problem with oil system I think..

June 25, 2008, 08:26:18 PM

Ok I think I am having a problem with the oil pressure maybe... I have to admit I let the car go a little over 3000miles between this one and the last oil change.Before I changed it I had this ticking kinda like the car has no oil.. I figured it was just due to the oil being thin once the car warmed up it would go away. I just changed the oil and ticking still there again after run a little while the ticking stops??? I am at a loss I put Quaker state high mileage 10W40. I am at a loss anyone who could shes some light onthis would help alot. Just so noone has to look too hard for my info I have a 3.8 in my 88 (oops I forgot it was in my sig.).. Thanks in advance.

problem with oil system I think..

Reply #1 – June 25, 2008, 08:43:30 PM

do you have a oil pressure gauge in your car?
How many miles are on it?
does the oil, idiot light go on?

problem with oil system I think..

Reply #2 – June 25, 2008, 10:02:40 PM

Quote from: daminc;224633

do you have a oil pressure gauge in your car?
How many miles are on it?
does the oil, idiot light go on?

I do not have a oil pressure gauge in it (althought I would like one)

almost 89,000 miles

and no idiot light??? Im stumped....

problem with oil system I think..

Reply #3 – June 26, 2008, 01:49:13 AM

Here's a pretty simple test of the oil pump. Non-invasive, but also not totally conclusive. The tapping indeed indicates low pressure, considering the 3.8 is a hydraulic lifter system.

Disconnect the connector on the coil, the low side preferrably, so there is no spark to the distributor. Turn on the ignition switch, but not to start, and see if the oil pressure light comes on (it should). If it does not come on, disconnect the wire on the pressure switch (by the oil filter) and find a way to ground it. That should make the light come on. If it does, you have a bad pressure switch, and you're not seeing low oil pressure indication. They do fail, and normally fail so that the contacts don't close. This is normally noticed with just Key On, Engine Off. If not, replace the lamp (PITA). Once you verify you have a working lamp, turn the engine over with the starter, but don't let it crank (see disconnecting the coil). Even at low RPM of starting, the OP idiot light should go out, or at least flicker as the engine turns. If not, you've got one of several problems. The least worrisome and easiest to fix is the sending unit (switch). Yank the oil filter, replace the switch, and put the filter back on. The next possibility would be a plugged up pickup. Not likely if you've been changing your oil regularly, but a possibility. I've looked at my oil pan, and see NO WAY of checking that with the engine in the car. But, if it's been oil starved already, there's one more thing to check. Check the crank for end-play. See if you can thrust the crank back and forth, front to back. If it moves more than .020, you got big problems. Been there, done that, with .250 end thrust. That's a long-block waiting to happen.

One other thing you can check. Your 3.8 has the OP built into the timing cover. Easy to get to with the oil filter off. Take the top off the pump, inspect the gears, and see what the housing (timing cover) looks like. If it's scored or the gears show wear, you still have some big problems, but not as big if there's a lotta play in the crank. Whatever you do, DO NOT pull those gears outta the pump. One of them has the drive rod coming down from the dizzy, and if the little clip is not on that drive rod, it will fall down in the timing cover. I will never understand why Ford designed an engine that required a separate piece between the dizzy shaft and the oil pump. I have considered drilling the dizzy shaft and the rod, and putting a roll pin through it. If you drop that rod, then you're pulling the whole front end off that engine. If you see scoring in the OP housing, well you're gonna be doing that anyway. As I said above, the OP is built into the timing cover. That cover ain't cheap, and is VERY hard to find. You'll probably wind up ordering it and waiting a while. I've done the timing covers on both my '86 and my son's '90. Not much difference, but the 90 has an aluminum pan, where the '86 has the steel pan. The only bad part to that job is pulling the balancer. You ain't getting that timing cover off otherwise.

All these checks can be done without buying anything, except for pulling the cover on the OP. Then, you'd need a timing cover gasket set to replace the OP cover gasket. To my knowledge, the OP cover gasket can't be purchased separately. Someone else chime in if you know better.

I do recommend ultimately purchasing a mechanical gauge to verify actual pressure. That's the one true way of knowing exactly what the pressure is. Going past 3000 on the oil isn't going to cause a catastrophic engine failure. It's good maintenance to do the 3K change, especially in city traffic or dusty or severe duty conditions. But I've let mine slide many times to 4K or 5K if it was all highway driving. I run nothing but Castrol GTX 20W-50 (I live in the south) in all my vehicles. I learned what that stuff does in a very hot running VW engine. Everything else I put in that engine cooked and turned to gunk. The Castrol keeps the engine innards clean, and where they belong (inside the engine). Performance mods on a water cooled engine will probably raise the temperature 10 - 20 degrees. Similar mods to an air cooled engine may raise the temperature as much as 100 degrees. Gotta have good oil for that.

problem with oil system I think..

Reply #4 – June 29, 2008, 11:21:59 PM

Quote from: cougar1car;224628

Ok I think I am having a problem with the oil pressure maybe... I have to admit I let the car go a little over 3000miles between this one and the last oil change.Before I changed it I had this ticking kinda like the car has no oil.. I figured it was just due to the oil being thin once the car warmed up it would go away. I just changed the oil and ticking still there again after run a little while the ticking stops??? I am at a loss I put Quaker state high mileage 10W40. I am at a loss anyone who could shes some light onthis would help alot. Just so noone has to look too hard for my info I have a 3.8 in my 88 (oops I forgot it was in my sig.).. Thanks in advance.

there isnt a fram oil filter on your car? just had to ask.

cheapie oil guage can be had at walmart for $12(eqqus oil,temp,ann)
the pressure sender is behind the power steering pump.

hard to tell

Reply #5 – June 30, 2008, 01:27:53 AM

it could be so many different things that without hearing it you can guess all day. take to someone who would know and just ask them to listen. thats your best bet.