18R oil pressure while cranking

[thechuckster]

hi folks,

does anyone here with an 18R have an oil pressure guage mounted in the car?

can you tell me if you get any oil pressure up when cranking fo a while (e.g. trying to start but not catching)?

it's been a while since i turned over the 18R but after several 30 seconds cranking events it's still not showing on the gauge. Next step is also to check for oil at the obvious spot (e.g. pressure sender take-off point) but experiences welcome.

tia,
Charles.

[The Witzl]

chuck.... it doesnt normally appear until a couple of seconds after the engine is running....

... why?
Oil pressure gauge is normally powered by a circuit that goes to 0V when cranking
.... as well as 18R's are shithouse at building pressure without some decent rpm and a lot of revolutions.

[ra_28]

If you crank for long enough oil pressure does rise on the 18r's it's a bit longer than 30 secs you can tell the difference on cranking the motor has more trouble turning over when oil pressure is gained.

Thanks

Alex

[Mr DOHC]

i have yet to see perssure while cranking, if u really want to see pressure b4 u start, then get a big ass truck batery and crank for ages

[ra_28]

Sweet the old Corona wagon must have a ripper of a oil pump because if I keep cranking the mechanical pressure guage starts reading.

[Mr DOHC]

corona wagon???

[takai]

I think some of it may have to do with the circuitry which powers the electrical oil pressure switch. Im pretty sure it gets turned off when you are cranking.

[ra_28]

corona wagon???

Yeah you remember the old power house which I own now retired R.I.P

[thechuckster]

thanks guys - i will attack this from a more traditional approach ... undo oil line, cranks engine, stop cranking engine, look for fresh oil sprayed over what was a clean engine bay and unspoiled fuel lines, stomp around workshop cursing self for being such a tool

ta to all
charles.

[takai]

thanks guys - i will attack this from a more traditional approach ... undo oil line, cranks engine, stop cranking engine, look for fresh oil sprayed over what was a clean engine bay and unspoiled fuel lines, stomp around workshop cursing self for being such a tool

ta to all
charles.

Bwahaha, smarter than i, i would have just kept cranking

[30psi 4agte]

Another way is to pull plugs and crank. the motor turns over faster and can build pressure easier. I do this on my rebuilt engines until i get pressure.

[thechuckster]

plugs have been removed - otherwise 30 second cranking times would kill battery much quicker.

[ra_28]

There is an old trick I use on freshly rebuilt 18r's that I have done. I remove the distrubitor and cut the handle off and old meduim size flat blade screw driver and use it in a battery drill slowly turning the pump till I get oil presssure.

Thanks
Alex

[thechuckster]

alex: yep - i too have a modified steel rod for that very purpose. Tho i use an electric drill running slow gear as you need a fair amount of torque to run the oil pump.

anyway, we have oil pressure - at the important parts in the head and at the turbo. cranking without plugs gets oil streaming everywhere within about 2 secs.

the upper cam-chain tensioner took quite some time to quieten down - ended up removing cover cover (and all the intake hardware that was in the way ;( ) to check that noise wasn't from anywhere important (like a valve stem).

so.. anyway, i'm now weeks behind schedule, i still have to tune and test the efi hardware, all by next weekend...

[brett_celicacoupe]

charles,

id sugest finding a 18rg oil pump. they can flow much more from what i have read.

its crazy how little it takes for the oil light to come on in my 18r-ra40 . especially seeing as you are pushing oil through a turbo as well.

better still, put that 1ggte in the RA40 with megasuirt and a single turbo