Ken Wilford wrote: > Ok I know i am supposed to be on vacation but I was wondering about my van's > oil pressure. As you know I am now in Georgia staying with some of my wife's > relatives (they have internet access!). Anyway I just installed a 'wet' oil > pressure gauge in my van and this is the first trip where I could monitor the > oil pressure. It varied from 45 psi-32psi at 3000-4000 rpms after we were in > the road for about 4 hours and the motor was nice and hot. Are these low > readings? Why I asked was I was getting the oil pressure warning light and > buzzer intermittantly. It didn't come on consistantly though. It might come > on at 37 psi one time and another time it would come on at 45 psi. Sometimes > it would only beep for a second and other times for 30 seconds (very annoying. > I just changed the pressure sender a few months ago and since then I had no > warnings until just a couple days before my trip. I had put in 30wt oil to > see if that would stop the intermittant buzzer before and it didn't. Then I > changed the sender and that seemed to fix it. Then last week I was driving on > a hot day and after about an hour at highway speeds it started again. I > changed the oil to 20w/50 and put on a new Mahle filter. I checked the > pressure relief piston and spring. The spring seemed springy and I cleaned > the piston area out with some break cleaner. > So now you know what I have done already. If I am having a low oil pressure > problem I wonder if the motor is getting too hot? The needle stays in the > middle or just below it so it doesn't seem like it, but I don't have a oil > temp guage so I really don't know. > So what should I do? Change the sender again? Check the wiring? Change the > thermostat to a cooler one? > Any help would be appreciated. > Thanks > Ken Wilford > John 3:16

Hello Ken, Be careful, those are the same symptoms my Syncro displayed just before it spun a bearing. I had what it had slightly low oil pressure, 30 to 35psi. When I ran the 30wt oil I started getting the intermittant oil warning. I though it was just the light oil thinning at the warmer summer time temperatures. It was about 72degs the night my van quit. Earlier that day on the way to work it was about 87deg. I still don't know what really caused the bearing to spin. I have'nt broken down the engine, I need it for a core. In the future I will run only 10w40 in the winter and 20w50 for summer. I ran the 30wt for spring to see how it would perform. I have been working 60hrs a week and put off changing the oil. Now I have to change the engine.

I have been checking around for a rebuilt engine and here are the prices I have found

Fast German Auto: $1599.00 + $600.00 core charge + Shipping.

GEX: $1999.00 +$600.00 core charge, not sure about shipping

AVP: $1750.99 +$600.99 core charge + $250.00 shipping.

Dealer: $????.?? I have'nt check them yet a post in the archeives quotes $1850.00.

I don't think I will buy from GEX. There are many posts of problems with GEX engines. What is the current list concensus on the best rebuilder?

Colin Moran Beebe Ar '86 Syncro GL "The Bronze Brick" "Der Bronze Backstein"