quote:Originally posted by mike the snake:
Since I have installed the finer mesh screen on my pickup though, I was considering dropping a weight (from 20-50 to 10-40) and that seemed like an OK thing to do since my pressures were as high as they were when I had the 20-50 in it.
The guy I talked with at Aviad said IF there were to be any problems,it would be when the engine is cold, not hot, which indicates to me it is just very important to warm the engine oil up before running the engine hard at higher rpm's.
First off the NEED for any engine NEEDING a 50 weight oil is BS. All any of them need is 30.
The final weight of any engine is going to be determined by the bearing clearances on the crankshaft.
50 weight would be for something like a .035+ clearance.
Everyone is building these engines tighter now. .015 to .020 is what I would expect to see. MAYBE .025 and use 40 weight?
EXACTLY WHERE that 20-50 number came from out of Ford engineering, no one seems to know but likely it was some sort of a "panic attack" that one of the Ford Engineers had when he saw a couple of bearing failures on the Phoenix test cars just before production started of the Boss 351.
Oil temps: exactly right. ANY "performance engine" should be at "operating temperatures" and that is THE OIL TEMPERATURE.
For oil, try 210 to 220 would be just about right. Everyone over cools the Hell out of their oil.
With the 10 quart Aviad pan alone it takes some doing to get this thing hot. With an oil cooler you had better have at least a 200 degree thermostat in there for the oil. 210 would be better.
I can't believe how many people are using the old "standard" Mocals that open at 180. Needless to say that is WAY too low.
They aren't even boiling out the moisture in the oil that is creating the sludge they see in their oil changes.
Many NASCAR cars and Pro Stock drag cars as well as others are using oil HEATERS.
In a car like yours AND mine, I would expect a couple of warm up laps on the track to get the car to operating temps.
In a cold winter climate like I am here in NY, I just park the car until May usually, sometimes April. Getting the engine to "operating temps" (oil temps) is hopeless under these winter conditions. I would need a heater to do that.
In searching to get a PCV valve system operating correctly with the individual runner manifold and Weber carbs, I purely by accident discovered that I pick up around 2 to 2.5 inches of vacuum at about 200 degrees oil temps.
I did not expect to see that and am wonder if I knew that but had just forgotten it?
The 427 Fords ran 100 psi for "performance" back in the day. 10 psi in those at idle means you need a rebuild.
The 289-302 Fords run the same roll pin and about 85 psi cold. I am sure people have broken those pins but I've never heard of one in that engine series personally, and the ONLY ones I have heard of in the Cleveland are either a Ford distributor that is not original and has been "rebuilt" by someone after Ford OR AFTERMARKET.
The other thing people are seeing with oil pressure variations is that high performance engines kill the actual viscosity of the oil.
I have only experience with one BB Chevy Pro Stock car but it would leave the line with 100 psi and come back into the pits with 10 psi. Reason. It just beat the heck out of the oil in only 1/4 mile.
The adage about 10 psi for every 1,000 rpm is a good guide. I personally though get VERY nervous at anything under 15psi. There are just so many things that could have gone wrong in the engine that created that.
Hallucinations? Maybe? I try to hallucinate about the Playmate of the Year though. It's more of a rewarding "trip".
