Crossflow 1700 oil pressure questions???

[Jubag]

Hello all, the other day I took the plunge and bought a factory built Super Sprint 1700 from an old boy how had owned it for the last 16 years. It's covered 15k and has, I my opinion very low oil pressure. He showed me that he has always used a Vauxhall supplied oil that was 5w/30 since he worked for the Luton factory and got it cheap.

Do you think that this might be causing the low oil pressure? Should I put some 15w/40 in and see what happens?

I've done a compression test and on WOT it has 200 psi across all the pots, which was nice... It goes like an absolute rocket to be fair so I'm just a bit surprised at the low pressure on the dial.

Any input most welcome, Jules

[AdamIndy]

The oil could well be the issue. I only use valvoline vr1 20/50. 70psi cold and about 35 on Tick over when warm.

My engine is similar in spec to the caterham Xflow. Just a few extra beans!

[downsman]

Crossflows were designed to run on much thicker oil, I'm amazed it doesn't spray all over the engine bay as 5w30 is like water!

[Skyedriver]

downsman said:

Crossflows were designed to run on much thicker oil, I'm amazed it doesn't spray all over the engine bay as 5w30 is like water!

+1

The crossflow and precrossflow before it were based upon engineering and designs from way back in the late 50's and early 60's.
Even allowing for better materials and closer engineered tolerances it should still be a decent 20W/50 which was about all there was back then

[Jubag]

Thanks chaps, I will out the oil over the weekend. Fingers crossed it pumps it up a wee bit. Whatever he was using its certainly left the internals unbelievably clean.

I've never had a Caterham before and I have to say I wish I'd bought one years ago, it's fantastic!

I'm just going over the car for any weaknesses. So far ive just found small things like a cracked alternator bracket, loose wheel nut, unbelievabley perished rad hoses and an iffy water temperature sensor, the usual bits n bobs.

[wile7]

If the one previous owner has run the car on a certain oil and it goes like stink, is very clean and runs well....then it must be working. Nowt wrong with an oil change though and try to 'thicken it up' a bit.

I noticed a few drips on mine when I once made a change to a more 'modern' oil on the xflow....no problems with pressure/running but oil seeped a bit from places. A change back to the original spec oil (thicker) stopped all drips.

Oil pressure gauge reading did not change though....

Dave

[kev b]

Before doing anything drastic I would check the oil pressure with a gauge known to be accurate, the dash gauge may be way out, any decent garage will have a large gauge and adaptors.

[Jubag]

kev b said:

Before doing anything drastic I would check the oil pressure with a gauge known to be accurate, the dash gauge may be way out, any decent garage will have a large gauge and adaptors.

Yes that's a good point. It could be the gauge, it's not like the "oil low" warning light ever flickers when it's running and I have had cars in the passed which did occasionally do that because they were a bit "loose" shall we say.

What I do know is the sun is out, so I will be going for a blast today!

[Skyedriver]

Jubag said:

kev b said:

Before doing anything drastic I would check the oil pressure with a gauge known to be accurate, the dash gauge may be way out, any decent garage will have a large gauge and adaptors.

Yes that's a good point. It could be the gauge, it's not like the "oil low" warning light ever flickers when it's running and I have had cars in the passed which did occasionally do that because they were a bit "loose" shall we say.

What I do know is the sun is out, so I will be going for a blast today!

The oil light used to be set at about 7lb or so, basically if that came on when driving, it was telling you your engine was going to break in about 5 seconds....