Uprated Oil Pump Spring

[wardy18 33 1 Cars]

I fitted last year when building my 8v 1.9 a uprated oil pump spring and to be honest it bugged and worried me all year as when the car is first started the oil pressure gauge I have goes off the scale completely over 110 so I can drive the car until at full workin temp when the gauge comes down to a reasonable level at about 80, I'm concerned about blowing crank seals if I don't wait for ages for it to warm up and even when it is warm my warning light comes on on full throttle as the pressure goes off the scale again

 

Is it really needed??

 

The oil pump is coming out for a strip and clean anyways so would it be worth putting the old standard one back in????

[welshpug 1,657]

2.0 engine runs the 6 bar spring as standard so I wouldn't worry about it.

[Rob Thomson 6]

I'm concerned about blowing crank seals

The only think that could help to blow a crank seal is crankcase pressure caused by blow-by and/or poor breathing. Oil pressure has absolutely bugger all to do with that.

 

even when it is warm my warning light comes on on full throttle as the pressure goes off the scale again

Ehh? Oil pressure warning lights are for low pressure, not high.

 

I've always been a tiny bit sceptical about these springs. If you've got decent oil pressure then that's all you need if the engine vaguely resembles that designed by Peugeot. Surge happens when the oil level drops too low in the sump at the pick-up, and when that happens you have zero oil pressure regardless of the rating of the relief spring. Having said that, I don't think high oil pressure can do too much harm.

[wardy18 33 1 Cars]

well its an aftermarket gauge and when the oil pressure gets high a separate red light comes on

 

As long as oil pressure can do no harm I'm happy to leave the uprated in

 

Thanx for the help

[Sandy 191]

Crankcase pressure is what blows the seals, which is not related directly to oil pressure.

[James_R 3]

you could always get a gauge with a higher max reading, I have a 100psi and 160 Psi gauge I started with the later but found my 8v to only make about 70-80Psi so moved to a lower max gauge.

[wardy18 33 1 Cars]

well my guage goes up to 110psi and its goes well off the scale when cold and when on throttle, then when warm on idle it drops to 80-90psi

[Cloverleaf 1]

There are downsides to too high oil pressure i.e. increased air in the oil, quicker degredation in the oil, increased power loss if the pump is not working in it's deigned operating range etc.

 

I agree with everything else Rob has said tho.

[large 33]

I for one have don't know what all the fuss is with oil pressure. As I understand it the engine oil is for lubrication so as long as there is enough pressure to get the oil to the top of the engine that is all you need. It is more about flow than pressure.

[philfingers 5]

My Mi has the 6 bar spring in it. It ticks over at 90 cold and rises if I rev it anymore than 4k in the first few minutes it will climb to about 105. When it's warm at 4000rpm it sits at at 70 -72psi

[Cloverleaf 1]

I for one have don't know what all the fuss is with oil pressure. As I understand it the engine oil is for lubrication so as long as there is enough pressure to get the oil to the top of the engine that is all you need. It is more about flow than pressure.

 

That's not true, as long as there is sufficient pressure to maintain the film of oil between the bearing faces under the applied load you'll be fine. Flow is obviously linked depending upon the size of the oil galaries/orifices/no. of bearings/any spray jets etc.

[large 33]

That's not true, as long as there is sufficient pressure to maintain the film of oil between the bearing faces under the applied load you'll be fine. Flow is obviously linked depending upon the size of the oil galaries/orifices/no. of bearings/any spray jets etc.

 

A pump does not give you pressure it gives you flow! It is the restriction of that flow that develops pressure.

 

you could pump oil around an engine at 20 bar but at a flow rate of 0.0000001 gpm. what would happen to the engine?

[welshpug 1,657]

this