Pinto holding oil in rocker

[Joehale1987]

Hi guys,

I don't know if any of you may be able to help but here we go....

I have rebuilt my pinto 2.0l. New main bearings, and ground down crank, new oil pump, new spray bar, new water pump, new thermostat, bath blah.

I had a problem before taking it apart of oil pressure dropping to 0 when braking up to lights or taking a sharp left turn...

I have now rebuilt it... Still the exact same issue. I did change the oil pump for a high pressure one in the rebuild... I mean why not at the price tag they have... Now then here is the interesting bit... I run the car and it seem to fill the rocker cover with about an inch + of oil if not more. Surely this should be draining quicker than it is?

My though process is... To much oil pumped to the rocker, not draining quick enough, therefor leaving low oil level in the sump. Brake or turn left and you surge the oil away from the pickup causing air to be sucked up and losing pressure....

However... nothing has changed in the engine so why would it start doing this all of a sudden? The only difference since rebuild to the system is high pressure pump and spray bar....

[DJ.]

I'm definitely not an expert on Pintos, but I assume gravity takes the oil back to the sump, so there must be something blocking the oils path downwards. Or I suppose, if no air can enter the cam cover, that could slow the oil return as well?

Duncan

Waiting to be corrected

[Dick]

Pinto drain oil back from head is at the back and they are 1" square holes so providing they are not covered by the head gasket they will deff drain back the oil from the valve gear. I would say from you description its more like oil surge due to low oil level and no baffles in the sump.

[Joehale1987]

Oil drains are clear, checked with torch and with camera probe.

sumo fitted with baffle / surge plate. Not the best in the world but been effective for the past 7 years of ownership.

I have ordered a standard pump and new spray bar to narrow that down.

[Dick]

An up rated pump with high pressure and volume will never supply to much oil that it empties the sump into the rocker box the spray bar is restrictive so if you have one fitted and its working then cant see that being the problem. is the engine tipped forward (down at the front a lot as this may hold a bit of oil but you got to look at why the pick up is not sitting in the 4lts that should still be in the sump.

[Dick]

How much oil you running in the sump and are you sure the pickup pipe is ok and down in lower part of sump. seen engine lose pressure when small hole in pickup pipe, common place is on the welded on bracket.

[Joehale1987]

How much oil you running in the sump and are you sure the pickup pipe is ok and down in lower part of sump. seen engine lose pressure when small hole in pickup pipe, common place is on the welded on bracket.

I have pressure tested the pickup pipe, suck and blow. No leaks.
I am running around 3.7l of oil due to the shortened sump so 0.05 off the original pinto amount of 3.75 if I am not mistaken?

I heave measured the pickup and it doesn't sit totally parallel to the bottom, its at a slight angle. So lowest point around 7mm from bottom of sump and highest around 14mm from bottom of sump. Always been the same as it came to me built like that and never been moved or modified since.

I did fit a new spray bar (off ebay) during the build. Wondering if this was one of the few that had the larger holes that they now don't make any more due to my very symptoms... Anyhow, new Burton power spray bar here tomorrow and standard pump.

I has also just welded in a baffle to the right of the sump where the extra capacity was added back in on the side, this would allow massive surging when cornering left so have now updated this.

[Dick]

Need to think if pump is emptying the sump of oil then have you got 3lts/6pints in the cam cover. Have fitted many high pressure high volume pumps to pintos never been able to fill cover up. I think you need to check the baffle is allowing the oil to get to the pick up and not keeping it away seen this on home made sumps. I think your wasting your time and money on a new pump if its pumping good pressure.

[Joehale1987]

PROBLEM SOLVED -

Ok so turns out the old oil pump was a bit knackered. That was slowly wearing the crank. The crank started to loose the pressure through the shims.

So once there crank was ground and new high pressure pump put in and rebuilt the issue was because of my sump. Its waaaaay too short. The guy that had the car before me who cut the sump made it to shallow so when oil was on full line it only has about 30mm of oil in the sump. Meaning the high pressure pump was whacking more oil in the rocker, leaving nothing down bellow. It was more noticeable of course when oil surge happened under braking.

SO - Put new standard pump in and fitted an Accusump to overcome the sump being to short and give me extra protection / peace of mind. Now she's good as gold. Happy days even tho a few hairs and quid lighter