What Oil Pressure?

[Kelly]

Thanks Bill- I'll search out an appropriate magnet.

Just curious...did you keep the ball and spring set-up or did you switch to the older cone?

P.S. I was just thinking about how often I see "Don't ask me how I know this" on this forum and wondered if we shouldn't shorten the expression to just its first letters, like SWAK, IMHO, etc. That would make "DAMHIKT"...and if you remove the "K" and say it fast, I think you arrive at perfection.

[ILikeRust]

For the time being, I just stuck the ball and spring back in there.

I'm pondering whether to install an oil filtration kit or what.

And yes, I've seen DAMHIKT used on a few other forums and mailing lists for several years now; I just don't know how widely-known it is. I don't like using an acronym only to have someone have to ask "what does that mean?" Because usually that means there are other people who also don't know what it means, but either don't want to ask or just don't bother.

[Kelly]

Bingo on the magnet...it came out of the hole with a ball-type valve plug snugly on the end.

I've reinstalled it, changed the oil (15W40 deisel oil), removed my Dole thermostat in order to put in a ball valve in the bypass loop and the engine is running cooler now.

I'll report back once I've had a chance to run the engine for an hour or so to see what the oil pressure is doing now.

[Mo]

Kelly,

I think she will run fine. You may notice your engine noticeably quieter with the heavier oil and you won't be disappointed. I motored mine for 29 miles last friday in 3 to 4 foot ocean swells. As I mention, I have 30 weight diesel motor oil in mine currently and following the trip she was not down on oil.

Temp didn't rise above 140 (sorry I don't know the RPM because it's not working..and again I am slow to repair it) however I maintained 4.5 to 5 towing an inflatable dingy. I don't run with a thermostat and have a by-valve 1/2 open.

We stopped mid afternoon to let the kids play on an island beach close to where we would anchor for the night. I shut the boat down and we went ashore in the dingy. Returned to the boat a couple of hours later and she started and died after about 10 seconds. I had no spark and replaced a coil with no improvement. Changed out the condenser and she is back to her normal self. She burned almost 5 gallons of gas motoring for about 6 hours.

Off topic for a second: If anyone knows. Wondering if the gas consumption is about right (29 miles in 6 hours) as I rarely motor that long where I can actually measure what I am burning...you can PM me on that one.

[Kelly]

Mo,

The gas consumption number used as a rule of thumb around here is 1 gallon per hour, so your findings seem to fall on the "good gas mileage" side of things.

One ball valve question: do you leave your bypass valve at 1/2 at all times or are you adjusting things at start-up and then again once the engine is warm? I'm new to this style of temperature control...

[sastanley]

Mo..right on..the consensus seems to be 3/4 to 1 gallon per hour. Those that can cruise around 1,900 RPM and get it to burn 3/4 gallon are in the sweet spot I think.

All that being said, my motoring is so inconsistent (and boat usage in general ) I have no idea my engine's consumption rate.

Kelly, on my late model, I found the first weekend I had it, I tweaked the bypass valve quite a bit to see its effects...after I got it set, I haven't touched it.

[Mo]

By-Pass: I just leave mine 1/2 open all the time. Our water temp is currently 63 F. The motoring the other day was the first time I really motored that long. I think it was a good test. Swell and towing a dingy which must have knocked almost a knot off my speed.

I think the engine had a decent workout. We usually can have a breeze and sails up about 11 am and have 15 kts by 1 or 2 pm....it's not often I am heading down the shore under motor. Seems to work well though.

[Mo]

Oil note:

Although not required, I started to change my oil once every 6 weeks when the boat is in the water. Initially the oil was always dark but as I have done it so often now over the past 3 summers it is so clean between changes that I have to look closely to see where it sits on the stick when checking it. Cost me about $12 to do an oil change.

50 psi on start-up
40 psi when warmed up
-- didn't check it at idle warm

[Ajax]

I have purchased a 1973 Pearson 30 that I believe has the original A-4 in it. It appears to be a "later" model based on what I'm seeing in my Moyer manual.

Upon startup, I have exactly 50 psi at idle, on the gauge. Once the engine warms up, (140-150F) the pressure at cruising is approximately 20 psi. I haven't adjusted the oil pressure ball yet.

I'm thinking an oil change is in order because the boat sat on the hard for a year. I need to buy the vacuum pump to suck the oil out. This thread was very valuable because I was concerned about my cruising oil pressure.

[smosher]

I have a 74 P30 and my oil did the same until I replaced the ground wires on the starboard side of the engine. The gauge now reads between 35 - 40 psi.

Steve

[sastanley]

Ajax, If you do not know how long it has been, you might as well change the oil right away. Typical oil changes around here are recommended at 50 hours, or most of us change it in the winter when we winterize so it is ready for spring.

I personally like Shell/Rotella SAE30 for the Atomic 4.

I just picked up a $15 drill operated pump from Ace Hardware, that I haven't even used yet, but you can also use a hand pump, but you need one that fits in the dipstick tube. Warm the engine up to thin out the oil a little so it is easier to pump.