Subject: Re: [TR] Oil pressure in my TR6

From: Bob Labuz <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 23 May 2013 19:00:19 -0400

Joe,

Make sure you check the thrust washer clearance. It is a known week link 
for the 6 engine.

If it is not in spec, replace with upgraded washers.

What oil/weight are you using? Make sure you use a ZDDP oil such as Brad 
Penn.

I use 20/50 BP racing oil in all 3 of my TRs. All run about 75 to 80 PSI 
at highway speeds and about 35 to 40 at idle depending on how hot it is 
outside.

Bob

On 05/23/2013 06:35 PM, Joe DeMuth wrote:
> Help. Just bought a '73 TR6 after selling the TR3 I owned for thirty years.
> Everything looked good about this car, but I soon became concerned with the
> oil pressure reading. At idle, running 20-50 oil, all heated up, the pressure
> dropped to what looked like about 10 lbs or less on the gauge. At highway
> speed it read about 40. I dropped the pan and used Plastigauge to check
> clearance in the mains. I checked the back three and all where in the 2
> thousandth range, which I assume is good, can't find a spec for that. All
> bearings had oil. I didn't do the front one because I didn't have a new timing
> chain gasket, but assumed three are good the other is probably OK. I checked
> one rod bearing and it was well within spec. The rocker train appears to be
> lubed its full lenght. Pulled the oil pump and found it to be just over the
> high end of the various specs. Put in a new one, checking clearances before
> installation. Pulled the oil relief valve and found that the previous owner
> had replaced the standard spring with the slightly longer one sold by Moss.
>
> I put it all back together. Now I have about 6o lbs at highway speed, but only
> about 12 at idle. I checked the gauge by hooking up an after market gauge in
> the oil pressure warning sender hole. The gauges read about the same across
> the whole range of rpm
>
> So, can I get by with this? Do I need to look further, if so, where?

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From: Dave Massey <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 23 May 2013 22:37:11 -0400 (EDT)

That sounds a little low but no terminally so.  You may have excess
clearances in the oil pump and a fresh pump may improve things significantly.
Camshaft clearances also help determine oil pressure but that is a bit more
work to address.

Keep in mind that the TR6 does typically run lower pressure than the old
TRactor motor typically does so don't expect to see those pressures on an
engine with a lot of miles.

And if that kind of oil pressure scares you stay away from a TR8.  Those
things run in the single digits at warm idle.

Dave Massey

-----Original Message-----
From: Joe DeMuth <[email-masked]>

bearings had oil. I didn't do the front one because I didn't have a new
timing

I put it all back together. Now I have about 6o lbs at highway speed, but
only
about 12 at idle. I checked the gauge by hooking up an after market gauge in
the oil pressure warning sender hole. The gauges read about the same across
the whole range of rpm