76 Baywindow oil pressure issues

[cchris]

I just rebuilt a type 4 2.0 New pistons cylinders and head work just got it running got it fired up and running good for 5 minutes at a time to set timing and fix minor issues gas leak etc. I went to check the valves and noticed they were wet but not as much as they should be Oil wasn't dripping out of the covers when i pulled them off The oil pressure light has always turned off when ever i started the motor I also cleaned and inspected the pushrods to make sure they weren't plugged when i installed them All my other Vw's would be dripping in oil after 5 minutes Other that noisy valve train engine sounds great Any ideas on checking the oil pressure? PS the rocker shaft block has been fixed blame it on bad eye sight and poor lighting

[timvw7476]

Quick & Dirty way is: unthread the oil pressure switch, pull the coil lead to
the distributor & crank a few seconds, cardboard under the oil filter area
optional. If you get a slight puddle of oil, the pump is moving oil.
Not a good indicator for proper pressure, just a function check.

[lil-jinx]

nothing to do with the oil pressure, but it
looks like one of your rocker shaft blocks is upside down.
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1974 Bay Westfalia. she likes to be called Ethel.
1968 Dune Buggy
1974 parts bus
A smart man learns from his mistakes,a very smart man learns from other's mistakes.

[cchris]

Good Eye lil-jinx didn't notice that fixing that right now

[borninabus]

something weird is going on in there.
your adjuster screws are all over the place.
other than that, it looks normal for 5 minutes of run time.

when you say "rebuilt" do you mean "top end"? or did you open the crankcase?
either way, you need to know if you have hydraulic or solid lifters.

T4s have a relatively quite valve train as far as VWs go.
especially the hydros.
your problem could be as simple as pushrods that are not seated properly--most common on the lifter end.
or as complicated as a hydro/solid mismatch with the cam & lifters; or even worse.
a mechanical oil pressure gauge is a must.

so much amature shit has been done to these poor engines over the years (not implying anything )
what was done to your heads? what kind of P/Cs did you use? so many variables and so many known problems with appropriate solutions.
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[cchris]

I didn't split the case just a top end rebuild and when i flipped the rocker shaft block over it brought all the adjustment screws back in line with each other It's got solid lifters and double checked the pushrods and they're seated in the rockers The heads were resurfaced installed new exhaust valves seats and guides at a local head shop where thats all they do This is what i started with the water never made it past the rings

[williamM]

Your oil pressure sensor / switch-- is right near the distributer. You can put a mechanical gauge on a grease gun line and it will thread right in the hole- no need to tighten it for just a check.

That thermostat is a goner-
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[lil-jinx]

Pressure gauge would be the way to go,could run it with the valve cover off to see what is going on,it should make a mess,be prepared to shut it off quickly.
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https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=620186
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=668799
1974 Bay Westfalia. she likes to be called Ethel.
1968 Dune Buggy
1974 parts bus
A smart man learns from his mistakes,a very smart man learns from other's mistakes.

[Wildthings]

It might take more than 5 minutes for cold thick oil to make its way into the rocker boxes. Not sure.

[aeromech]

Well, it looks like you found an old engine and dolled it up some. You may have a new top end but you have no idea what's going on in the case. You should pull all the spark plugs so the engine will rotate freely. Screw an aft left hand rubber brake hose into the oil pressure switch port and a 0-60 gauge with 1/8 NPT fitting into the other end of the hose. Crank the engine and see what kind of pressure you get. Running an unknown engine without at least oil pressure monitoring is pretty risky.

The left aft bus rubber brake hose has a 10mx1.0 male on one end and a female on the other. The 1/8 x 27 NPT will screw into the female end and not leak. The male end will screw into the oil pressure switch port perfectly.
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[cchris]

williamM I've replaced the thermostat figured it was shot And aeromech i have brand new brake lines that came with the bus got it screwed in just waiting for the gauge to get here I'm hoping the bottom end is all right the oil was surprisingly clean i drained it through a paint strainer to check for any debris and inspected the rods the all looked good I am running a Fram filter and i read that they could also cause low oil pressure Does anyone have any problems with Fram filters? I know Busdepot offers the German replacement i planned on changing the oil and filter soon

[Wildthings]

You can get a Motorcraft FL-1a or FL-300 filter (or equivalent) most anywhere, no need to search for specialty filters for these rigs, they accept the most common filters out there.

[aeromech]

I've never heard of a Fram causing low oil pressure
_________________
Lead Mechanic: San Diego Air and Space Museum
Licensed Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic
Licensed Pilot (Single engine Land)
Boeing 727,737-200-300-400,757,767
Airbus A319,320,321
DC9/MD80
BAe146
Fokker F28/F100
VW type 1 1962,63,65,69,72
VW Type 2 1971 (3 ea.) 1978, 1969
VW Jetta
VW Passat
Capable of leaping tall buildings in a single bound

[Wildthings]

[cchris]

Off Ratwell's baywindowfax page---The Bosch 72137 filter is an American aftermarket filter with the Bosch name slapped on it. No one knows if it's suitable and fits the VW engine filtering requirements. I know of at least one person who removed this filter and it solved their oil pressure woes. Searching the web I found this information to support the claim it's inappropriate: While both the STP and the Bosch filters were at one point good filters, they are now manufactured off shore of sub-standard parts. The filter assemblies tended not to have even pleats and generally less media than other comparable filters. There was also a complete lack of a well functioning by-pass valve. With most filters there is an obvious and discrete by-pass valve, but with these filters the can spring and the by-pass valve are the same. The real issue is that in order for the filter to properly by-pass the entire filter assembly would have to move down during use. That is actually not possible with filter assembly properly seating into the anti-drain back valve. This means that the by-pass will effectively never work.

[timvw7476]

Fram 2870A, usual app rabbit golf dasher & whatever else from the
seventies/eighties, in a pinch, for type IV. Not the best capacity but then
again these didn't come with a 10k oil interval change.

[cchris]

Just checked the pressure with the gauge and it's a little low it's around 20-25 PSI at idle with the engine warm and goes up to around 55 PSI at 2500 RPM The book says the minimum should be 28 PSI I'm sure the bottom end is tired but is there any problem installing a heavier pressure valve (spring) to boost the pressure back up? Or anything else i should try first?

[Wildthings]

20 psi at hot idle is just fine. A lot of new rebuilds don't do that well.

If you are running a thick oil like a 20w50 you might want to go to something thinner so the oil will move up into the rocker boxes faster.

[cchris]

Okay thats what i wanted to hear i am running 20/50 i'll keep a eye on it and see if i need to go lighter when i do my oil change coming up Thanks Wildthings

[cchris]

Finally got what i needed to finish installing my oil pressure gauge Due to the sender location i opted for a remote sender If anyone needs lines and fittings in the North Los Angeles area I highly recommend Orme Bros .they're very knowledgeable with reasonable prices with everything you need They also make lines to order on the spot