Dale Davies
Well-Known Member
Can not understand that. The OEMs have pretty much all gone to synthetic oils and roller cams.
When to worry about engine noises?
- Thread starter MRGTX
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Dale Davies
Well-Known Member
Well, Rotella does have a gasoline grade oil. Just bought some to change into the Dakota 3.9. Yes the diesel oils have a diesel specific additive package, but should be fine in the older flat tappet cam engines. Generally the detergent package part is changed to deal with the higher particulates of soot that get by the rings.
been using royal purple 10- 30 on all my roller builds never a problem. My 340 FT Iḿ using valvoline 10-30 w racing oill never had a noise unless i forgetto shift and hit 7500+ then get some tick for a minute but it goes . Use the right oil and don´t use cork gaskets if you use syn oil might help . been using synthetic sice 1981 and all my car get to 400,000 miles before i get rid of them have yet to have any engine related failures , with my cars or the trucks and mobile cranes I maintained for 30 years before i retired
Dale Davies
Well-Known Member
Rat Bastid
Dunamis Metron
All engine oils have some form of phosphated zinc in them. All of them.
The question is how much and why? Because that affect the entire formula of the oil.
Dale Davies
Well-Known Member
Yes, different formulations for different service or costs.
For my Dakota I purchased the Rotella gasoline oil. I will have to look at what is in it. It is a full synthetic. I like the low and high temperature capabilities. Since emissions regulations, some engine parts can get very hot, rspecially in southern areas. In central Alberta we can get 40°C in the summer or winter. That is -40°F in winter and 104°F in the summer. For us that 100+ is extreme and feels even hotter than it is because we rarely get that hot. Normal summer day is 65°F to 70°F. The oils in motorhomes or trucks pulling trailers gets a workout. The synthetics really shine for that.
MopaR&D
Nerd Member
I'm sure that's part of the issue as I'm using factory Magnum roller lifters which oil through the pushrods, along with hollow pushrods to give extra oil to the pushrod cups in my factory stamped LA rocker arms. I'm doing that because the engine has a .550" lift Racer Brown custom grind hyd roller cam and from what I've read here, stock stamped LA rockers are borderline for that. I just want them to last until I have the money for some decent roller rockers. I do know though I can restrict the oil feed to the shafts because they're getting constant full-pressure oil unlike the factory setup which is "timed" through the holes in the cam journals.
Also when I put together this engine I mistakenly cheaped out (in hindsight) by not putting in new cam bearings as the ones already in there didn't look too good. In fact I did nothing with this high-mileage 5.9 Magnum short block aside from install new rod bearings. Still runs like a champ but I knock on wood every time I say that lol.
I was able to take the car for a drive today and once fully warmed up, I noticed that when steady cruising at 50mph (2500 rpm) the engine made just about 43psi. When hot (200+F water temp), oil pressure dropped to 15ish at idle. Now I’m pretty worried about this.
So I will give BPE another call tomorrow or soon thereafter but If damage has already been done, would an oil analysis prove this? I saved a sample of my break-in oil and I can certainly collect some from the current oil as well.
The engine still runs great and pulls hard.
So I will give BPE another call tomorrow or soon thereafter but If damage has already been done, would an oil analysis prove this? I saved a sample of my break-in oil and I can certainly collect some from the current oil as well.
The engine still runs great and pulls hard.
Rat Bastid
Dunamis Metron
With what oil and grade?
TT5.9mag
Two atmospheres are better than one
I would not be ok with that oil pressure (especially if accompanied by some engine noise) regardless of what oil is in it. Stop running it, take oil samples, maybe cut open an oil filter and contact blueprint.
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j par
Well-hung Member
I solved my friend's oil problem today. Low oil pressure it would drop to nothing and bounce back up do all kinds of weird stuff. Brand new Dakota digital gauges and sensors.
I gave him a brand new mechanical gauge I had and helped him install it... His oil pressure is perfectly fine...
I would call blueprint and do as told ..
I gave him a brand new mechanical gauge I had and helped him install it... His oil pressure is perfectly fine...
I would call blueprint and do as told ..
I'm not tryin to be a dillhole, but what all kinda diagnosis have you actually done? Your first post was last Wednesday and here we are 5 pages later and I see no diagnosis or verification. We're trying to help here......you did ask, after all. Try another manual pressure gauge.
For the record, I did send a PM and haven't seen a response. Step #1 is to verify with a mechanical gauge. This engine showing low or not, we REGULARLY see electric senders with almost no reading at idle psi, then they magically swing to 40 with any rpm. Have we checked rocker arms? Have we checked for good oil flow to the rocker arms? Drained the oil and/or checked the filter for material?
As stated previously I'm happy to personally help, but let's put a little diagnosis into it. Believe me, I more than get it. You paid hard earned money and you deserve the good running engine that you paid for, but at this point, lets keep in mind it's "running great" and I havent seen anything diagnosed. I will gladly repair it if there is a problem, but we need to go through our normal process to establish there is even anything wrong. Am I saying i love 15 psi at idle? No. But again...gauge sender, oil type, even oil filter, etc. Lets cross some T's and dot some I's before we go pulling the engine. We had a thread a few years back where a customer was irate with us because a engine ate the bearings. Turns out he had an old box of Fram oil filters that had some thick "high mileage" goup installed in them from the factory, and it all came loose at once like axle grease and plugged up the engine. We still fixed it for free.
Threads like this tend to go sideways fast and I really just want to help you get it figured out and make it right. If your schedule doesn't allow you to call during business hours, respond to my pm and I will send you my cell. Let's all hope it's something "easy", and If it's not, we'll work through it.
