• The Roadster Factory Recovery Fund - Friends, as you may have heard, The Roadster Factory, a respected British Car Parts business in PA, suffered a total loss in a fire on Christmas Day. Read about it, discuss or ask questions >> HERE. The Triumph Register of America is sponsoring a fund raiser to help TRF get back on their feet. If you can help, vist >> their GoFundMe page.
  • Hey there Guest!
    If you enjoy BCF and find our forum a useful resource, if you appreciate not having ads pop up all over the place and you want to ensure we can stay online - Please consider supporting with an "optional" low-cost annual subscription.
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this UGLY banner)
Tips
Tips

High oil pressure and this puddle...

Share this page

SMGoose

SMGoose

Senior Member
Offline
I recently changed the oil and filter, cleaned out the sump and changed the gasket, and put in 20w50 oil. The oil pressure is now at 100 at startup but goes down to about 60-70 after a bit of warming up. Then there this:

IMG_0576.jpg

The thick brown puddle next to the coolant is worrisome and appears to be coming from the rear engine seal area. My first step will be to adjust the oil pressure release valve, but I'm worried about where this sludge is coming from. Do you think it's due to the increased pressure? I don't seem to have any head gasket symptoms, but I was planning on doing a test for combustion gas just to be sure. Thoughts?
 
dklawson

dklawson

Yoda
Offline
If the oil leak is due to the high oil pressure it would indicate that you have some major opening in the pressurized syste. This would have to be something like a missing or loose oil galley plug. High oil pressure by itself is not going to come out through seals as the block is not pressurized by the oil pump. However, if you have something like a failed valve cover gasket, the supply to the top of the engine can spill out and easily run down the block. Severe blow by from a worn engine can also cause oil leaks, these being through the seals.

My suggestion would be to go to the parts store and buy a small vial of the UV dye that you can add to engine oil. While there buy more oil and some engine degreaser. Completely clean the engine and surrounding areas. Add the dye and make-up oil to the engine and at dusk idle the engine to operating temperature. Use a blacklight (available from the home center) to illuminate the engine. The dye will glow and indicate where the leak is.
 
OP
SMGoose

SMGoose

Senior Member
Offline
I will do that to try and pinpoint the leak, although I'm more worried about the color and consistency of it.
As for the oil pressure, this is my first oil change since I bought the car and the engine was supposedly rebuilt not that long ago. Do you think the 20w50 is too thick?
 
dklawson

dklawson

Yoda
Offline
I believe 20W50 is "right" for most British cars of the 1960s. It is all I have ever used.

Sorry, I cannot offer any comments on the consistency/color of what's leaking but I agree it is unusual.
 
martx-5

martx-5

Yoda
Country flag
Offline
I've seen oil get that muddy brown color when coolant gets mixed in with it.
 
poolboy

poolboy

Yoda
Country flag
Offline
It's an emulsion. Something, probably pressure, forced the 2 liquids to combine. Oil and coolant would be my guess, but how and where it happened ?
 
PatGalvin

PatGalvin

Jedi Warrior
Country flag
Offline
Having very recent experience with coolant mixed with oil, I can say that my first reaction to the photo was that you had water in your oil. It creates a mayonnaise consistency in your oil pan (and in your rocker cover, if you run long enough).

Pat
 
OP
SMGoose

SMGoose

Senior Member
Offline
Those are the possibilities I'm more worried about. Although I don't see any signs on the dipstick. I do get a little bit of moist carbon spitting out of the exhaust at startup, but it goes away when warm. I still haven't gotten to the parts store, but I pulled the spark plugs and they look like this (1-4, left to right):
IMG_0579.jpg

Those plugs probably have about 20 miles on them after a full tune-up and some carb work.
 
SkinnedKnuckles

SkinnedKnuckles

Jedi Trainee
Offline
It does look like a water/oil emulsion. Where it came from? Who knows. Drive a bit and see if it comes back before starting to worry. Could have been from a disconnected valve cover line that drained off or something like that.
 
Got_All_4

Got_All_4

Luke Skywalker
Country flag
Offline
Try a different oil. 10w40 or a straight weight. Not sure what the factory recommended so if you have the owners manual see what it says. Then but your dye in but also re-torque the head bolts when the engine is hot.
 
Got_All_4

Got_All_4

Luke Skywalker
Country flag
Offline
Forgot to mention that do you have any information on the rebuild? If there was some performance built into the motor then the re- builder could have installed a high pressure or high volume oil pump. That could account for the added pressure.
 
T

TimK1955tr2

Senior Member
Offline
I think the oil pressure is ok, just a healthy pump which a lot of engines don't have anymore...

Mine does the same, after a long drive the pressure will settle down more. It is surprising how long oil takes to get up to temp, especially the heavier weights. The water temp and oil temp take very different lengths of time to get up to their operating temps.

The plugs look pretty good too for a starting point, nothing I would be worried about.
 
