The Jensen Owners' Club

I want to do one last check before pulling the engine of the FF for a full rebuild, ref the oil pressure problem treated at length previously. The oil pan is badly dinged, and that may have happened on the challenge run when the problem first appeared. It swings very loose so with hot oil I suspect the pump may suck air.

Presently the pipe catches on the lower edge of the block when I try to unscrew it. So appearently the dinged pan had in turn pushed the pickup so far up it is bent enough to prevent umscrewing.

What do you think? I have read on a mopar forum sucking air may cause low pressure, and with an older worn engine that may be one step too far for sufficient pressure when hot.

Per wrote:sucking air may cause low pressure

Sucking air will give no pressure! The oil pump can't pump air!

With a small air leak it may still suck some oil? Anyway, the pickup was rather full of debris, the plastic/nylon from the camshaft drive. That has not helped. The original chain was duplex chain wasn't it?

More ominous was that I could easily slide the conrods axially 1mm or so back and forth. Although with a worn'ish engine I suppose that is plausible.

I wonder if I am heading for a new short block, alloy heads etc as per the link Jörg sent some time ago. Decision decisions.

Per wrote:I wonder if I am heading for a new short block, alloy heads etc as per the link Jörg sent some time ago. Decision decisions.

If all you have done is pulled the pan I would clean everything up refit the oil pickup check its sound and tighten it one more revolution it will go with back and forth movement, bottle it all up and see what you got

This is what the pickup looks like, the strainer has a big hole in temiddle so plastic debris can actually reach the pump. There it may clog up the works quite a bit. Smaller bits may pass through and end up in te filter. If you are really unlucky the really small particles may go via the bypass and collect in a narrow passageway. I do not think that is my problem though. If it was it would be worse when the oil is cold, not when hot. But debris blocking the inlet of the pump would sink back into the strainer when switching off. And there was considerable debris inside the strainer while the inlet at the pump is clear now I have removed the pickup.
Sooooo, I will put everything back together.

If the sump is off you may as well pull the bearing caps check the bearings and measure with some plastigauge

Good point, come to think of it I believe I have a set of bearings laying around somewhere.

Right, I finally found time for the bearing test and both main and conrod bearings were within spec. So it will all go together and then we will see. I intend to use plumber's winding tape on the the pickup. The pipe is straightened a bit and should just touch the bottom of the oil pan when everything is properly positioned and tightened. The pickup itself is cleaned out so no more nylon fibre remains to clog the oil pump intake.

Hi Per
I would recommend using the loctite white master pipe sealant - the white gooey stuff.
I had a bit of an air sucking issue and the loctite certainly worked on mine.
Regards Peter

Loctite used on the oil pickup tube threads.

I also had an issue with a leak at one of the exhaust manifold studs. I first tried to make a new stud with a bigger diameter part where it sits in the head. But the threads I made in the head were too weak, I think I should have made a coarser thread. So I drilled the head once again and threaded tp M14x1.25 Then made a sleeve with matching thread outside and stud thread inside. Seems strong enough. Loctide studlock both to keep in place and hopefully no coolant leaks anymore.

Woohoo, all is well. Oil pressure shown is at 60C @ idle, and needle is rock steady

And running sweet as a nut as always!
(Capillary tube to temp gauge is broken so for the time being an electric one just below the dash does the job.)

Hi Per, well done for your jobs ..That's a mechanical oil pressure gauge in your Mk1 FF there isn't it?.That's strong oil pressure there at 800rpm isn't it, are you running a high pressure oil pump in your car then Per?..What pressure do you have at around 3000rpm then?..I am so nosey arn't I

Grant, yes high volume pump.

However, on taking it for a run today the rattle returned when fully warmed up. Stethoscope says somewhere inside, and now that oil pressure is nice and stable it was still only about 45 psi at full chat with temp at a rock steady 90C. So time to stop pfaffing around. Full rebuild. And with numerous leaks gearbox and FF transmission will receive attention as well.

Interior is nice original / redone, body ok after a bit of welding. Brakes haven't been too happy just sitting there so will have to redo

And of course while accessible engine bay will receive a makeover.