Engine: High oil pressure

[DMB-8]

I posted this before and tried all the suggestions that were made .We cleaned the relief valve and the port that it goes in,changed the spring that goes with
it,No change in the oil pressure.The pressure is 85 to 90 at idle,pegs the gauge out if you rev it a little.Changed the relief valve with a new one from S.I.
no change.We also changed the oil filter adapter and the oil filter as someone said it could cause it.We changed the gauge also and got the same readings.
We removed the spring from the relief valve and oil pressure dropped to about 20 pounds when we revved it up and 0 at idle.Am completely out of ideas
as I bought this vehicle with the engine was supposed to be rebuilt.Thank You for any help you can give me.Don Borger

[PackardV8]

Interesting that removing the pressure relief valve lowers the oil pressure, but leaving it in place and replacing it with a new one, it does not regulate the pressure. I'll have to think about that one.

Have you confirmed oil is getting up to the rocker arms?

Into the oil filter? Draining out of the oil filter?

jack vines

[Lynn]

Seeing that two different springs had the same result, but that running without a spring lowers the oil pressure dramatically, I would say: 1. That eliminates the oil filter or virtually any other obstruction, and
2. My guess is someone shimmed the spring, and the shims are down in there where you can't see them. I would be making a very small pic and go fishing.

Mind you, I have NEVER worked on a Studebaker oil relief valve. I simply remember all the bone heads that shimmed their Chevy oil pumps, or over shimmed it by following "more's law".... i.e. if some is good more must be better. They saw an article in a magazine where someone inserted a washer in front of the spring. If one is good, three or four must be better, right?

[jclary]

Seeing that two different springs had the same result, but that running without a spring lowers the oil pressure dramatically, I would say: 1. That eliminates the oil filter or virtually any other obstruction, and
2. My guess is someone shimmed the spring, and the shims are down in there where you can't see them. I would be making a very small pic and go fishing.

Mind you, I have NEVER worked on a Studebaker oil relief valve. I simply remember all the bone heads that shimmed their Chevy oil pumps, or over shimmed it by following "more's law".... i.e. if some is good more must be better. They saw an article in a magazine where someone inserted a washer in front of the spring. If one is good, three or four must be better, right?

These comments have lots of merit. Especially if, before the rebuild, the shims were installed as a desperate attempt to improve oil pressure. On some engines, Ford 8N tractors for example, stretching or shimming the oil pressure relief valve spring is common. However, on Studebaker engines, it is never recommended. If shims were installed, a rebuilder might not know that it had been done. A very close inspection of the relief valve chamber needs to be conducted.

[DMB-8]

The engine is a 289 full flow oil filter it must be a late 62 or a 63-64 engine.We are getting oil up to the valves as we took off the valve cover and started
the engine and it was coming out of the push rods good.The engine is in a 62 champ pickup.Have not tried to look for shims,but we did run a 1/2" drill bit by hand in the hole and there was not any dirt or grime come out of the pressure relief valve hole.Thank You,Don

[Commander Eddie]

Could the oil pressure relief valve result in high oil pressure when cold and very low oil pressure when hot?

[StudeRich]

OK, there is a major clue, this is NOT a '55 per the Picture, it is a Full Flow Late '62 to '64 Engine.

I suspected that when you said this:

"We also changed the oil filter adapter and the oil filter as someone said it could cause it.We changed the gauge also and got the same readings."

And Later this: "The engine is in a 62 champ pickup."

That would be a suggestion, but you already did it. I can see one of the Valves getting stuck in the Full Flow Filter Adapter that should release at a given "Over" Pressure, and dump the Oil in the Pan or in the Main Bearing circuit bi-passing the Filter.

Could TWO of these Adapters be stuck???

[karterfred88]

Well I am only throwing a guess at it. To shim the spring, I believe you have to put the spacer either in the spring bore recess of the plunger, which if a new plunger was installed is not likely. Or, you "could" put a spacer in the spring recess of the screw plug, so it doesn't go into it as far as it should--possible. Or if you were to machine the screw plug down at its base so more of it went into the block (or made one/ improvised one that would do so) that would act as a spring shim also. Or, if the gasket were left out it could raise it by a tiny bit, not as much as you indicate. Possible also that there is a pronounced ridge in the bore that the piston, on the spring end, is hanging up on within the bore. Do you have another screw plug to compare it to? If that is good then you may have to polish the bore so the piston doesn't stick. Past that I'd be lost. Good luck, hope you find it so your timing gear doesn't get messed up from lack of oil.

[doofus]

For ref. the bore depth is 3.279 to the piston seating shoulder. look for a shim there holding piston hard against spring. Luck Doofus

[Lynn]

So, it looks like this, correct?

Does the spring go inside the plunger and the plug? Or.. does it just meet them flush. Reason I ask is back to the shim idea. In the only shop manual I have (49 trucks, so no V8's) it shows the spring flush with the plug on the small six, but way up inside the plug on the big six, with more than 1/2 the spring being inside the plunger.

If the spring just meets those parts flush, obviously, I was wrong and it hasn't been shimmed. If it goes inside, did you look down in the plunger for small washers?

I find it very strange that two springs resulted in the same high oil pressure, but no spring brings it wayyyyyy down. You have an extra spring now, so why not cut off one coil and try it? If it is still high, cut off a second coil. Maybe someone has an engine apart and they can count coils for you just to be sure you have the correct one.

Might help if you post pics of the parts in question.

[DEEPNHOCK]

Did you check the oil pressure with a different gauge?

[t walgamuth]

Did you check the oil pressure with a different gauge?

x2...........

[Mrs K Corbin]

Previous post said that he did.

[GinettaG12P]

You did insert the plunger with the solid - non-recessed - end first, right? If you can find another end plug that screws into the block, compare it to yours and see if the part that sticks into the block - and compresses the spring - is the same length on both. If someone has the dimensions of the end plug, you may be able to determine whether yours is the incorrect, i.e. too long, plug.

[GinettaG12P]

The illustration in post #10 shows a plug with a longer snout than the one in my engines. Also, does either of the springs you used fit inside the plunger recess?