I second everything here and what Keith said.
Here's a crazy and sad story........
John Wait Jr. competitively raced an Alpine in SCCA F Prod in the late 70's and
early 80's prior to a horrific crash in Canada Corner at Road America. In 1982
John did a new engine and failed to connect the oil feed pipe to the rockers.
Now his rockers were the most beautifully polished, lightened, and balanced
rockers I had ever seen. 15 minutes into the run up they, along with the
shafts, were destroyed. The valve springs had enough tension that the rockers
were literally cut in half from the centers down through the bottoms. Not one
survived.
SO when you are assembling an Alpine engine don't forget the 2 pipes. The one
behind the timing chain and the one connecting the rocker assembly.
Eric
Jarrid Gross wrote:
> Steven,
>
> There are two other common sources of oil loss on rootes engines.
>
> 1) One is the brass coupler to the rocker shafts. There are
> supposed to be some orings that seal the shafts to the coulpler.
>
> If they are cracked, missing or the wrong size, you will have a
> significant loss in oil pressure, but worse yet is that your
> rockers will not get properly lubricated.
>
> 2) The tube that is inside the timing cover, which is supposed to
> dribble oil on the tensioner block, if missing, broken or otherwise
> messed up, will flood the timing cover with oil, and result in a large
> reduction i oil pressure.
>
> I presume the pressure readings you wrote of were at idle.
> Frankly if these pressures are at a hot idle, they are normal for
> an engine that has clearances at the loose side of normal for
> the rootes engine.
>
> Whats more important is that you see 45+ PSI with the engine at 2500 RPM.
>
> HTH
> Jarrid Gross
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-alpines@autox.team.net
> [mailto:owner-alpines@autox.team.net]On Behalf Of Keith Johnson
> Sent: Thursday, September 11, 2003 11:55 PM
> To: Steven Graham
> Cc: alpines@autox.team.net
> Subject: Re: Oil pressure
>
> Steve
>
> That you have oil pressure means that it is all going in the right places
> hopefully.
> Low pressure can be caused by the pump not moving enough oil or pressure
> escaping someplace.
> I place my bets on the second cause.
>
> Try checking that pesky little pipe that runs up to the rocker gear. You can
> get at the top by removing the rocker cover and the bottom by pulling off
> the side plate over the pushrods. It may be cracked or the compression
> olives may have just slid off.
>
> Keith
> 55 Californian
> 57 Rapier
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Steven Graham" <sjgraham@bigpond.com>
> To: <alpines@autox.team.net>
> Sent: Friday, September 12, 2003 4:35 PM
> Subject: Oil pressure
>
> > Hi all,
> >
> > Finally started the motor, really concerned, oil pressure shows 18-23 lbs.
> Motor is 1725 fully rebuilt by a professional who asembled the basic
> engine/head. I fitted the ancilleries including a brand new oil pump. I have
> changed the oil gauge to a new one, still low reading. I have removed the
> oil pressure valve below the filter, seems ok. I have noted on the list that
> Rootes had a tech fix to replace the valve with one from a 1600 and there is
> also a tech article for converting the valve to a adjustable one.
> >
> > Help please, am quite worried that an expensive rebuid could be damaged.
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Steve Graham
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