Ok, Im sposed to be taking my hovercraft out tommorow...It has an 1800 flat four subaru pushrod engine in it...

It had been standing for two months, so I checked the oil and fired her up...took a little while but she started...

I ran the engine up to temp and then noticed that the oil pressure guage was not reading a pressure....

The guage appears to work when tested, but I cant test the sender on the engine...

There is a small amount of oil comming out of the valve breathers and a litle bit seeping from around the exhaust gasket on one head....

Is this all a sign that my engine is buggered or is it just a faulty pressure guage?

Is there any way of telling on this engine what the oil flow is like aronud the engine...

I really want to go play tommorow but dont really want it to break...

Any help is greatly apreciated...

Thanks
Duncan

Your oil pump will probably have an oil-pressure relief valve incorporated (or it may be near the filter). It may have stuck open, a problem that I suffered from several times after I first rebuilt my x-flow - the symptoms were identical to what you describe.

David

is it electrical or mechanical gauge ?

Try a workshop oil pressure gauge if you can borrow/hire one . Normally come with various adaptors . At least you would know for sure rather than taking a chance .

The reason I mentioned the oil pressure relief valve is that it's an easy fix if it proves to be the problem: in the case of the x-flow it's a super-smooth piston that just looked in the wrong place once the oil pump is removed. One gentle push and it clicked back into place.

If you find out where the Scooby-do has its relief valve then, if it's easy to get at, it's a cheap and easy investigation.

David

Will have to investigate this pressure relief valve tomorow...Its too late to go hovering this weekend, but I need to get it sorted for next time!

Thanks for your help, will keep you posted.

Dunc

I may be wrong but if you have ran the engine to temp with little or no oil pressure.you will almost certainly demaged the engine in fact wrecked it.
I had a oil pump failure on a Alfa engine and you could hear the noise change immediatly and i think if you ran it long enough to bring to temp then it would almost cease the engine.

Easy way to check , loosen the oil pressure sensor couple of turns or less , if oil comes out at pressure its your guage.