The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop High oil pressure

Finally fired up my '54 3600 and noticed the oil pressure was pegged at the top of the gauge. This truck sat in a barn for 30 years and everthing is goey and waxy, so I wondered is it possible the oil pressure relief valve is gummed shut? Also where is the valve located ? the shop manual talks about it, but doesn't tell you where it is. any help would be appreciated.

What engine do you have in that 54? Oil pressure relief valve is in the oil pump on most of these. Nothing more than a spring holding in a steel ball. Do you have oil flow to the valve train? Have you changed the oil yet? A can of motor flush of some sort might help get the gunk out. I used to recommend using kerosene, but too many people don't do it properly and ruin their engine.

Fred,
I have the original 235 in it, I rolled this truck out of a barn where it was pretty well preserved for 30 years, just everything is greasy.
the odometer shows 57,000, which I believe to be accurate judging from the lack of wear on the truck) I have changed all the oils & filters ( engine, tranny etc.)
and have run it only long enough to drive up and down the driveway along with some idling. It is putting oil to the valve train and thru the filter etc. From reading the posts here the pressure should be below 60 unless you're reving the engine. I'm just afraid the high pressure will blow something out inside the engine. What do you think, should I run it a little more or drop the oil pan and fool with the pump?

I'd run it for a while and get the engine thouroughly warm and see if it drops. Adding a can of rislone should help break down the wax.

When we started my friends 261 the pressure gauge was pegged at 100 psi. This gauge was on the oil filter and we bent the needle and destroyed the gauge. His gauge in the instrument cluster was not hurt, and we ran the engine 30 minutes to break in the cam. After things cooled down he dropped the pan and removed shims from the overpressure valve.

One way we figured out to check the pump for pressure was with the pump removed. We hooked a pressure gauge to the outlet through a tee, and put piece of tubing on the outlet. Squeezed the tubing down and hooked a drill motor to the pump with a distributor shaft. Stuck the pump in a pan of oil and spun it.

Thanks for the advice, I think it will be saturdays project. I'm anxious to drive it, got the insurance and plates for it already!