Anglo-Frenchman Posted October 28, 2007 Posted October 28, 2007 Hi, Following an earlier thread that I posted about oil pressure, yesterday I changed the oil pump on my 200tdi together with a new filter and oil which I have changed to 20/50 from 15/40. I have to say that it has made not one jot of difference and that after start-up when the pressure needle leaps to the top of the gauge, it then settles back to about 20psi. How depressing is that. I used to have pressure well over 45psi and over a period of about 6 months it has dropped further and further down and oscillates up or down according to whether I am going around a left-hand or right-hand corner - sometimes registering zero! I recall that Western mentioned about the condition of the oil cooler which could affect the oil and make too thin if not properly cooled. What I don't understand is that this should surely only be an issue once the engine has warmed up - not straight after start-up when things are ice-cold still. There does not seem to be excessive play in the turbo which another poster suggested so I am really at a loss as to what to do next. Oh yes, and by the way, an 11mm socket and extension bar falling from the sump onto ones head does REALLY hurt. Ged Quote
JimAttrill Posted October 28, 2007 Posted October 28, 2007 I remember reading about the rear cam bearing which moves forward and causes loss of oil pressure on 200tdi's only. It doesn't affect 300s Quote
Anglo-Frenchman Posted October 28, 2007 Author Posted October 28, 2007 Thanks Jim. Do you happen to know what kind of a job this is to resolve? Quote
western Posted October 28, 2007 Posted October 28, 2007 you can check by removing the fuel lift pump & the cover plate it's bolted to, the rear number 4 cam bearing is visible with yhe aid a good torchlight, you should be able to see if the sleeve bearing has moved from it's location. oil pressure gauge should oscillate while driving, maybe the sender unit is faulty. I refer you to the photo's I added in the previous thread showing my 200Tdi's oil pressure , if yours is within the readings I get [& mine has much more mileage on] I woudn't worry about it. Quote
Anglo-Frenchman Posted October 28, 2007 Author Posted October 28, 2007 Cheers Ralph. I have looked at your photos and very helpful they are too. My oil gauge is capilliary fed so I don't know if this makes a difference. Also do the oil pressue light and gauge operate independently of eachother or are they linked. I ask this because the light flickers occasionally when coming to an abrupt halt although the gauge does not necessarily give the same information. I realise that I may be making more out of this than I should, however what concerns me is that the pressure has dropped so markedly over the past 6 months. If it had always been this low I probably would never have noticed it but the sudden change worries me. I'll have a look for the bearing sleeve as you describe Ralph. Assuming it has moved, what is the solution? Ged Quote
western Posted October 28, 2007 Posted October 28, 2007 the oil pessure gauge & warning light are independent, if the bearing has moved it's a engine strip & camout job, for a engine bebuild & new bearings/line ream to be carried out. I thought mine had moved when my oil light kept flicking on/off, checked it & all was well. Quote
Anglo-Frenchman Posted October 28, 2007 Author Posted October 28, 2007 Thanks Ralph. Sounds like it could be a whole heap of trouble then! Other than the cam isse, is there anything else that I should be checking in your opinion? Ged Quote
western Posted October 28, 2007 Posted October 28, 2007 can't think of anything else, the new oil pump will be good for years, [mines the orignal] I suspect your cam bearing will be fine too. good quaility oil & filters changed at the proper intervals should see you engine go for years yet. Quote
Anglo-Frenchman Posted October 28, 2007 Author Posted October 28, 2007 Thanks very much Ralph. I really hope that the cam is OK as I couldn't face stripping the engine. I have been out this mornng giving the 110 a bit of a trial and the oil pressure does actually seem to be fairly improved. I don't know whether this is due to the oil pump or simply a the thicker oil and a new filtre. I Still don't understand why the pressure fluctuates so much when cornering though - lh bend and needle drops, rh bend and needle rises over 40. Will have to see how it goes over the next few days as I've got a couple of pretty long journeys ahead. Thanks again, Ged Quote
gruntus Posted October 28, 2007 Posted October 28, 2007 Hi Ged, I haven't followed the complete thread from last time so sorry if I am repeating someone else! I am presuming it is an electrical guage rather than a mechanical gauge? Have you proven that the gauge isn't faulty? Would it be worth rigging a cheap mechanical gauge in the cabin to confirm the symptoms or prove one way or the other? Cheers Grant Quote
western Posted October 28, 2007 Posted October 28, 2007 Ged runs a mechanical capillary action oil pressure gauge, I use a electrical gauge. Quote
Anglo-Frenchman Posted October 29, 2007 Author Posted October 29, 2007 Cheers Grant. I had thought about the gauge being faulty which was why i asked whether the pressure switch/light was independent of it. As Ralph said, the two work independently of each other so I presume that because the gauge reads low AND the light occasionally flickers then they are both most probably correct. The gauge is a mechanical one. Thanks for your input, Ged Quote
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