Another hot oil and high pressure thread....

After suffering thru the hot summer here in Texas, I upgraded from VR1 20w50 dino juice to VR1 synthetic. I had been suffering from lower oil pressures and up to 270 degrees on my dipstick thermometer. I also went thru and adjusted the valves and timing.

In an attempt to lower the temp, I went with full synthetic. Temp now maxes out at 250, but start up pressure are 70-80psi until I hit around 200 degrees, then it the pressure stabilizes to around 10psi per 1000rpms...

It takes me about 10-15 minutes of driving before the pressure starts to back off.

I'm tempted to dump a quart and replace it with a quart of regular VR1 to "thin" it out.

Any thoughts?

I see 70 psi on startup with Castrol 20W 50, calms down to 50 - 55 when up to temp(210 range) Basically stock 2056 with an Elgin cam. Northeast climate

I use 0w40 Mobil one and cold it pegs to 65 or whatever for quite a while till the oil warms up. I never see north of 230 and mostly around 200. After it is super toasty I get the same basic numbers. Hot hot a little over 10 at 900rpm, 40 at 2800, over 50 at 3200.

Stock original 2.0.

Joe Gibbs Driven 15w50, I get 75lbs. at start up and 38 lbs. at 3000 rpm and 10 at idle, 1100 rpm. Running a 26mm pump. What were you getting with VR1 dino? Tempted to try Porsche Classic 20w50.

With the VR1 dino, I might hit 50-60psi cold, but quickly drop below 20 with most driving, and low at idle, but never low enough for the oil light to turn on...my main concern was cooking the oil, as my temp would hit 270 with normal highway driving. With a couple a hundred miles on the oil, it looks really cooked and black..

Cooking the oil is the reason I use it as well. I noticed thermal breakdown of the oil in my mustang and I can only imagine the hot spots are far worse in an air cooled car.

Stock pump or aftermarket?

I have similar number with 20w-50 Dino oil. I'm going to try Mobil 0-40 next change.
Using a Shadek 30mm pump.

Just got my new engine back from the builder (2056 Jake Raby kit with Weber 44 idfs) and it’s better than I’d hoped, except for what seems to be low oil pressure. The builder used VR (dino) 20w50 and the pressure is running about 20-25 psi at 3000 rpm with an ambient temperature of 85 degrees. Pressure at 900 rpm idle is about 10 psi with the oil light flickering occasionally. I’ve got less than 100 miles on the new engine and haven’t yet hooked up my oil temp gauge so I’m not sure how hot the oil’s getting.

I’m used to seeing 35-40 psi at 3000 with my old engine. Should I be looking at changing to a synthetic or am I just worried about nothing?

Just got my new engine back from the builder (2056 Jake Raby kit with Weber 44 idfs) and it’s better than I’d hoped, except for what seems to be low oil pressure. The builder used VR (dino) 20w50 and the pressure is running about 20-25 psi at 3000 rpm with an ambient temperature of 85 degrees. Pressure at 900 rpm idle is about 10 psi with the oil light flickering occasionally. I’ve got less than 100 miles on the new engine and haven’t yet hooked up my oil temp gauge so I’m not sure how hot the oil’s getting.

I’m used to seeing 35-40 psi at 3000 with my old engine. Should I be looking at changing to a synthetic or am I just worried about nothing?

Have you double checked your grounding for the oil pressure sender? That seems pretty low for a brand new motor.

I had the same problem when I built my 2056. Tore down the motor and found the Schadek 26 mm pump was undersized. Replaced it with a CB Performance pump and installed an external oil cooled to keep oil temps below 200. It amazes me how the start up pressure can be 75 lbs. and go down to 10 lbs. at idle when hot. Aluminum cases must really expand. I have the AA biral cylinders which help keeping things cooler. Before, if my oil temp got around 220, oil pressure dropped to 25 lbs. at 3000 rpm. now I am at 38 lbs.

I would not be happy with these oil pressures

Yes, quit looking at the gauge.

As far as I know, the rebuilt before me motor has a stock oil pump. I may be leaking a little more than before...potential seal blow by with the start up pressures...
I may look at playing with different viscosities...

Are the breathers blocked off or functional?

The only breather I have is a little round filter attached on the oil filler body...