Rebuilt engine, slight loss of oil pressure plus other symptoms.


jesse888

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Updated my build thread but thought I'd find a wider audience here.
Basically after my trackday yesterday the engine started making alittle less oil pressure.
Then today alittle less again.
Decidedly drop the oil and found this on the sump plug along with jet black oil and a small drop in oil pressure.

The symptoms:
The oil pressure still reads a max of 80psi but it doesn't make that till 4krpm (used to be 3k) idle at 80c is nearly 10psi less than it normally is aswell. (Now 15-20psi instead of 25-30)
Oil is not shiney but you can see very small amount of glitter in the oil, oil is also jet black after around 150miles.
Engine runs normal and doesn't burn any oil at all, pulls like a train and revs cleanly as usual.
Flakes on the sump plug when run through fingers feel like a paste and is a shiney silver.

Anyone with any clue what the issue is?

 
did you build the engine yourself ? if not i would maybe contact the builder and see what they are saying, dont know what could be causing the loss in pressure im not that clued up but is it possible after any machine work it wasnt washed out correctly ? just another thing to check i suppose mate
 
Yeah home build, no builder to fall back on. Not that they seem to help much anyway.
Was clean as far as I could see, everything got a healthy load of brake cleaner. Bearings where lubed and the book was followed.
This crank came from ians old b18 that had a swarfy sump plug all the time. Perhaps the cranks the issue
 
What bearings did you use? Honda or acl?
 
I used acl duraglide bearings.
 
Those oil pressures are ok by the book? Not just that youve run it in now..?
 
The acls always tend to be a bit loser which will give a lower pressure. Again those pressures look ok.

Also what oil are you using?
 
Not the news we wanted to hear mate. Two of the obvious things to look at would be bearings and oil pump. Oil pressure is created from the bearing clearances. As already said acl tend to be a bit "loose" which might account for the lower readings. Any reason why you didn't go for Honda bearings?
You used the old oil pump? Could of picked something up from your last engine. I think you uses a thicker oil didn't you?
 
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The pressure has dropped slightly since the trackday afew days ago, that's why the worry.
Shouldn't have dropped should it? Although only a small amount it's enough for me to notice.
 
I've got to take the exhaust off anyway to fit extra silencer and route wastegate back into downpipe(noise limits)
I'll check the sump for more metal and clean out the pump aswell.
Going to order new pressure gauge today and get that fitted to rule the gauge out.

Worst case I can think of is new crank(let's say it's bent) new bearings and oil pump.
Shouldn't need running in again because the bearings don't wear against anything right?
 
I think you may be jumping the gun a bit, unless you have a definate low pressure warm at idle or at 4k rpm.

When your dropping the exhaust and sump pull off a bearing cap farthest from the pump and have a look. I've seen rally cars flicker the standard oil light on and off using acl race bearings after a rally on used oil and run for years
 
I'll do that, not a bad idea.
Looking for scores or any odd marks right? Being the most distance away would mean it's the most likely one to get damaged?
Would you run another trackday on it and see how it goes?
 
Those oil pressures are ok by the book? Not just that youve run it in now..?

What's the pressures by the book? Im only going off what it's always read and tbh I've no idea what's actually considered low.
 
Ok, I think I'll get it all clean. Check afew bearings and whack some fresh oil in. See what it says then.
 
odd that it turned oil black within 150 miles,how many oil changes has it had since build? My old high comp got drove hard at trackdays and it was as golden after as it was before, honda bearings are always the best option IMO,vtec6000 is the man to talk to. Wouldn't go stripping it down before you no more about what's up
 
Had 4 oil changes in 800miles. The oil always seemed to turn dark quickly but this batch is the darkest. Obviously the trackday took its toll on it aswell.
I don't know what would cause the oil to turn dark so quickly and may be connected to this issue.
 
Are you running a drain back catch can set up?
 
I am yes. I Think it will fill my can up if I wasn't draining back,
 
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