FE Oil Restrictors

[luke-44]

I did a write up on this a while ago -

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Oil gallery modifications performer heads - the pix will show you exactly what this is all about.





The plugs are available from umm.....the guy in CA who blueprints the Melling pumps - I forget his name right now, but I have it at home - email me if you want it. He has different sizes of center holes, depending on your objectives.

You can't do it on the car due to the metal filings the tapping process creates.

Good luck, B

[MaSnaka]

Patrickt, Currently I am using a melling HV oil pump with an OEM pan ( I know the pan is suspect). When I bought the car it had 1600 miles on a rebuilt engine, oil pressure did not move above 25psi (cold, hot, idle, 4000 rpms) it didn't matter, just a steady 25 psi. Taking advice from my clutch guy, I was told I may have a problem. I checked the gauge (good), replaced the electric sender (no change), changed the oil pump to HV and now it's up to 50 psi and gradually works it's way back down to 25-30 psi. The higher oil temp of 220f it will drop to 25-30 at 3000-4000 rpms cruising. At idle it stays the same. Example driving down the fwy 4000 rpms oil is at 220f, 25 psi and get to an offramp and stop...the same psi with very little change either way. I have checked the bearing caps with the plasti-gauge (engine was not upside down)and it read within spec (not tight not loose). Oil is Valvoline 20-50. I do not or haven't yet raced the car on track but I do like to drive with some spirit on occasion. I also have a windage tray. I have checked the oil after driving to see if it is full of bubbles and it looks good. Tell me what you think. I've been told 390's can run on less but if it's a simple thing to improve I'd like to improve it. Thanks, John

[patrickt]

Frankly, it's hard to tell (assuming there's no possibility the readings are wrong). Some of the old Ford manuals specified the acceptable oil pressure at 25-60 lbs @ 2000 rpm when hot and, as I recall, one of Barry R.'s Engine Master builds only had about 40psi during the dyno pulls. That said, here's what I would do: Change the OEM pan out for an aftermarket pan (just in case your HV pump is sucking the pan dry) and at the same time check to see if the driver's side galley plug at the front of the engine got left out. You check that by pulling the distributor and fishing a little bent wire down the shaft to feel whether it's there or not. If the plug was there and you still have the same readings with the new pan you might want to poll the audience on the Ford FE forum http://www.network54.com/Forum/74182/ to see whether those numbers are low enough to warrant pulling the engine apart to look for other problems (bad plugs or cam bearings, for instance). Some FE owners have had luck with Lucas Oil Treatment (others haven't) and you might see that mentioned. If you’re lucky, it’s that missing galley plug -- you’d be surprised how often it’s left out.

[stanger2434]

I love all this talk about such a simple topic. My advice is to tap the oiling holes in the heads, and screw in a plug with a 1/16" hole drilled in it. Simple and the cost is next to nothing. Also, if my center oiler had less than 25 psi at temperature and less than 60 crusing, I might be checking my bearings.

If my memory serve me correct, the stock 57HV pumps pop off at around 85 psi. If while assembling my motors the rods and mains were a little on the big side (.0035 / .0030) I would replace the spring in the oil pump with a 100psi unit. Of course I'm talking about the center oiler engines which mains and rods are at the end of the line.

Back to the real topic here, I think restricting oil to the top end only keeps excessive oil from getting into the valve covers and prevents sucking the pan dry.

Don't know it this helps, but that my two cents worth . . . . .

Steve W.

[MaSnaka]

Thanks everyone for chiming in here. I know I didn't start this thread but the topic hit some of my many questions. I have some work to do before I can get any results, so I will revisit when I have more to share. Thanks for your help. John