Low Oil Pressure

[colt45sa]

It seems to me that most people are obsessed with the thought that oil pressure needs to be much higher than actually required. I don't know why Studebaker oil pressure requirements would be higher than a Ch**Y. I know you all know and respect Smokey Yunick. He wrote that you need 10 lbs of oil pressure for each 1000 rpms of engine speed. So if travelling down the highway at 2800 rpms, 28 lbs of oil pressure is sufficient.
Am I missing something??

[ROADRACELARK]

FWIW Dept.

According to the 1959-1964 Studebaker Factory Shop Manual 259 and 289 cid V8 engines.....

1959-60 "20-40 Lbs of oil pressure at 40 MPH"
1961-1963 "Minimum 30 lbs of oil pressure at 2000 RPM"
1964 "Minimum 45 lbs of oil pressure at 2000 RPM"

According to the 1963-1964 Studebaker Avanti Shop Manual.....

1963-64 "30# to 50# at 2000 RPM"

Again, FWIW

Dan Miller
Atlanta, GA

edit: details
[img=left]http://static.flickr.com/57/228744729_7aff5f0118_m.jpg[/img=left]
Road Racers turn left AND right.

[Vance]

More that likely it is the gauge that is bad. Hook up a napa oil gauge to one of the 1/8 pipe plugs area and watch both gauges at the same time. More than likely the napa will show you the correct pressure and if the dash gauge drops and the napa shows good oil pressure, get a new dash gauge.

[fstst56]

My first car, when I was 16, was a 1961 V-8 Lark 2dr HT.

It was about 10 years old then. We had bought it new.

It did not have an oil pressure gauge, just an idiot light.

The light was on all the time.

I had an expert mechanic check the pressure with the shop gauge at my Grandpa's International Harvester dealership. He reported that it had pressure, but not much.

Being 16 and with no money, I chose to keep driving the car until something happened. 1961 Studebakers weren't worth anything at that time and we thought they never would be. I dove that car and drove it with no engine problems, until winter came and I forgot to check the antifreeze. I don't know that I forgot, so much as I didn't know you were supposed to in the first place! Anyway, I got it hot and ruined the rings. Boy did it smoke after that! Well, my Granpa felt sorry for me and bought me a '67 Camaro. Wish I still had both of those cars.

[Chucks Stude]

I remember there were some Chrysler 4 cylinder racing cars that turn 7 to 8 thousand rpms and ran 7 to 10 lbs of oil pressure. That might be extreme, but I have seen Studes that run 20 to 30 lbs. hot, and running down the highway. If we were driving 40,000 miles a year, it might be a worry.
We are lucky to have oil pressure gauges. Ford oil pressure gauges are just a 2# pressure switch. Not really a pressure gauge at all. I guess they feel that the less you know, the better off THEY are.

[Dan Timberlake]

re-Ring with new bearings can work well if the other parts are within their wear limits, and the cylinder wear is pure taper and the cylinder finish is good.

The 1968 Plymouth factory shop manual has new and wear limits for each engine. As I recall The mighty 426 Hemi (just like all their other 6 and V-8s) is allowed something like 0.002 inch cylinder ovality but over 0.008 inch taper (!). Maybe 0.001 inch bearing journal taper. 0.004 inch ring side clearance in piston grooves. Stuff like that.
I wonder if a modern engine with 0.008 inch cylinder wall taper would pass emissions and use less than a quart of oil in 3000 miles.

[fstst56]

When those Hemi's were new, back about '68, my Dad thought about buying one. That is until he read a report in one of the magazines of the day that during their test they found that the Hemi used a quart of oil with every tank of gas and that they felt that was normal for that engine.