Yet another question dealing with my brother's 83 Dodge van.

The motor is 1976 225 rebuilt to factory sopecs about 5,000 miles ago. Stock cam and oil pump (new of course). The van has great oil pressure when it is warmed up at all RPM ranges (about 1/2-5/8 up the stock in-dash guage).

The problem is that during the initial startup when everything is cold, it takes the van quite a while to start registering oil pressure and then for the oil pressure to build up. It takes a good 15-20 seconds before the guage hits the 1/2 way mark on the factory oil pressure guage.

The van has a mix of 10w-40 and 5w-30 oil in it and it is running a fairly new Bosch oil filter. The only thing I can think of that might be delaying the buildup f oil pressure is that my brother installed a HUGE oil cooler (it is literally about half the size of the van's radiator) higher than the oil pan. Could the delay in oil pressure be due to the filling of the cooler? Anything I can do to build up oil pressure quicker short of removing the oil cooler?

I am just leery of the motor jumping up to 1600 RPM for the cold fast idle while the oil pressure is slowly creeping up.

Thanks!

Reed,

Before you go believing the factory gauge I would install a good mechanical gauge to read the true oil pressure. Many factory electrical gauges respond slowly and are of questionable accuracy.

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Joshua

Thanks. I will see if I have one out in the garage...

The mechanical gauge idea is a good one. Remember, the factory gauges are damped so they react very slowly to changes in oil pressure. They're also not very precise or accurate, and if the sender starts to get lazy, the slow-movement situation is aggravated.

A couple thoughts:

1. Quit using 10w40 oil, in any proportion. It's the most sludge-prone grade, and is not a good pick. 10w30's good if the engine's in good-to-average mechanical condition, 15w40's good if the engine's in average-to-loose mechanical condition, and if the rings and bearings are in really good shape then 5w30 is a good choice. The thinner the oil, the faster the pressure builds (and the faster the oil gets where it needs to go) on cold startup.

2. It is definitely very possible that the oil cooler is delaying oil pressure buildup, which would kind of counteract the presumable reason for installing the cooler in the first place. It sounds larger than it needs to be.

3. See this post and the links from it.

4. Service the oil pressure relief valve to make sure it's doing its job, as described in these two threads: thread 1, thread 2. It could be stuck partially open, bleeding off oil pressure.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Thanks Dan! Looks like I have some reading to do.
My borther originally intended this van to be the touring van for his band so he installed the gargantuan oil cooler, a large trans fluid cooler, a 727, a deep pan on the 727, and a class III trailer hitch. The van has the factory fan shroud and I installed a clutch fan and overload springs. I bet this rig could haul a boat uphill through death valley and not overheat at 55 miles per hour.

Looks like I will be doing an oil change and pulling the pump apart while I am in there.

Adding that huge oil cooler could cause sludge.

What is the oild capacity of a regular van engine? My 79 360 takes 6 1/2.

A temp gauge might be a good thing for the oil. Puttin around town it might not get warm renough to dispell water and acids from the oil.

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'72 Duster 198 stock cam, 3:23's Hookers on jack stands for 8 years in the driveway
'79 Maxivan 360 Offy Qjet Comp RV cam/rusting in the driveway.
93 D350 160HP Cummins Auto Dually Clubcab needs a injector pump
2005 Golden Couch Buick

I don't know what the oil capacity is for the motor alone. I think for vans it is the neighor hood of 6 quarts.

The more I think about it, the more I think I might just remove the oil cooler.

Problem solved! Switching to 5w-30 and changing to a Napa Gold 1806 filter fixed t. Now it almost instantly jumps up to the middle of the factory guage. Yay.

It took 5 quarts to put the oil level in the "OK" zone, even with the mondo oil cooler. The transmission cooler is truly 1/2 the size of the van's radiator and the oil cooler is about 1/3 the size.

What filter did it have?

(registered Fram hater)

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'72 Duster 198 stock cam, 3:23's Hookers on jack stands for 8 years in the driveway
'79 Maxivan 360 Offy Qjet Comp RV cam/rusting in the driveway.
93 D350 160HP Cummins Auto Dually Clubcab needs a injector pump
2005 Golden Couch Buick

It had a Bosch filter. I don't know the number offhand.

Reed,

I run the 1806 filter and 0-30W Mobile 1 per Dan's suggestion after I broke the engine in, about the 20,000 mile mark.

I get 50 lb's oil pressure immediately on start up! Never a bit of noise from the bottom end from lack of oil. It is like I just shut it off.

I figure that is a pretty good test.

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Aggressive Ted

http://cid-32f1e50ddb40a03c.photos.live ... %20Swinger


74 Swinger, 9.5 comp 254/.435 lift cam, 904, ram air, electric fans, 2.5" HP2 & FM70 ex, 1920 Holley#56jet, 2.76 8 3/4 Sure-Grip, 26" tires, 25+MPG

Tedddddd who makes the 1806 filter? NAPA?

Yes, I was running the 1515 NAPA Gold and had a slower response.

The NAPA 1806 cost more but has the full length stand pipe built in for immediate oil pressure!

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Aggressive Ted

http://cid-32f1e50ddb40a03c.photos.live ... %20Swinger


74 Swinger, 9.5 comp 254/.435 lift cam, 904, ram air, electric fans, 2.5" HP2 & FM70 ex, 1920 Holley#56jet, 2.76 8 3/4 Sure-Grip, 26" tires, 25+MPG