worn, or in aeas with very hot ambient temps......

[NiftyFifty]

Straight 30 is fine, I run it all the time, but it is getting harder to find non detergent 30 weight, but if you don't care then just run over to coop and they have all you could ever need.  Unfortunately I'm suffering a pretty good rear main leak, so I run straight weight in whatever I find cheapest, but a trip to Bottineau answers that...it can leak till I get it on a hoist, not doing that job on my back 

[Jeff Balazs]

49 minutes ago, The Oil Soup said:

On start up with some choke mine will run at 40psi, after a few minutes it drops to the 10-20psi range. I have dropped and cleaned the pan and inside the lifter area. The  oil pressure regulator valve was fine and the  oil pickup moves freely. Using 5w-30 with MMO, looks like it's time for 30w.

You may consider running 10w-40 in the winter and 20w-50 in the summer. This has worked out well for me the past couple of years. Gets pretty hot here. I top up with MMO a week or two before oil change and have found that treatment to be very beneficial. The lowest I have ever seen my oil pressure drop to at idle was about 30# and that was a blazing hot day.

Hth, Jeff

[NiftyFifty]

20-50 would be great, but not readily available here, and when you do find it it's a pretty big premium...being in farm country here, it's easier to find straight weights or. 15w40

[fargo52]

 I I am confused why you would need winter  oil , I will send a picture of what our winters look like we don't get the luxury of driving them in the winter as you can see by the snow on some of my parts trucks , that's OK pretty soon it will be summer and will be driving them every day to make up for the fact that in winter we get to park them.  And the part that sucks is we have all winter to work on our vehicles but we can't find any of our replacement parts because they're all buried in snow .