My Pinto engined MK presents a low oil pressure lamp when taking left hand corners and to a far lesser degree on right hand bends.

The oil level according to the dipstick is spot on where it should be, however, I'm wondering if, now that the sump has been modified, the dipstick provides an accurate reading?

Anyone got any comments on the accuracy of the dipstick with a shortened sump and if that's OK then how concerned should I be about the low oil pressure lamp?

I bought a 5 Litre can of oil of which I've used 3.7 or so litres (6.5 pints) so the amount of oil in the sum seems to be about right. Having said that I could have burned a bit of that off...

did you baffle the sump when you modified it ? With a shallower sump the oil will move away from the pickup pipe more readily than in a deeper one.

Or am I talking complete rubbish ?

I cut my sump and filled in the front of the sump to provide the removed capacity, I baffled the sump aroud the pickup.

With the engine in the car, I fitted the dipstick, and it wouldn't go all the way down the tube, it seemed to be fouling on something - the baffles!! I made the assumtion that the fill level is resticted by the throw of the crank and possible the crank oil seals so I ground a little off the end of the dipstick until it fitted snuggly., and filled to level, just over 4 litres.

MK modified the sump. To retain the same volume they added a box to the right (offside) of the sump which is baffled.

I may stick another half litre of oil in and see how this affects things. I know I've got a small leak through my fuel pump so It'd do no harm...

...he said.

Our cars must be related

I too get the oil light now and then and i also have a small oil leak on fuel pump

I'm am now running with 4 litres of oil in the engine this has cured the oil light so far,but so i can keep a better eye on it i'm now going to fit an oil pressure gauge.

I pressume the electric oil pressure gauge and sender are the easier ones to fit ?
Any input most welcome