Trouble Shooting

Oil pressure sender need replacing.

'85 Ford van... sounds like a candidate for a 'Chick Magnet' conversion.

THANKS... I'm sure glad I found this place... AND ___YOU ! !

Don't hurry off quite yet Bert,

Does the oil pressure light flicker:

All of the time?

Only in gear at a stop light?

In park while idling?

The fact that your running 50W oil (in a 25 year old vehicle no less) and you are getting a flickering oil pressure light tells me that your main and rod bearings are excessively worn.

Thanks for your reply... The Reason I put the 50W. Oil in was beacuse I thought there was a Rod Knock; But, when I replaced the Vibration Dampner, + Belt drive that had egg shaped holes & Loose bolts ~ The Knock went away . Next oil change, I'm puting in 20/50W.

Does the oil pressure light flicker:

All of the time? [ No, most of the time it is off.]

Only in gear at a stop light? [ No. it may flicker, or on for a short moment.]

In park while idling? [ No. Stays off, I think.]

All of the time? [ No, most of the time it is off.]

Only in gear at a stop light? [ No. it may flicker, or on for a short moment.]

In park while idling? [ No. Stays off, I think.]

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news partner but I stand by my diagnosis of excessively worn rod and main bearings.

With your increased information, I would back off of my suggestion of sender. KJK/USA might be correct. Before you schedule a rebuild, I would change that heavy oil and see if that helps. The oil (especially if past due for replacement) may be contributing to the low pressure reading.

I am curious about the SAE50 oil as well... 25 years old, but less than 100K. Does or did she burn a lot of oil?

Never mind. I was composing when you answered.

Hey Doorman,

I vaguely recall that LynDoor™ had a product line called "Liquid Main and Rod Bearing Marvel Renew" or something to that effect.

Is that product still available???

GA

Bert,

If you have any black electrical tape, or in a pinch duct tape, here's what to do.

Take a small piece of either type of tape and place it directly over the oil light. If electrical tape, two thicknesses may be required for night time use.

You will find that this "fix" is much less expensive than having the engine rebuilt.

If, in the future, you start to hear knocking sounds coming from the motor, I have found that increasing the volume of the radio to the point that the knocking noise is drowned out can yeild many more miles of carefree driving in the old heap before any hugh outlay of $ is required.

Happy motoring!

GA. Checking oil pressure is really the only answer. Oil starvation may also be an issue, if the pick up screen has become clogged with oil sludge.

if the pick up screen has become clogged with oil sludge.////////////\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

That sure is possible too... Thanks.

install a mechanical testing gauge, REAL GOOD IDEA...I have a few laying around here too... THANKS,

I would change the oil. 50w oil probably wont circulate through the ports as well as a lighter weight oil causing lower oil pressure. I've had this problem in the past and a simple oil change made the problem go away.

I would switch to 15/40 and a new oil filter first then check. Strsight 50 weight oil is too much for a stock 302.

Filter restriction is the most common cause of erratic oil lights on our family farm.

I am a third generation Ford Fanatic/Farmer that has learned from his own mistakes plus the mistakes of the prior two generations.

two major reasons for oil meter flickering

either the oil grade is too heavy for the car -- try a lower grade or multi grade oil

or otherwise -- weak oil pump or slightly worn pump will drop pressure at low rpm

maybe your idle rpm is below 700 ... then this is a normal thing

That sounds like a plan. Change the oil pump before changing the $5 oil pressure sending un it. And don't bother to test.

If I could get a few customers that think like you, I would be able to retire a few years earlier.

Actually... in my experience with these ford engines the most common cause of low oil pressure is a plugged sump screen. It usually gets plugged with bits of broken valve guide seal that crumble away and sometimes even bits of the plastic timing gears. Tests of oil pressure will not tell you if this is the cause because with oil starvation the pressure WILL be down.

When first starting there are sometimes fewer particles against the screen allowing for more oil flow, then the longer the engine runs the more junk is sucked up against the screen.

Pull the pan and clean it and the sump screen. Its probably time to change the timing chain too. Replacing the valve guide seals with a more flexible aftermarket seal will prevent this from happening in the future.

I also have seen this as a recurring problem on Ford engines of this era. I can not believe that only the drivers of the Ford products were bad with oil changes, Surely the Chevy Cavalier owners were just as bad, but we never hear of them with oil contaminated with valve stems and timing chain bits. Why? Why? Why?

THANKS: TO EVERYONE... Some real good advice!

Used to get something similar or Rover SD1s with the old Buick V8 engines when they got a bit old & loose. The fix was to stretch the spring on the oil relief valve which would increase the oil pressure a little.

Stretching the spring will only raise the pressure at witch the oil pressure relief valve opens. Until the oil pressure reaches that point, the spring will have no affect. UNLESS, there are solid particles that are being circulated, that could be holding open the relief valve, dropping oil pressure. If there are solids circulating, I would think there are going to be additional problems soon.

It certainly used to work, I've done it on a couple of engines that showed the oil light at idle. After stretching the spring the light stayed out.

I wonder if they are talking about the oil filter bypass valve spring.......(there for is a filter gets blocked I believe!)

Now I'm going to have to dig out the manual tonight to see exactly how they describe the spring, I know where it sits although it is a good 10 years since I had one of the SD1s.

ab72756 is right on with plastic timing sprocket debris and valve seals.

Also, heavy oil has difficulty draining back to the pan particularly on high mile engines with restricted oil passages. Too much oil could be in the heads allowing the level in the pan to get low uncovering the pump suction. Pull the dip stick just after shutting off and compare to overnight dipstick reading. I'll bet you've been smelling burning oil during operation. This would be due to excess oil in the heads overpowering the valve seals and allowing oil into the combustion chambers.

