Pressure relief ball

[Chris KC]

Well that looks better anyway.

Steve, I'm sorry but I'm losing track of what you have checked, it may be helpful to summarise?

- PRV ball & spring replaced
- PRV ball seated
- Oil pump vanes (condition) - I guess you checked them visually.
- Oil pump vanes orientation - chamfer at the top?
- Oil pump vane springs - good
- Oil pump base plate - now nice and flat
(n.b. Seven Workshop sell both vanes and springs new, you might consider replacing them)
- Gasket between pump body and crankcase, but not between base plate and pump body?

And you still have only ~1psi COLD?

OK I'm clutching at straws now but:
- is the oil pump drive gear done up tight? (I've never heard of one slipping but...)
- is there a blockage in one of the oil galleries?
- has one of the little oil drilling end blanking plugs (1/8" BSP I think) popped out into the sump? (There are two of these inside the crankcase in line with the pump crosswise)
- is the wrong rear camshaft bush fitted? (Diameter changed over time - big bush on small shaft = big internal leak)
- I presume there isn't a huge puddle of oil under the car?
- Have you tried a different oil pressure gauge?
- Is the oil pressure gauge pipe blocked or kinked? (I once had a little flake of Hermetite block the outlet to the gauge pipe)
- What grade of oil are you using?
- Was the car running with OK oil pressure previously? If yes what have you done to the engine since?