how much oil pressure to expect

I just read the Dipstick WTH thread and maybe something there that could be my trouble.
I bought the pan from a junkyard so it would fit over the front axle. It is a rear sump...it takes 8 to 8.5 quarts to read full on the dipstick and the dipstick is into the pan. If I only put 6.5 quarts in it it doesn't even register on the stick, so I put it where it should be on the stick would you think this to be my problem? The guy in the Junkyard said the pan was from a van but it would work and it did bolt on. I may address this closely when I pull it out.

if it is overfilled the oil can cavatate and loose pressure.

either way it is bad. How come you just didn't get a pan that was for the orginal vechile?

I tried. This was all I could find. I have put this thing together over a number of years with what I could get. The guy at the yard said that the van pan and the 4x4 pan were the same...but obviously not.

The Man 53 said:

I tried. This was all I could find. I have put this thing together over a number of years with what I could get. The guy at the yard said that the van pan and the 4x4 pan were the same...but obviously not.

Click to expand...

They could be. I just do not know, maybe someone else knows for sure.


I always guess you could have the wrong dipstick for the pan/engine?

but if that is the right pan for the engine, then 8-8.5 quarts in the stock pan is WAY too much oil.

I am concerned. I will take the engine out, pull the bearing caps off, check clearances, fill the pan with oil, get a longer dipstick and mark it with 5.5-6 quarts on it. Anything else you recommend? I would like to put roller rockers up in the head, but I am married. My wife doesn't like the never ending engine upgrades

The Man 53 said:

I got 45 at cold idle.
60 reved up cold
20 hot idle
30-35 hot reved up.
I am disappointed.

Click to expand...

For having a high volume pump those #'s are low at warm idle. I don't think I'd worry about it provided the motor runs OK.

The Man 53 said:

I bought the pan from a junkyard so it would fit over the front axle. It is a rear sump...it takes 8 to 8.5 quarts to read full on the dipstick and the dipstick is into the pan. If I only put 6.5 quarts in it it doesn't even register on the stick, so I put it where it should be on the stick would you think this to be my problem? The guy in the Junkyard said the pan was from a van but it would work and it did bolt on. I may address this closely when I pull it out.

Click to expand...

Van pan, car pan, Bronco pan, there all going to take the same quanity of oil. And to get it to "where it should be on the stick" is what 8 quarts? If so that is way to much oil. Where is your dipstick located, pan or front of block? Did you use the van dipstick or the old Bronco dipstick?

The Man 53 said:

I tried. This was all I could find. I have put this thing together over a number of years with what I could get. The guy at the yard said that the van pan and the 4x4 pan were the same...but obviously not.

Click to expand...

There the same other than the sump. They both hold the same amount of oil. A van did not require 8 1/2 quarts of oil an a change.

The stick came with the pan and the stick goes into the pan. Maybe it got switched before I got ahold of it, but I didn't want to run it low and was not aware with a different pan where to go so I just did as the dipstick said. runs great, but I still am worried about the pressure. I want to pull it and check it out now before I have to do drastic rebuild in the future. Plus while it is out I think I will have room to put in the reverse oiling upgrade and suck out metal shavings. Mark the pan and dipstick and check clearance. It will be fun...

The Man 53 said:

well its 15-40 I wanted to run thinnner but won't now
I bought it with the pistons, mains, rods installed...I had to put the timing set, oil pump, heads, etc together.
The bottom end I thought the guy said was balanced, but only to run 6,000 rpm tops
Good question on the holes in the crank...I don't know
The guy that did the bottom end I believe just polished it as it was in spec.

I think I am going to pull the engine and check the bearings as I really wanted more...This is for my trail ride/wheeler only and it will see some rpms and abuse.

Click to expand...

I would expect that its the crank if yr sure it was only polished. That said...those numbers are fine as long as they still hold true for the highest RPM you want to run.

bmc69 said:

I would expect that its the crank if yr sure it was only polished.

Click to expand...

Either that, or its you're dipstick. IIRC the van dipstick is bent differently and is a lot longer than the car and truck dipstick just because of 3/4 of the motor sits under the cab. I was always under the impression that the car, 2wd truck and van pans were the same but the 4x4 truck ones were different. So maybe you have a van pan with a 4x4 truck dipstick and really need a car or 2wd truck dipstick to make everything work (since the van dipstick wont work). Confusing I know...

Idle while at operating temp, spec is 1lb of oil pressure for every 100 rpm, this is a factory oiling system with 10-30 oil. So if you are idling around 800 8lbs is within spec.

yeah I always heard 10 pounds per 1,000 RPM....That's about the same as 1 per 100
I am running 15w-40 in it now though and want to go to 6,000 RPM or so. If I am only running 35 pounds at 6,000 I will be in trouble before too long. I don't want to run it at 6 all day long, but wheeling it I know it will get there from time to time. Let me know what you think. Thanks Lucas
PS just went and got an engine stand tonight. I got 1 for sure and maybe this 400 to hang on here to.

if memory serves me right. These engines had always had issues with oiling. And ford had a TSB on this and it stated something psi @ 2000 rpms and forget about the idle psi.

I had a 351m. it had a total of 7 or 8 psi @ 5000 rpms. it had a slight knock. I tried to blow that thing up. Raf even remembers me in the morning doing hot laps around area 5 @ hollister. :toothless