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A Couple [unwanted] Firsts... oil & temp

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theleisure

theleisure

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It seems as if everything is pointing me towards installing the 1275 i have sitting in the basement. Yesterday I experienced a couple firsts while driving my 1098. I love that motor and it's been great until recently (with the starting issue as you may recall). When I rolled up to a stop sign yesterday the oil pressure gauge, which usually reads 20-25 at warm idle, went all the way to 0 (zero!) for just a moment and then back up to 20 right away. This happened again 1 time later in the day too. I also saw the temp in my car indicate over 190 in stop and go traffic for the first time ever yesterday. Within 20 minutes the warm idle pressure was about 17. Oil level was a little low but definitely not empty.

If I put the 1275 in for a little while now (it's condition is pretty much unknown but I got it from somebody that has had a few sprites and he said it was in good shape) what do you think the issue is and what should I do to freshen up the 1098 while it's out? I don't have the money for a full overhaul so what should I look for and what is the best case scenario?

barf
 
Check compression wet and dry
Do a coolant system test, look for radiator condition inside and out
Change your oil and filter
Check timing, gap, point

Your symtoms do not sound like your motor is need of overhaul, You would have low oil pressure all the time at idle, and the 190 degree temp seems well within operating range. If anything I would think maybe your oil pump is wearing or oil filter issues, could even be some sort of blockage in a oil passage way.

Is motor lighty knocking when pressure drops or at any other time? do you have excessive smoking?

also if you do not have a bafle in oil pan and you are low on oil with a sudden stop you pickup could have caught some air causing a temporary loss of oil pressure
 
Whether you have a bafel in the oil pan or not if you are down more than a half quart of oil you will see this. It happens when you pull a fairly high-G stop and the oil sloshes to the front of the pan and the pick-up is at the back. It happens to all of us but does no real harm if it recovers pretty quickly (2 to 3 seconds). I wouldn't worry about it- it is just your car's way of telling you to check the oil level.
Keep driving it!
BillM
 
theleisure said:
When I rolled up to a stop sign yesterday the oil pressure gauge, which usually reads 20-25 at warm idle, went all the way to 0 (zero!) for just a moment and then back up to 20 right away. This happened again 1 time later in the day too.
Click to expand...

That would have prompted some colorful language on my part. Can you let us know if it does it again with the oil topped off?
 
I would also think low oil.
 
remember that little pump sit's away up on the tail end of the cam shaft. Most low volume high pressure pumps like to operate under a flooded condition ours are up out of the sump and tiny and expected to deliver a fair amount of pressure so a minor loss in head oil level shows up mine will loss a few pounds when a quart down. My guess is pump wear/ oil level.
 
Ok, here's an update: I added half of a quart of oil (20w 50 as alway) and went back to the radiator cap that I was using until about a month ago. It seems to have done the trick. I drove to work & back (12 miles round trip, 30 minutes each way) and to the grocery store without any issues. I'm going to do an oil & filter change this weekend on the 1098. That'll give me the chance to take my time rebuilding the carb & cleaning up the 1275.

Thanks everybody, I was really freaking out about this one
 
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