1. The condition of the pump.

2. The type of filter (With the right amount of restriction).

Well...I went ahead and got a rebuilt and re-machined pump from Norm Meinert, and I did an oil change and installed a Wix 57011 filter, like I've always ran in the B and G. Ok, getting pretty excited! Hit the starter, wait for the pressure to build...excitment is building as the needle rises...but then it stops at the "O". Dagnabbit!! I'm at a loss. I'm running SAE 30 weight oil. 

What now? Any advice? I figured it shoul've come up to at least the "R".

Thanks

Yes, I pumped grease into it, and filled the stem with oil. 

Would adding a quart of Lucas oil stabilizer help? It says on the bottle it helps boost pressure. What is that stuff anyway? Just thick oil? How else could it boost pressure?

I just did that over the summer. 

If it's high viscosity oil, would that make the engine wear faster? Since it causes more resistance? 

On a side note...grandpa knew a guy who had a Gleaner pull type with a Ford model A engine on it, and the guy only ran 10 weight oil in it! He used it for years that way and never had a problem.

 

Second, the motor is not all splash lubed, just partial.. During your rebuild, remember the oil pump is pumping down a hollow cam shaft. The cam shaft has several holes. 4 of the holes point at the bottom of the pistons and they spray oil on the piston and connecting rod and drips down to the journal on the crank for the rod.... there are also 3 other holes in the cam shaft that go into the cam bearings so they are pressure lubed, not splashed... there are also internal ports from the cam to the 3 crankshaft main bearings so those three are also pressure fed.   So in effect, the connecting rods are splashed and the mains/ cams bearings are pressure fed. So  yes, wear on the bearings can cause loss of pressure....... more important during a rebuild is to get the piping to the oil pump from the screen tight and sealed up so you don't get air suction. SEcond is the 1/4 inch tube in the filter housing - hole in top of tube can be oversize or worn. Larger hole bleads more oil into filter and sends less to the lube system .. slightly lower pressure ......... third lime mentioned above is the plug at front end of the cam shaft can have excessive leakage............ I would try a number gauge for test if your troubled.. or just keep an eye on it and see that you have the "O" needle forever.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5AtLIeV14s" rel="nofollow - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5AtLIeV14s

 

I did replace the main bearings and shimmed them to spec, so I should be good there. If the cam bearings actually affect pressure, that's the only thing I didn't do. How hard is it to pull a camshaft? That may be a winter project. 

 

I would change to 10w30 motor oil.

I would put an number gauge on temporarily and see what pressure you really have.

I would check the 1/4 inch tube in the filter and see if cracked or damaged on the end

You rnew filter is packed cotton right, not paper mesh ?

You might be running 12 psi and not 15 psi --- NO PROBLEM.

I think you are fine,  maybe just a little over concerned with the pressure.

If the pressure stays at "O" for the next 40 years, you will be fine.

What were you trying to clog up with the grease?

Brian Jasper co. Ia wrote: Worn cam bearings and main bearings.

On this engine bearing clearance has nothing to do with oil pressure.  All bearings in the bottom end is oiled from the holes in the hollow camshaft that never is under pressure. The plunger in the end only blocks up enough oil to make sure the front of the hollow camshaft has plenty of oil to be slung out from  spinning called centrifugal force.

  

The oil filter tube is sticking up the right amount (It used to be too far down, and no oil came out). 

I am using the proper cotton packed filter.

Filling the pump with grease was just something a guy that worked as a technician for A-C from the 50s till the late 70s told me to do. I did it on my 8N as well. 

Also...Something weird happened today....A friend came over because he wanted to see it run, since I overhauled it. I started it up, and while it was cranking I noticed the pressure jumped up to the "A". (What in the world? My eyes are playing tricks.) Then after it starts I bring it to 3/4 throttle and it goes down a bit, but it stays steady at the "M"! It stayed that way the whole time I ran it, except it went down a tad when I brought it to low idle. Not sure what happened, but the pressure sure jumped up! I didn't change anything either. Hmmm

Connecting rod bearing clearance has no effect on oil pressure, worn cam and mains very much does.

Here's a photo of the gauge when running about 3/4 throttle. 

Oops...Guess I won't do that again. I used gun grease. I guess my thought was the grease wouldn't leak out and back down to the pan. Grease would stay put. Lesson learned.

Change as in less oil pressure or more oil pressure?

It has nothing to do with respect. The camshaft bearings and main bearings are oiled from the center of the camshaft where there is no pressure from the oil pump.  To have pressure inside the hollow camshaft you would need to have a pressure relief valve at the opposite end of the pump. All that is the end of the camshaft is the plunger that does not seal off the oil to build pressure.  The camshaft for the D10 thru D15 has a ball check at the timing gear end of the camshaft which does pressurize the center and does oil the camshaft. That pressure intern oils the camshaft bearings then to the main bearings where the crankshaft is drilled to oil the rod bearings. That camshaft can be switched with the B if you want the camshaft bearings but you would then need to drill the crankshaft to oil the rod bearings. To do this successful you would then need to use the higher volume oil pump from a D10 thru D15 which will bolt up in the B. That oil pump does not have the pressure relief ball in the pump stem.  So no one should get the idea they could solve an oil pressure problem by using a D10 thru D15 oil pump as it can not build pressure without the D10 thru D15 camshaft.

   

CAL(KS) wrote: id say stop worrying about it.

I totally agree.

Say that the spring that Norm put in the stem was not quite as strong as the original and your oil pressure was on O rather than N it would mean that you would have more oil going into the center of the camshaft because of the less resistance.   It takes resistance to build pressure.  With this system you only have two resistance points, the spring and ball in the pump stem and the filter.

On this type of lube system you only need pressure at the gage to know you are getting oil from the pump and to lube the rocker arms.  If it wasn't for the filter and head the only thing to be concerned about would be ample volume to the center of the camshaft. Monitoring that would be a problem without some type of gage.  You could get that volume without the ball and spring in the stem but then would not have oil going thru the filter and to the rocker arm assembly.   

 LOL.... 

I was driving around feeling pretty proud I had good oil pressure, then I look down and it's sitting right on the N. Phffff!!! 

What could've happened??? I don't understand. It started really low, went up really high for a couple days, and now it's back way down. I'm stumped. Any help/ideas appreciated.

Thanks

Creston, put a 0-30 gauge on, then you know what you got...If you got 15 psi at full throttle, you will run that engine for another 70 years no issue. I bet you have more than 15. As well pressure and flow are not the same thing. The old engines were designed with lots of volume, I think you are o.k. here.

A word of advice...I just turned 50 about 2 hours ago...Go chase some of them healthy farm girls for a while, never mind the oil pressure on your B, its just fine. Trev.

Gerald J. wrote: Plus the additives in the modern oil will keep the engine cleaner and protect the bearings from corrosion from water in the oil making the steel against copper into a shorted battery. Gerald J.

A good 30 weight HD oil will have all the additives and detergents that 10W30 has.  And will not break down nearly as fast as 10W30 under heavy use.  Just put 10W30 in for fall and winter use.   

Yes.

               

         SIT BACK HAVE 2 FINGERS OF JACK AND A COLD  BEER

 

     IF IT BLOWS UP IT BE FROM OIL PRESSURE                    KENT