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Triumph TR3 - oil pressure

Hello,
I have a question about the oil pressure of my TR3A 1960;it is a car with a 2,2l engine recently rebuilt(6000 miles). The (hot) oil pressure is 20lbs @1200rev, 50lbs @ 2000rev anr 60/70 lbs up to.The oil is motul 300V because I rally with the car. Does it seem normal? If not, what do i have to check?
Thank you for your help and sorry for my english
Ludovic
Ludovic

The pressure at 2000 RPM and higher seems excellect. At 1200 RPM, it seems a bit low. Is that while you are at idle ? Is that when the engine is hot ? If so, I wouldn't worry.

Mine with 82,000 miles (132,000 km) since rebuild gives me 25 psi when hot at idle and 40 psi cold at idle. At speed, while touring, the oil pressure is about 55 psi. There are some who believe that a lower oil pressure allows more oil to flow and that this keeps the bearings supplied with more oil and cooler oil.

If you are doing rallies, I suppose you are not at idle speeds for a long time.

Don Elliott, Original Owner, 1958 TR3A
http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/trebor/don3a_big.JPG
Don Elliott

Don: Do you know why the oil would flow better at a lower pressure? I would have guessed the other way.
Tom.
T ADDISON 1

Tom - On the filter body, there is an adjustable nut where you can set the oil relief pressure. Some people have it set to give 70 or even 90 psi. It was Ken Gillanders of Temple City, Calif. who told me to set mine lower for more oil flow. Oil that gets "squeezed" will get a lot hotter. It's not that the oil will flow better. There will be more oil that flows and since it gets back to the sump to cool off sooner, the cooler oil will lubricate better the next time around because it is cooler.

How much, I don't know, but Ken (who moved with his family from Vancouver when he was 10) has one of the fastest TR2's in the USA. Ken is the first owner of his 1954 TR2 "Red Rocket" and is one of the leading authorities on TR's.

If you want Ken's e-mail address, send me your request off line at :- 58tr3a "at" videotron.ca

Change the "at" to @ for it to go through.

Don Elliott
Don Elliott

This thread was discussed between 22/05/2005 and 25/05/2005

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