Oil Pressure Query

[Colin Cooke]

Hi Turbo,

One thought, regarding your water splashing out. Worth checking your internal radiator overflow pipe is clear. I found out mine was blocked, when I took the rad cap off at the top of a long hill. Shouldn't be a problem on a non-pressurised system, but because the overflow was blocked, the hot water sprayed in my face.
Always better to learn from someone else's mistakes - so this one's on me.

[Peter Naulls]

My special takes a good 10 miles for the oil to get thoroughly warm at this time of year, but then again I do live in the frozen North and it has a larger capacity sump!

[Turboseven412]

Thanks Colin, I hadn't thought of that. I'll try blowing through it to see if it's blocked.
If it must blast it's water out it would nice if it did it under the car instead of all over my bonnet and windscreen!

[David Stepney]

My car used to blow water out of the filler cap until I replaced the cap with a new one that actually sealed to the filler neck.

Personally, I use a 10W/40 motor oil as I consider that a 20W/50 oil is a bit too viscous for a 'spit and hope lubrication system, but that's just me.

I seem to recall that the correct oil pressure for a 2 bearing engine is between 2 and 4 lbs./sq.in at 30 mph in top. My car runs about 4 to 5 lbs. cruising at about 40 to 45 mph, so I would think that your 5 lbs. hot is nothing to worry about.

I would also mention that the gauges are not the most accurate instruments ever made

[Andy Bennett]

In my first few months of ownership I too used to get a good spray of water from the rad cap particularly on overrun after a fast bit of road. Investigation found that the rad wasn't fully through the surround so although the cap was in good condition it was partially sitting on the chrome rather than the rad and so not sealing properly. I also think I was over filling thinking that I needed water up to the top.
A bit of jiggling of the rad to seat it properly in relation to the surround and a little less coolant and all has been fine for 18 years.
Andy

[Reckless Rat]

Normally the system will spit out what it doesn't need. You only have to fill to the bottom of the half-round cut out when looking down the hole. Best way to stop it splashing is first of all make sure the overflow pipe is clear and then smear some clear silicone over the joining faces before replacing the cap.

[Turboseven412]

To be fair it only seems to blow it out when braking or cornering, perhaps my brakes are too good???  Definently a sealing issue, and probably a tad overfilled.  

My main problem at the minute is being able to road test the car without being perpetually stuck in traffic.  Having a storage lockup near the centre of town is not ideal....especially when you realise you have an issue and it takes you 20 mins just to return to base to correct it!