Oil pressure revisited

[onixbonilla]

Hi everyone.
We had just assambled a new Gene Berg 2213 engine kit I bought around 1995. All measurements were on expected values. CR is set at 8.6:1. Exhaust is 1 5/8 and carburetors are NOS Dellorto 48 tri jets.
Type 4 oil cooler.
After break in these are the oil pressure values we are getting:
40psi at idle 1000rpm cold
6 psi at idle 1000rpm after 30minutes of running
22psi at 3000rpm operating temperature
At present time have no oil temp gauge
Had read that VW aircooled are low oil pressure but are these values normal? Bentley states min 28psi at 2,500 for SAE30 at 158 F
Oil is Castrol GTX 10w40. As our ambient temperature is always around 90F should I go to oil 40 monograde?
Thanks in advance.

[Glenn]

[onixbonilla]

Thanks for the response. Already read some of the link, I forgot to mention we added a shot bottle of Cam Shield.
What about those oil pressure readings? Are these on danger zone?

[DarthWeber]

Questions: Since this is a Berg engine kit are you using Semi-hemi heads? If so is your engine properly tuned for these heads?

6 psi @ idle is sorta OK but on the low side. 22 psi @ 3k is low. Should be at least 30 psi. This could be a faulty oil pressure sender. You can verify OP with a screw in gauge at the OP sender location on the case. Your tune could be way off and the engine is, in fact, running hot. What size oil pump are you using? External oil cooler plumbed in? Full flow oil filter? Did you tap and plug both the case and oil pump if you full flowed it? Do not use straight 40 weight oil in your engine. In fact, it may benefit from lighter oil, like 10W-30.
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[onixbonilla]

Hi DarthWeber.
Yes those are the semi-hemi heads. The engine was build and it is being tuned by a VW mechanic but I think he is not familiar with those heads.
What are the recomendations of tunning for those?
No external oil cooler, only the type 4 modification.
It have a Berg 30mm pump with one of their relief covers coneccted to a System 1 oil filter. All machine work was done by Berg, we only assambled it.
Firts used VDO sender with VDO gauge. Then changed to mechanical Autometer and numbers are almost identical.
Thinking of using oil temp gauge. Where is the best place for the sender?

[DarthWeber]

You need to advance the timing. Whereas "conventional" is 28 - 32 degrees at maximum advance, hemi heads like 34 - 38 degrees. Berg even took it up to 40 total to see if the engine ran better. If your does then you can reduce the main jets by one size, back the timing down to 34 and work your way up again to see where the engine likes it the best. Since this is a Berg kit you should have your mechanic call Berg for technical assistance.

30mm oil pump is totally unnecessary IMO. Usually with a 30mm pump and 10W-40 oil you'll have high oil pressure problems which causes the oil to bypass the cooler causing the engine oil to overheat.

You want to put the oil temp sender where it is exposed to a constant flow of oil, some mount it in the oil filter holder. Your System 1 filter may have a plugged passage to mount the sensor. Places like the sump or a T fitting containing both oil pressure and temp senders are less desirable.
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[onixbonilla]

I went to the Berg Book and saw which tunning they need. It is as you said. Will get the temp gauges and tune it.
Thanks