The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop 235 oil distributor or oil pump

I've been having trouble with oil pressure on my '46 2 Ton, 235 engine. When I got it, it showed no pressure at all but had no symptoms of starving for oil so I thought bad gauge. Turns out gauge is fine but after a little running now I have about 15 psi at decent RPM when cold but only 1 or 2 PSI hot.

Could be bearings but I can't get past the fact that the engine runs & sounds just perfect. I dropped the pan and the bottom end looks fine. Pickup tube & screen are fine, pressure tube to block is great. The tube coming back down from the block and going to the nozzle galley in the pan has no gasket but I think that's just a slip fit from the look of it. I have a replacement oil pump so I'm installing it while I'm in there just to rule the pump out.

Is there anything else I should look at? What is the function of the oil distributor valve & could that be an issue? If so, where is the bugger and what could be up?

I'm much more familiar with Ford engines but every one I've dealt with that had bearings bad enough to cause complete oil pressure loss also made noise and had other indicators that the engine was tired -- definitely not so here. Thanks in advance for your expertise.

Pete P.
Harborcreek, Penna.

Hi Pete,

Not sure if this might help or not. I've never got into the oil distribution valve.

http://www.oldcarmanualproject.com/shop/1948_51truck/51ctsmo638.htm

John

The oil distributor can affect oil pressure.
Here is a link to the Shop Manual. Oil distributor starts at the bottom right of page.
The oil distributor is located on the drivers side, lower center of block.

The published figure for the low limit on oil pressure is 7 psi at 2000 rpm, hot. I haven't seen a low limit for pressure at idle. I think the limit at higher rpms was important in order for the spray nozzles to be working correctly.