<VV> Replacing Oil Pressure Regulator Spring

[shortle]

Tom, That is an interesting story. To me it makes more sense. You did not rebuild this engine. You did a hodge podge collection of stuff, some new and some used. Regardless, you are losing your oil pressure for some reason. I am glad you were successful in (rebuilding?) your powerglide.
Timothy Shortle in Durango Colorado 81301
Currently in Denver with my wife driving our '62 Monza Wagon with a rebuilt engine 


-----Original Message-----
>From: Mark Durham <62vair at gmail.com>
>Sent: Mar 24, 2012 12:36 PM
>To: Tom Hughes <corvairdad at gmail.com>, VirtualVairs AA <virtualvairs at corvair.org>
>Subject: Re: <VV> Replacing Oil Pressure Regulator Spring
>
>Tom, with that history, I must ask when you say all within spec on the
>rod bearings. The range is wide, and if the clearance was all at the
>outer limit you might be just flowing more oil than with tight
>clearances. try a 10 40 oil in it to see what happens. Mark Durham
>
>Sent from my Windows Phone
>From: Tom Hughes
>Sent: 3/24/2012 7:08
>To: VirtualVairs AA
>Subject: Re: <VV> Replacing Oil Pressure Regulator Spring
>Here's the full story of this engine. I had a '66 with a 95 HP engine with
>a couple cylinders with low compression numbers (down in the 50s, if I
>remember correctly). I don't know the history nor the mileage on the
>engine. I tore down this engine saving the bearings and marking for
>location; found some low-mileage jugs; had them cleaned up and honed;
>cleaned and checked a set of LM pistons that measured within spec., scraped
>out the ring grooves and matched the pistons to the jugs for best
>clearance; cleaned and checked the rods. When disassembling the 95 HP
>engine, I could not get all the upper head nuts to come off due to heavy
>rust. On a couple I had to cut the stud to free the head. This block half
>ended up getting scrapped when all my efforts (including soaking in
>ATF/acetone and heat) would not free one of the cut-off studs from the
>block. I had another LM block from a dead 110 (bought used out of the car
>so now known provenance), so I used it for the new engine. I cleaned and
>blew out everything, found the best used crank and rod bearings,
>plastic-gauged all the bores/shafts and they were within spec. I put the
>engine back together per the manual with torques to spec. Cleaned up and
>reinstalled the rear engine cover with the same gears and the thinnest
>gasket. I did not plastic-gauge the gears. I tried turning the pump shaft
>and it would not move. I replaced the thin gasket with the other gasket in
>the kit and completed the rebuild with new rings, re-guided and lapped
>heads, filled the crankcase with straight 30 wgt. Rotella and a dose of
>ZDDP additiive. I'd been doing neighborhood runs at twenty minutes or so at
>a time with top speeds of 45 without the idiot light flickering. Then, on
>my first drive on the highway (60+ for fifteen minutes), I came to a stop
>with the engine in Drive and rpms around 500 and the idiot light came on.
>As soon as I shifted into Neutral, the light went off. I went home the same
>way and the light again came on when I stopped in front of the house. I
>installed a pressure gage in place of the switch and measured 30 psi cold
>at idle and 20 psi at idle after about ten minutes sitting in front of the
>house. After the next highway drive to work, the gage read about 5 psi when
>idling in Drive. Drove home and the same in front of the house. I figure I
>have about 100 miles on the rebuilt engine and the level hasn't dropped
>noticeably on the dipstick. The oil on the dipstick does not smell like gas
>at all and still seems to have the right viscosity.
>
>That's the engine's history as best as I can remember. Today I will pull
>and inspect the regulator and spring and compare against all the other ones
>I have lying around. I reinstall the longest, stiffest spring and with
>nicest looking regulator and see what the initial pressure is cold. I'll be
>pleasantly surprised if this is the problem. I'm leaning towards the oil
>pump, and I have at least one known good rear cover/pump assembly that I'll
>probably end up having to install. I'll keep you all informed.
>
>On Fri, Mar 23, 2012 at 8:45 PM, shortle <shortle556 at earthlink.net> wrote:
>
>> I am kind of curious on this subject. The engine was "recently rebuilt".
>> Were all the bearings and journals (camshaft, rod, and main) plastigaged?
>> What was the history of this engine before it was rebuilt? Are all holes in
>> block and crankshaft with good flow? Are all the bearings installed
>> properly (all 4 mains in proper order, all rod caps installed properly)?
>> How long has this engine run before this became an issue? Finally,
>> (actually first), what kind of oil are you running and what brand of
>> filter? How many miles since last oil change? Is any gas mixing with the
>> oil?
>> Timothy Shortle in (nice, warm, perfect) Durango Colorado 81301
>> I love/hate cars!
>>
>-- 
>Tom in Baltimore
>corvairfleet.blogspot.com
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