Get that 50W out of there!

Get that 50W out of there! ======================

I just came off < PENNZOIL Web site, They Recomend For my application: Platinum 5W.30...

Well, it is worth a try; it should at least clean up the insides.

THANKS...

The cheap "recovered" oils do the best job I have personally seen of cleaning an engine of any built up junk (and the nice sealing carbon ring on a piston crown goes too!! so be warned.....)

I have heard of people using diesel oil for the same reason, but have never tried it personally - sounds dangerous to seals and bearings to me, so maybe a mix of oil and diesel might be safer/better? (But not in my car's engine PLEASE????)

But I would only let it tick over for an hour or so, I would not run around with such a mix.....

The standards used on this side of the Atlantic are listed a SA through SL, for automobiles, and CA on up CJ,as later standards are established for commercial engines. But the oil I have now is rated for CJ, and SL. That should make it acceptable in both cars and trucks. I have used it in passenger cars for years. Only one mans opinion though.

Yesterday I Changed the oil 5W-30: Hi. Mi. ( 5 Qts.) With Filter! BUT: The Dip Stick Showed More than 1 Qt. Low. Evan after the Light went out; form 1 Min. of running.

I'm Looking into dip sticks, longer for '85 302 c.i. Vans. I will check the dip stick tommrow A.M.!

Its more than likely that its long enough, but your engine simply needs more oil.......

A quart down may accelerate your engine wear under certain circumstances.......certainly on my 2.0 TDI, I would not see any oil on the dipstick at all!!!

Sometimes an oil change amount of oil in the manual, does not take into account the cooler volume or similar, possibly if you had left it draining a long time before, maybe the oil cooler was also emptied.......just a thought!

Or maybe the oil container(s) were not properly full....you were simply cheated.

So if I get a dipstick that is marked low enough, I will not have to have any oil in my engine? That sounds like a plan.

I would think that the oil drain holes in the cylinder head may be restrictive, causing a buildup of oil in the covers. The easy check would be to shut the engine off and check the dipstick. Then let it rest overnight and recheck. If there is a difference, oil return holes are likely restrictive. The only sure way is to pull the valve covers. though.

Did you mean to answer #37?

You answered instead mine, or you did not read mine fully......I felt he hadn't enough oil!!! Please read both posts again.......

Probably a shared answer. My comment about the dipstick was something I was sure you would understand.

The oil drain back issue would have been better sent as a response to the OP. I will stand in the corner for the next 15 min. as punishment. Sorry.

My comment simply was to the effect that the stick was of the correct length and that it was more likely that he needed more oil.......

Other than making jokes about oily people sometimes being called a "Dipstick" in the UK, I don't follow your reasoning BobC, sorry.

Perhaps you would be so kind and to explain it to me better in some other way that my head will follow better.......sorry.

Then let it rest overnight and recheck. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I did that... The Dipstick oil level is right: on the stick! ( THANK YOU ! ! ! )

I'm good to go: Thanks to the help i got on this board... HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE.......

Well: I drove about 30 Miles on the freeway, & The Oil Light came on for 30 Second Spells. My Next Move Must be, to ADD "1" More Qt.! & Replace the Ascender...

As a short term move, add an extra qt. of oil above the full mark.

It seems obvious to me that the oil is not returning to the oil pan as fast as the oil pump is pumping it out. With an extra qt. you may cover up this problem, and allow safer driving. That oil pressure sending unit seems to be working just fine from what I have read from you. What I would do 9if I was you would be to remove the valve cover(s) and clean the oil return holes in the head(s) I have used many things for this. Welding rods (uncoated), coat hangers, screwdrivers, air pressure, but the best way I ever cleaned one was with a pressure cleaner. The crap is going to fly everywhere, but it will be gone, and take a long time to build up again. It will require a bit of flushing to remove the water and smaller clumps that find their way to the oil pan. 2 gallon of mineral spirits will both dissolve remnants of old oil, and cause any water drops to fall off the vertical surfaces and fall to the oil pan.

Drain the mineral spirits out, and they can still be used for general cleaning use. For the next oil refill, I would add 1/2 qt. of ATF. It will help dissolve remaining sludge.

Good luck.

if oil was getting into the combustion chamber the engine would smoke big time. what does happen the heads do not have the best design for draining the oil back to the pan.the oil that puddles in the heads gets sludged up and eventually restricts the oil return holes,this intern can make some smoke,but smells like a smudge pot.when valve seals leak the engine usually smokes when you start it.

i agree with Bert and others,that the pickup screen for the oil pump is restricted. fords are notorious for this. i have fixed this problem on 4 fords.

You are the third poster that has mentioned that Ford products seem more likely to have this problem. Why do you think that it is happening more often on Ford products?

Along with the Screen getting Clogged.. I worry about the Oil Pump Drive... it is a long Allen Drive Shaft, When they Slip... That is why I Buy Hi-Performance Shafts. At least they are Stronger Material than the Sockets in the Pump & Dis.Gear.

Older Ford HD gas engines had a bypass built into the pickup that would allow oil to be picked up even if the screen became clogged. 361,and 391 FE engines. Could have been on the 401-534 series also. Not sure.

the allen shaft does not strip.it breaks. its hardened steel. the distributer gear is turned by the small gear on the camshaft. the allen fits into the inside of the distributer shaft,then to the pump

the ford valve stem seals get very brittle after time. The GM type do not do it as nearly as bad. must be different material. I will say it has been along time since I have sean a fomoco with this problem.

The thermal design of the valve can have a heavy effect on the life of the seals as well. Maybe Ford do not do a good job in this area....