Losing Oil Pressure

[TomT/Williamsburg]

Been driving my roadster after the repair and I have an oil pressure issue. After running at speed and I come to make a sharp left or right at a full stop my oil pressure drops to zero and giving it any gas results in some engine noise. I of course just roll until the oil pressure comes back up but this does concern me. It does not happen all the time just once in a while.

I am running 20-50 oil, 4 qts, no filter.

Before I start pulling the pan (which I want to do just to perhaps allay my fears - I do not want to lose the engine because of stupidity) I wanted to hear your thoughts. Cold weather issue? Oil pump loose or moving because of the hard right or lefts?

I appreciate your input .... Thanks ....

BTW - my oil pressure gauge is under my dash, is mechanical, and has a rather long run to the block using a braided steel line.

[Ross F-1]

Is this a 59 or 8BA style engine? Have you tried running a 1/2 quart more oil? If it's an 8BA could be the wrong pickup for the pan you have.

[JSeery]

Sounds like somehow you are uncovering the pickup tube/screen. Could be something in the pickup tube is loose or has a hole or is missing, etc.

[TomT/Williamsburg]

Originally Posted by Ross F-1

Is this a 59 or 8BA style engine? Have you tried running a 1/2 quart more oil? If it's an 8BA could be the wrong pickup for the pan you have.

Sorry - it's a 59 engine ....

[D. Jones]

I would be very concerned. No oil pressure is just that and can quickly lead to disaster. For what ever reason the pump isn't picking up the oil. If it were me I'd pull the engine and find out what is going on.

[V8COOPMAN]

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Well, that part about "giving it any gas results in some engine noise" should pretty-well make it clear that it's not a gauge issue. Sounds like it's time to pull the pan and take a peek.......pronto! DD

[4tford]

Drain the oil and shine a flashlight through the drain hole and see how far the screen on the pickup is from the bottom of the pan. As stated may be the wrong pickup. Should be about 1/2 inch from the bottom of the screen to the bottom of the pan.

[KGS]

Sounds like a cracked or partially broken pickup tube. As V8 C'Man said
pull the pan. Ken

[TomT/Williamsburg]

Thanks gents - I don't think I would be comfortable NOT pulling the pan to be sure ... just needed a little further insight from here.

BTW - this is the same oil pump that's been on the engine since day one (we are talking years here) so the incorrect p-up is not likely.

I will let you know my findings when all is said and done ....

[OLD...BILL]

happened to me , back in the day ?? intermitent oil pressure ?? engine making noise all the time ... pulled pan and found the flange not welded all around to the pickup tube, I was so proud I had bought NEW pick up tube with can and new screen so nice and clean... showed it to the parts guy, gave me break on a set of rod bearings, one little spot of bras to seal the hole at the flange, back to gather, ran good / with good oil pressure and ran for years, then sold, dam wish I still had it.?? 40 deluxe coupe.... OLD.....BILL

[Mart]

Isn't the oil capacity supposed to be 5 US quarts or 4 Imperial quarts?

While it may indeed be a problem associated with the oil pickup, it may just be that you want more oil in there. I'd be tempted to add a quart and reassess. If the problem persists, pull it apart. If the problem disappears then mark the dipstick at the 5 quart level and maintain it at that level.

The dipstick on my 21stud was setting the oil level 3/4" too low. when I allowed the level to go too low, the oil pressure became erratic.

Mart.

[Kube]

Tom, I have witnessed this a number of times. Each and every time it was one of two things...
1) Baffle absent from the pan.
2) sump gasket is leaking and / or cracked tube.

If it turns out to be as simple as low on oil, well... GREAT!

That discussion of how much oil (capacity) has been going on forever. I wish just one guy other than myself would actually go the to friggin' Ford Archives and check the drawings. It is FIVE US quarts with or without a filter.
Sorry about my "tone". It is not directed at you as I am well aware that you are a sharp guy. Rather, it is directed at all of those that continue to speculate and pass on hearsay.

[flatjack9]

There you go. Add 1 quart.

[BILL WZOREK]

Tom When the car was in for repair was the pan off for any reason.
This is the same engine correct.
Regardless of 4 or 5 qt's you always put 4 qt's in before this with no noted problems correct ....

[WestCoast]

I may be wrong, but don't those pick up tubes float up and down as the oil movies forward and back on acceleration and stopping, to help keep the screen in the oil, maybe yours is hanging up

[Binx]

Originally Posted by WestCoast

I may be wrong, but don't those pick up tubes float up and down as the oil movies forward and back on acceleration and stopping, to help keep the screen in the oil, maybe yours is hanging up

No, these are rigid tube stationary pickups. BUT I have worked on a couple aircraft hydraulic reservoirs that work as you describe.

Lonnie

[TomT/Williamsburg]

Originally Posted by BILL WZOREK

Tom When the car was in for repair was the pan off for any reason.
This is the same engine correct.
Regardless of 4 or 5 qt's you always put 4 qt's in before this with no noted problems correct ....

Yes to everything - you've seen and heard this engine ....

Pan was off to redo the clutch and pressure plate, pan seals, used a 1-pc front seal.

[41ford1]

Originally Posted by TomT/Williamsburg

Yes to everything - you've seen and heard this engine ....

Pan was off to redo the clutch and pressure plate, pan seals, used a 1-pc front seal.

Tom, Pull the pan and check the pick up tube. It might have been damaged when the clutch was replaced. Hopefully no damage was done. Kube is correct 5 quarts to fill a 59, with or without a filter.

[Bruce Lancaster]

I think pickup is likeliest problem since this is new trouble...
But Kube is right, 5 quarts is simply correct. Its in the specs, it was in the specs for 20 years, any number of sources confirm this. It does NOT relate to filter* or no filter...whatever the filter chooses to puddle up is the filter's business, and the 5 spec applied to '32's that had no oil filter even available as well as to '48 Super Deluxes that had the filter Standard!
Yes, 5 puts the level a bit over full on the stick and it does that on every flathead with many variants of sticks. That was fine, and quite apparently what Ford intended, the upper level was OK there as a flathead pan did not put the level up into crankshaft. The lower line was the point at which something needed to be done, the area between 5 quarts and low was the running range. None of these things was intended to start out with 4 after a change.





* I think this is actually Volkswagen thinking, severely muddle by history and transmitted into the Ford camp. Early beetles had an engine capacity ending in a fraction, and the extra was for the AIR filter change supposed to happen with oil change...

[Tony, NY]

I recently noticed this 4 qt thing in my Motors Manual that covers my '51 Merc motor. It showed 4 qts for Ford and 5 qts for Mercury. I couldn't understand why they would be different.