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Simply T-5R, The Build Thread : A New Hope


Simply Volvo

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  • 5 weeks later...

Car is still running. About 800 miles on my new megasquirt setup.

However, I have now run into a strange oiling issue... yet again.

Oil pressure is great on cold start and cruising around until it fully warms up and I do a few pulls. I notcied that globally, the oil pressure is about 5-8 psi lower than it usually is once fully warmed up.

Also, after about 6000 rpm pressure drops from 75 down to 40-45 and flickers around. Using 5-30 oil which isnt the problem, because it just started doing this. For the previous 700 miles its been solid, always above spec at 75-80 psi all the way to redline (8500 rpm).

I pulled the filter and drained the oil and there is ZERO trace of metal so I know its not any bearings.

It must be a clogged pickup(how?) or one of the oil pan orings collapsed and is letting in air.

Ill have to drop the pan, which is really annoying cause I paid good money to have the shop put the block together and the oil pan on (but i guess even they can make mistakes)?

Other than that it has about 50 hard pulls to 8500rpm @ 14 psi before I noticed this issue. Just really fed up I have to deal with oil issues again. Quite fed up.

Edited by Simply Volvo
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37 minutes ago, gilber33 said:

800 miles and 50 red line pulls? Is that even close to being broken in?

Yep. 2 oil and filter changes within the first 10 mins of idling / warmup. Then a filter and oil switch to brad penn 30W with zinc. 250 miles of hard decel and varying the rpm, filter and oil change to pennz 5-30 then another 100 and boost. 

Machinsts said after 250 it's good. Only thing to break in on our engines are the rings. If the machine work is good, bearings, rods etc will be good. He said they run their engines full power and start tuning as soon as the breakin oil is changed. Just keep varying rpm another thousand and switch to synthetic at 3000.

Besides my oil pressure flicker above 6000(which just started happening the past 10 miles, so I haven't driven the car at all) engine runs great, tons of power, no metal and no ticking. 

If something was wrong it would've blown by now, I have a lot of experience with spun bearings becuase of those dumb orings.

I think a collapsed o ring is causing the pressure to not be able to build above 40 psi at higher rpm, however it's never went below that so I know no damage has been done.

Gotta pull the pan at some point so no driving the car even though cruise oil pressure is still in spec.

Edited by Simply Volvo
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Hey Matt,

Read your post several times..  certainly are strange symptoms, some random thoughts/questions..

  1. What kind of oil pressure gauge (mechanical or electric)?  If electric, have you tried a different sending unit?
  2. You said prior to this (at about 700 miles) your oil pressure stayed steady 75-80 psi from 6K to 8.5K rpm.  So now if you drop from 8K+ back below 6K (stock redline) then the pressure comes back up to about 70 psi?
  3. Where did you find oil pressure specs for these cars?  Couldn't find anything definitive.  Curious what the pressure relief valve is set to; also the bypass in the oil filter; you're using mann I assume?
  4. Even at 45 psi, that should be plenty I would think?  Assume your primary concern is something is beginning to let go, like an o-ring..?
  5. Why are you running 5-30w oil?  Maybe for break-in, but I would think 10-30w would be more appropriate?
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32 minutes ago, gdog said:

Hey Matt,

Read your post several times..  certainly are strange symptoms, some random thoughts/questions..

  1. What kind of oil pressure gauge (mechanical or electric)?  If electric, have you tried a different sending unit?
  2. You said prior to this (at about 700 miles) your oil pressure stayed steady 75-80 psi from 6K to 8.5K rpm.  So now if you drop from 8K+ back below 6K (stock redline) then the pressure comes back up to about 70 psi?
  3. Where did you find oil pressure specs for these cars?  Couldn't find anything definitive.  Curious what the pressure relief valve is set to; also the bypass in the oil filter; you're using mann I assume?
  4. Even at 45 psi, that should be plenty I would think?  Assume your primary concern is something is beginning to let go, like an o-ring..?
  5. Why are you running 5-30w oil?  Maybe for break-in, but I would think 10-30w would be more appropriate?

1. I am using a mechanical guage

2. Correct, oil pressure has always been perfect for 700 miles. Dropping redline wouldn't change the oil pressure as right around 5500-6000, is when the pressure will drop from a solid 70-80 down to 45 and flicker around up and down like air is getting in the system or something.

3. I found them in a volvo technical spec sheet on the volvoclub uk website. 15psi at idle, 43 psi @ 3000 and the relief valve opens around 75-80 psi. I am using an 02 RN pan with a brand new filter cartridge and oem blue box filter. I recently replaced the cartridge as there was a chunk of plastic missing from where the filter presses into. I wonder if that got sucked up, crushed by the oil pump and is stuck in the filter screen.

4. Im not comfortable running 45 psi and neither is my machinists, especially when pressure was always 70+ psi for the past 700 miles. Turning from 6500-8500 is a lot of rpm, there is gonna be a lot of flow and building 70+ psi or enough to open the relief shouldnt be a problem.

5. I am using 5-30 cause thats what i always use. I dont think switching to 10-30 (slightly thicker?) will fix the issue and neither does my machinists.

Some how air must be getting into the system, or the pickup maybe getting clogged. I had this issue with my stock motor over the winter, car would drive perfect for the first 10 -15 miles until it warmed up, then oil pressure would slowly start dropping. Ended up being a clogged pickup.

Just really stumped and honestly quite pissed off. I've been dealing with this stuff for 4 years now and finally when I suck up my pride and take it to a reputable shop, I still have frickin issues.

I heat cycled the car today. About 60-70 psi of oil pressure when warming up, then dropped to spec at 15 psi while idling. Didn't drive, dont want to until I can get this resolved. No ticking, no knocking, I know my engine is in great health mechanically.

My issue with the oring theory is that I feel like pressure would be lower all over the board, and quite drastically lower and not even be able to build 45 psi. Especially at cold idle when the pressure is 70 psi (even though the oil is thicker). Also i've never heard of anyone collapsing an oil pan oring, only getting them pinched on bad install, which would really cause almost no pressure all across the board.

Edited by Simply Volvo
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22 hours ago, Simply Volvo said:

I recently replaced the cartridge as there was a chunk of plastic missing from where the filter presses into. I wonder if that got sucked up, crushed by the oil pump and is stuck in the filter screen.

That's a bit concerning but certainly the sump screen would have blocked it; no?  Or wait, the filter is downstream of the pump sump, isn't it?

Edited by gdog
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  • 2 months later...
  • 2 months later...

pull the pan drill a few holes in the windage tray...unless you got a deep sump pan you will for a lack of a better term pump her dry...one reason i run an external belt driven oil pump just like on GT cars...just my 2 cents. unrelated but did you do a Darton sleeve install?

Edited by Rowdy850R
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