Frustrating Oil Pressure Issue

[Soundguy]

op relief on a ford n is about 45psi. seeing 50 at cold starts is normal. imho.. would not want 60.. no reason too... shimming that spring for extra cold pressure does didly with hot thin oil and wide clearances.

you guys are chasing tales!

 

[MikesTractor]

Seems like you are losing focus on the real problem. If your gauge is accurate, the oil pressures are good for that engine even with wear in it. The real problem is the knocking/pecking/banging in there. Whatever you call it, increasing oil pressure just masks it, it doesn't fix it. I wouldn't worry so much about the oil pressure right now, I would find the noise first. Even at 10 psi hot, there shouldn't be any of that kind of noise.

As for the oil pressure, did you rebuild the oil pump? The big swing in pressure sounds like a worn pump. That pump is part of the front main bearing cap and rebuild kits are available.

 

[8envy]

I have not yet rebuilt the oil pump, I got lazy and put it back together as-is since it looked good nuf. Guess not. But I agree that raising the oil pressure just masks the noise because it should not have this noise even with 0 psi. So when the oil pan is off to get the pump out, I will be thouroughly looking things over inside.

 

[PoorPlowboy]

You should NOT have received the same platigauge reading on both the old worn bearings and the new bearings. If true, you have the same clearances as before the overhaul. It sounds like a main journal knock to me from the ongoing description. I would mic the crank journals and put a matching bearing in each journal. Years ago I could get mismatched sets by buying bearings individually. I'm not sure if anyone does that anymore. Perhaps NAPA?

 

[Soundguy]

i agree.. I'm hearing a main journal knock. I'd be looking for scuff.

and yeah. NO CHANGE in plastigauge makes me wonder if the prev owner swapped ebairngs and put wrong ones in.

mic the crank

 

[rsallen]

That would be true plowboy if the bearings taken out of the engine were indeed old.
We or the op'er don't know if there was any noise before he tore into it. Perhaps those were new bearings he took out and the knock was the reason the tractor was parked to begin with.
That's why I thought it was important he determine just where the noise was coming from before he tears it back down. A stethoscope (or a rough substitute) will do that for him.

While it's not the classic pattern of a thrust bearing issue, it bears looking at closely.....I assume like every engine I've torn into this engine has a thrust bearing doesn't it?
Which brings to mind the measuring the main journals. How do you propose that is done without removing the crank?
Granted I don't know if this engine is an ohv, an f head or flat head nor do I know exactly how the ignition is set up but mechanically it's going to be put together just like every other internal combustion engine I've torn apart. So unless you have a tool I don't know about how you are going to mic any main journal without taking the crank out of the block which means in the case of a tractor splitting and a complete tear down.

Think before you start mudding the water for the op.

 

[Soundguy]

It's L head.

I find it amusing that you are chiding me for asking the op to do some observations.. and you don't even know what engine application it is!

I'm done here.

In for a penny, in for a pound! if the op don't want to do a measurement on an engine assy.. he needs to SELL it now! the rest of the cooks in the kitchen can stir the spoons to their hearts content. I will no longer post in this thread!

That would be true plowboy if the bearings taken out of the engine were indeed old.
We or the op'er don't know if there was any noise before he tore into it. Perhaps those were new bearings he took out and the knock was the reason the tractor was parked to begin with.
That's why I thought it was important he determine just where the noise was coming from before he tears it back down. A stethoscope (or a rough substitute) will do that for him.

While it's not the classic pattern of a thrust bearing issue, it bears looking at closely.....I assume like every engine I've torn into this engine has a thrust bearing doesn't it?
Which brings to mind the measuring the main journals. How do you propose that is done without removing the crank?
Granted I don't know if this engine is an ohv, an f head or flat head nor do I know exactly how the ignition is set up but mechanically it's going to be put together just like every other internal combustion engine I've torn apart. So unless you have a tool I don't know about how you are going to mic any main journal without taking the crank out of the block which means in the case of a tractor splitting and a complete tear down.

Think before you start mudding the water for the op.

 

[rsallen]

Chiding you soundguy?
I wasn't talking to you!!!! I was talking to plowboy.

Engine application? It's a tractor. It's an internal combustion engine.
I said I didn't know the valve arrangement, so what?
Where's the mystery?

It may well be the op needs to tear apart the block because the crank needs turning. But shouldn't he at least determine that before he tears the engine completely apart?

I have my share of questions I think the op hasn't or needs answered before tearing it down.

I wasn't talking to you soundguy.
Sorry you took it that way.

 

[rsallen]

I have a direct question for you soundguy;
Is this a three or four main journal crank? More?

IMHO, if it's a four or five main bearing crank it's far less likely to be a main knocking about.

 

[8envy]

Well, I have a small update. Today I was finally able to take the engine down to a point where I can haul it to my local engine shop and have them go through it. I have found there is some play in the rod bearing end when when pushed left to right (tractor left tractor right) by hand. I have to assume this is where the knocking is coming from. I am also going to rebuild the oil pump as I mention before. I will sleeve it and slap some pistons in there also. Who knows when I'll have another update...