Champion 6 Oil Pressure

[Dan Ward]

Hello----My oil pressure gage was running almost zero at idle in my 57 Hawk. It has a champion 185 engine. I unscrewed the Studebaker gage from the block & attached a good Stewart Warner gage directly to the engine. It pumped about 75 lbs or so cold, but at full temperature it reads about 10 pounds at a slow idle. When I rev the engine up to highway speed ( I'm guessing about 2800 rpm or so), the gage reads 30 to 32 lbs. I'm doing a compression test tonight.

Question: Are the oil pressure readings above typical for this engine? The 10 pounds worries me a bit. Note: I've only had the car about a month or so. I put Valvoline 10w 40 oil in it. Do I need heavier oil? Thanks in advance---Dan

[Roscomacaw]

How many miles on this engine? If you've got ten pounds of pressure at idle, you're OK. And you're pressure at hiway speed sounds OK too. The Champion 6 engines would develop some cam bearings wear - sometimes by the 50,000 mile mark. Still, the pressures you observed should do just fine.[^]

Next oil change, use the diesel-rated oils that have been talked about here of late. Sub a can of STP for half a quart of oil. Can't hurt!

Miscreant adrift in
the BerStuda Triangle


1957 Transtar 1/2ton
1960 Larkvertible V8
1958 Provincial wagon
1953 Commander coupe

[Dan Ward]

Thank You Mr. Biggs---Dan