Northy
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| posted on 5/9/04 at 06:38 PM |
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Oil pressure problems
I went out for a blast tonight after fixing a cooling system fault, and while I was out I decided to do a brake test 
Wel the car stops very well, but the oil pressure light came on  and went off when i blipped the throttle slightly
Is this anything to worry about?
I'm using a Chaterham cast ali sump, with the piece of foam in the bottom of it. Would I be better off chopping a steel one and baffling it?
Any tips on sump baffling? Does anyone have any good pictures?
I'd like to get this sorted, as the car is crying out for a track day!
Graham
Website under construction. Help greatfully received as I don't really know what I'm doing! 
"If a man says something in the woods and there are no women there, is he still wrong?"
Built 2L 8 Valve Vx Powered Avon
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Viper
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| posted on 5/9/04 at 06:50 PM |
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sounds like oil surge mate...
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JoelP
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| posted on 5/9/04 at 06:54 PM |
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ditto. Since its a nice engine (certainly nicer than mine!) i would sort the baffles out sharpish.
from what ive read, the options are either baffle it more, or overfill the oil. your choice! welding the ally will be tricky. Never heard of foam
being used, seems a good idea though.
i would put a baffle in front of the oil pickup pipe and add 500mls of oil.
remember that for the light to come on you really are sucking lots of air. Maybe worth getting a pressure gauge, even a temporary one.
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shortie
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| posted on 5/9/04 at 07:01 PM |
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I agree, sounds like oil surge, best to sort out some sump baffling, better to get it sorted rather than worry about it all the time.
Rich.
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Northy
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| posted on 5/9/04 at 08:46 PM |
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Thought as much guys 
I've got an oil pressure guage, but I'm not sure its working right. I posted a while ago about oil pressure as I was worried it was too
low. It is always sat at about 30 (once its warmed up) and never moves. I remember in my mates 205 GTI the needle used to move about like a mad thing
as he thrashed it! Is mine faulty or was his?
Cheers
Graham
Website under construction. Help greatfully received as I don't really know what I'm doing!
"If a man says something in the woods and there are no women there, is he still wrong?"
Built 2L 8 Valve Vx Powered Avon
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Viper
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| posted on 5/9/04 at 08:54 PM |
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i would hope to see twice that on a pinto, but you had to go the vauxhall route
seriously i dont know what a vx should run at, but i would think it's more than 30psi
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Northy
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| posted on 5/9/04 at 09:14 PM |
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I remember it going higher on one of the first drives, but never since.
Am I right to worry? I don't want to have to take the twating thing out again! 
Graham
Website under construction. Help greatfully received as I don't really know what I'm doing!
"If a man says something in the woods and there are no women there, is he still wrong?"
Built 2L 8 Valve Vx Powered Avon
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Fifer
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| posted on 5/9/04 at 09:33 PM |
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Definately too low, if it stays much the same hot, cold, high revs, low revs, I would check the gauge. What about the oil ? Is it high, contaminated
with fuel, water ?
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Northy
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| posted on 5/9/04 at 09:53 PM |
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Oil is on max, and doesn't seem to be contaminated. I whip it out and test it I think.
Graham
Website under construction. Help greatfully received as I don't really know what I'm doing!
"If a man says something in the woods and there are no women there, is he still wrong?"
Built 2L 8 Valve Vx Powered Avon
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skinny
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| posted on 6/9/04 at 02:35 PM |
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depends a little bit on what oil you are using. 30 sounds a bit low but not low. if you are using a very thin thin oil, you will see lower pressure
but as you are getting higher throughput it's not necessarily a problem.
if you don't fail, you aren't trying hard enough.
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Northy
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| posted on 6/9/04 at 05:34 PM |
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I'm using Vauxhall 10/40wt Semi-synthetic oil, a mate of mine gets it cheap
I'm gonna run in on the fully synthetic type when its run in.
Any recommendations on how to test the oil pressuure guage and sender?
Graham
Website under construction. Help greatfully received as I don't really know what I'm doing!
"If a man says something in the woods and there are no women there, is he still wrong?"
Built 2L 8 Valve Vx Powered Avon
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Northy
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| posted on 6/9/04 at 09:59 PM |
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Well I filled it to 1cm over the max mark as someone recommended to the Caterham forum, and its fine. No oil pressure light under hard braking.
But the oil pressure guage is just sat at 30 psi, how can I test the bloody thing guys? Both the guage and the sender if possible?
Cheers
Graham
Website under construction. Help greatfully received as I don't really know what I'm doing!
"If a man says something in the woods and there are no women there, is he still wrong?"
Built 2L 8 Valve Vx Powered Avon
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Fifer
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| posted on 7/9/04 at 07:03 AM |
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You would require a pump fitted to the sender threads which I'm guessing you wont have. Perhaps if you can get a fitting onto the sender that
then fits to a compressor or even a bycicle pump that will test it with the air pressure.
Personaly, I'm still going for your engine having low oil pressure as it links with the low oil pressure light problem but I hope it turns out
to be just the sender or gauge
Good luck
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