B

bobhustead

Senior Member
Gold
Country flag
Offline
Check one of the repair manuals for oil viscosity recommendation, but 50 is too viscous in any case and 100 psi is way too much. The OPRV is supposed to let go at 70, I believe (also specified in repair manuals)Bob
 
H

HarryL

Jedi Trainee
Offline
Looks like #1 plug is either running rich or has some blow by. Is it powdery or wet?
Is there any of this sludge in the oil pan ? If that's the case you have some other issues
that need to be addressed.
Harry
 
OP
SMGoose

SMGoose

Senior Member
Offline
I read a LOT of threads like that one trying to pick the right oil. I think 20w50 should be fine, but maybe not with my setup.

Not sure I have a crankcase breathing pipe. Just a 4, not a 4a. I have a vented valve cover.

Harry, when I pulled the oil pan, during the oil change, there was no sludge like this. That's why I'm thinking the pressure and sludge are related. Could it also be that the coolant and oil are leaking separately and mixing on the ground? Seems unlikely, but hey...
Also, the plug is powdery. Suggests rich, right? Why would only the #1 be rich?

I haven't been able to do much testing on the car this week. I tried to get a head gasket tester (the one you stick over the coolant reservoir and turns the liquid green) but NAPA and Autozone didn't have any. Will try other places tomorrow.

The OPRV is indeed 70. However, it seems as though my adjusting screw isn't stock:
IMG_0581.jpg
It's supposed to be adjustable but mine has a hex lead-welded on. The Big 3 don't seem to stock them either.
 
Merlin63Tr4

Merlin63Tr4

Jedi Trainee
Country flag
Offline
I think what you are looking at, that looks like a weld, is the lead wire that is used as a seal.
A little heat should free that hex locknut.
Merlin
 
OP
SMGoose

SMGoose

Senior Member
Offline
Oooh ok. I give that a shot. What should I use instead to seal it? Felt washer?
 
Similar threads
Thread starter Title Forum Replies Date
G High Oil Pressure Austin Healey 2
M 1973 TR6 oil and filter changed - oil shooting out from high pressure valve? Triumph 15
Simmo TR2/3/3A High Oil pressure Triumph 11
D TR5/TR250 High oil pressure Triumph 5
B TR6 TR6 High Oil Pressure Triumph 20
A New to site. High Oil Pressure Austin Healey 18
6 100M high oil pressure Austin Healey 7
Lynn Kirkpatrick MGB MGB High Oil Pressure MG 6
Dadandson New Motor Start up with Xtremely High oil pressure Spridgets 5
newmexTR3 TR2/3/3A Oil pressure running high - TR3 Triumph 6
M Oil Gauge reading high pressure MG 3
J Oil Pressure Too High Spridgets 3
Ed_K Can oil pressure too high damage something ? Austin Healey 4
M BJ8 oil pressure too high? Austin Healey 1
C 100-4 High Oil Pressure Austin Healey 3
Andy Blackley High Oil Pressure: Too much of a good thing? Triumph 11
J Oil Pressure Too High? Austin Healey 2
Slider748 TR6 High oil pressure in TR6 Triumph 17
re26 HIGH OIL PRESSURE? MG 3
F Oil leak? High Idle? Spridgets 13
O High ZDDP oil Austin Healey 0
jerrybny High milage Oil opinions Triumph 5
Carlbanan56 MGB High beam problems MG 4
Carlbanan56 MGB High rpm problem MG 27
P TR2/3/3A British High Torque starter Triumph 6
MikeAH100M High Temp Engine Miss Austin Healey 2
Carlbanan56 MGB High resistance MG 2
Gatheringtree TR2/3/3A Faltering at high RPM and under load demand Triumph 34
S TR2/3/3A floundering At High RPM Triumph 29
M High-Torque Starter Austin Healey 10
Martinld123 High-Torque Starter Austin Healey 4
B TR4/4A High Torque Starter Wiring Triumph 9
LAW75 High-Pitched Noise Austin Healey 13
Hamish Racing General Tech Petrol/Gas with high ethanol Triumph 3
Taftster MGB Electric Gauges Read High, Any guesses? MG 5
B High-Torque Starter Rattling Noise Austin Healey 3
M 1275 too high? Spridgets 2
dougie Targa High Country 2021 Austin Healey 2
K TR2/3/3A High beams seem to be stuck on when the headlights are turned on? Triumph 3
J Experience with High Ratio Steering Box? Austin Healey 15
R Speedo High Beam Warning Light Color Austin Healey 14
Lin Gear Reduction High-Torque Starters: Inertia or Pre-engaged? Austin Healey 4
M TR6 High Compression in One Cylinder Triumph 28
AUSMHLY 64 front end too high Austin Healey 14
steveg High altitude mixture observations Austin Healey 4
R General Tech High altitude adjustments Triumph 3
R High Altitude adjustments Austin Healey 3
B TR6 1970 High Back Seats for TR6 - Side bolste wires squabs neededr Triumph 3
bfitz TR6 72 TR6 clutch high engagement point Triumph 16
A MGA High beam indicator light not working MG 2

Similar threads

Top