Johnny Mac
I definitely appreciate all of the help and input. Just for the record as they say, I have two kids in diapers and a job that requires my phone to be completely off while I’m working…with blocks of about 10 minutes (if I don’t run long) when I could talk to anyone. It’s not as if I don’t plan to diagnose this by any means necessary but there is a reason why someone in my situation buys a crate engine. 
Johnny, sorry I didn’t mention that you sent a PM. Thanks for doing that. I will call as soon as possible.
I’m using a mechanical oil pressure gauge in the car. I’m fine with using an external gauge for diagnostics but I have yet to buy a nice enough one that would be more credible than the one that is in the car (which is a petty standard auto parts store/ Bosch branded gauge). Any recommendations on which one to buy would be welcome.
I’ve only run Wix filters so far. I don’t have a lot of faith in Fram but it’s shocking to hear that such commonly used filters could be so negligently made. That’s chilling. Very cool of Blueprint to take care of this customer but I hope they were in turn helped out by Fram.
Johnny, sorry I didn’t mention that you sent a PM. Thanks for doing that. I will call as soon as possible.
I’m using a mechanical oil pressure gauge in the car. I’m fine with using an external gauge for diagnostics but I have yet to buy a nice enough one that would be more credible than the one that is in the car (which is a petty standard auto parts store/ Bosch branded gauge). Any recommendations on which one to buy would be welcome.
I’ve only run Wix filters so far. I don’t have a lot of faith in Fram but it’s shocking to hear that such commonly used filters could be so negligently made. That’s chilling. Very cool of Blueprint to take care of this customer but I hope they were in turn helped out by Fram.
replicaracer43
Grumpy Old Man
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THIS RIGHT HERE, is the reason the internet is able to spread bad information. The engine you are referring to, had a crankshaft ground .010 under on the mains, and the "engine builder" installed std bearings without checking clearance. It had ZERO to do with the lifters or pushrods. Oil is metered through the lifters, and it's not just a open leak.
When you do PM back, please send me your serial # off your paperwork. It'll greatly speed up the process. I'll even send you some of our 10w30 oil to try, but again...lets pop the valve covers, and do some diag. I didn't realize you had a mechanical gauge on it. not that they all are accurate, but better chance of it being "good" than an electrical. A local Autozone will usually rent you tools like an oil pressure gauge, for just a $20 deposit, and refund in full when you return it. But before we get too deep, lets all remember this is a magnum based engine, with pushrod oiling. A few loose rockers, and it could be bleeding off pressure at the lifer/pushrod or Pushrod/rocker. Would have to be really loose, but I've seen more than one experienced racer make a pass that just "sounded a little off" and found a rocker arm laying in the head.I definitely appreciate all of the help and input. Just for the record as they say, I have two kids in diapers and a job that requires my phone to be completely off while I’m working…with blocks of about 10 minutes (if I don’t run long) when I could talk to anyone. It’s not as if I don’t plan to diagnose this by any means necessary but there is a reason why someone in my situation buys a crate engine.
Johnny, sorry I didn’t mention that you sent a PM. Thanks for doing that. I will call as soon as possible.
I’m using a mechanical oil pressure gauge in the car. I’m fine with using an external gauge for diagnostics but I have yet to buy a nice enough one that would be more credible than the one that is in the car (which is a petty standard auto parts store/ Bosch branded gauge). Any recommendations on which one to buy would be welcome.
I’ve only run Wix filters so far. I don’t have a lot of faith in Fram but it’s shocking to hear that such commonly used filters could be so negligently made. That’s chilling. Very cool of Blueprint to take care of this customer but I hope they were in turn helped out by Fram.
j par
Well-hung Member
Amen on the sideways quick.,..
LOL verify with a mechanical gauge.,
Call blueprint they will help you...
I wonder what internet ya-hoo gave that advice...
dartindanno
Well-Known Member
Just when I think you're dumb you go ahead and prove it. Don't overthink it, enjoy your engine? I feel bad for your co-workersAmen on the sideways quick.,..
LOL verify with a mechanical gauge.,
Call blueprint they will help you...
I wonder what internet ya-hoo gave that advice...
TT5.9mag
Two atmospheres are better than one
Just want to add one more thing, performance in no way should be an indicator of whether or not there is an oiling issue. The fact that it runs good and “pulls hard” has no bearing on IF there could be an oiling problem. It will run awesome right up to the point that it snags a bearing and spits a rod out, if it does in fact have low oil pressure.
I agree, but I think what Johnny was gettin at was that it showed no signs of trouble "anywhere else".
TT5.9mag
Two atmospheres are better than one
Oh yea I agree, I was paraphrasing the OP. Lots of people think that because it runs good it won’t have a problem and that can be very very deceptive.
Dale Davies
Well-Known Member
A mechanical guage confirms the oil pressure is good. The Dakota Digital guage drops to nothing and then comes back. I would suggest that probably the pressure sender is kapput. Determine the ohms range of the Dakota sender and procure one from a parts store. Also probably a good idea to check the wiring for broken or poor terminal crimp or grounded.
By the description of erratic reading, I doubt the engine or the instruments have an issue.
Yup I get what you're saying. All good here. They can also run "ok" on 7 cylinders with an exhaust rocker laying in the head. lol. To add some humor to the thread, I once pulled the car into the trailer with only 4 plug wires on it. I thought, man that ran like crap, and started hard. But it ran NOWHERE near as bad as you would think with literally zero fire in 4 holes. Was just the Dummy driver that forgot to put the plug wires back on the plugs after reading.
MopaR&D
Nerd Member
The previous 360 in my Duster ran pretty good on 7 cylinders with a cracked cylinder, broken ring land and seized piston pin. Spewed coolant steam out the exhaust and the oil was vanilla milkshake but it still pulled hard when I goosed the throttle lmao.
Damn fish
Active Member
it might be worth checking oil pickup to pan clearance you should have at least 10 psi per thousand rpm
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