Ah, okay. Never mind!

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

the oil pump is positive displacement. the pressure in the oil gallery is a function of how much volume of oil it is putting out versus how much is escaping past the bearings versus how much spring pressure is on your relief valve. if your pump cannot put out enough volume to pop the relief valve, then either it is VERY worn out or you have VERY excessive bearing clearance somewhere. you should be able to open your oil pressure switch just cranking the engine over with the starter if you hold it long enough. so no, i dont think any problem youre having with fuel delivery is having any effect on your oil pressure problem. i thought you and ceej diagnosed that already?

i mean we can keep suggesting little bandaid fixes here and there and easily end up spending just as much time and money on it as a big-picture approach but without the happy-ending you want...
-have we got some nice thick oil in there yet?
-have we pulled the plugs out after a good run and read the colour to determine main circuit mixture?
-have we set the idle mixture while the engine is hot.
-why is the choke missing again? can we at least switch it to manual? how are you starting it now?
-do any of your friends have a proper compression tester. let's get it warm, jam the throttle wide open, and get some compression numbers wet and dry to see what kind of pressure we're making and where its going.
-and of course let's hear the results of the oil pressure diagnosis if you havent posted it already... or let's take another look at that. right now i feel we are chasing symptoms while the underlying root causes are continuing to cause trouble. we know where thats going to lead.

also, if we're going to swap carbs, why stop there. id much rather see the bad carb overfueling your clunker engine than one we know is good so please don't keep it on any engine for long.

there has to be someone within your area who has the space and time to get this car seen to properly... i aint coming down there!

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I've been calling it as i see it for my entire life and that's not about to change. Take it or leave it.

- It has fresh 10w-30 in it

- Nope

- Yep

- Choke pull-off does function properly, and the car would stall out when cold "too rich",
Manual would work, but getting a working carb with the proper choke would be better,
Press pedal twice and keep it running while cold with foot on pedal.

- Yes, I have a compression tester

- Attempt to raise oil pressure via 1/4" thick nut under bypass valve - no difference.

We suspect that the engine really only has 77-78k miles on it. While that doesnt normally seem to be enough to wipe out bearings, this car was definitely not well treated.

It could be the bearings, or it could be the pump itself. I would imagine that the pump would be to blame, since (and I may be wrong on this) the only "filter" it has is the pickup screen in the pan, whereas the oil goes through the filter first before going to the bearings....

Jury is still out on that one.

We have been having issues with this carb from day 1. I think swapping the 2280 off of Audrey would be the best idea, however, someone hacked the choke linkage on it, so I will need to re-hack it to get the choke hooked up properly.

~THOR~

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1984 D100 Shorty Custom
Certified Auto Appraiser - RevItUp Classic Appraisals
President - Cherry City Bombers CC
Part of Tyrde-Browne Racing

fine, swap the carbs. if the volare's engine runs more smoothly that's great but it still has almost no oil pressure and the other car now has a crappy carb fouling it up. i've led you to water........

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I've been calling it as i see it for my entire life and that's not about to change. Take it or leave it.

Thanks for the description of the function on the oil pump. I apparently wasn't too clear on the function of that either, but now I know.
wooT for learning!


So, to answer the questions I was asked that I know the answers to better than THOR...

-have we got some nice thick oil in there yet?

Actually, the oil is about half SAE 30 that Ceej poured in when it was low and half 10W-30ish. The day I was going to change the oil to thicker was the day the cold snap/ice/snow started happening. Now that it is past, I can change the oil at the next dry opportunity.

-have we pulled the plugs out after a good run and read the colour to determine main circuit mixture?

No, but a drive sounds grand right now, so I think I shall.

-have we set the idle mixture while the engine is hot.

Not at normal operating temp, actually - at least not in my memory.
Is there a correct way to set the air/fuel mixture, or is it just a guess?

-why is the choke missing again? can we at least switch it to manual? how are you starting it now?

Choke was judged shot by THOR, so disconnected it. I start it by pumping pedal once or twice, holding it down about 1/3 of the way, and turn the key. Let it run for a minute or two before going. Generally works fine, might have to hold down the gas pedal a tad for the first 30 seconds or so, if it's really cold out.

-do any of your friends have a proper compression tester. let's get it warm, jam the throttle wide open, and get some compression numbers wet and dry to see what kind of pressure we're making and where its going.

I've been wanting to do so, but haven't been able to yet.

-and of course let's hear the results of the oil pressure diagnosis if you havent posted it already... or let's take another look at that. right now i feel we are chasing symptoms while the underlying root causes are continuing to cause trouble. we know where thats going to lead.

I *just* got the oil pressure gauge that Andrew sent. Assuming it isn't pouring on my next day off (New Year's day, I believe), I'll try to get it hooked up so I can get some physical numbers.
Unfortunately, Ceej and I couldn't get an actual number reading, so diagnosis wasn't sure, and I'm picky enough to want numbers behind my decisions, which is why I'm still looking into this. I feel the same way - I don't like chasing symptoms, but I don't have the knowledge myself to really diagnose - hence why I'm casting about like this and keep posting seemingly silly questions.

I'm not running my Dart yet, the alignment is off and the brakes need some work, so Audrey will not run with the potentially effed carb.

I'm off for a drive, will report back!
Do you have a magical portable garage? Cos otherwise you wouldn't have the space anyway..
If you do, HOOK ME UP!

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<i>D'Artagnan</i>
<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v432/stephaniexchaos/dart/th_IMG_0326_zpsumhhfxi0.jpg">

Yes, setting the idle speed and mixture is done according to a procedure; it is not just a "guess and gosh" deal. See the Carter BBD operation and repair manual (pdf). What means the choke was "shot"? What was wrong with it, exactly? And was the oil pressure relief valve removed, cleaned, and serviced?

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

I thought there might be a procedure. Thanks for the manual - I've saved it, and will adjust per procedure next opportunity I have.

THOR made the decision on the choke - something about it not pulling off fast enough, and so making the car harder to start? I took his word for it.
Looking through the manual I find there's a way to test the choke. I'll go through that as well when I do mix adjustments.

The oil pressure relief valve was removed, cleaned, and serviced. There was no change in symptoms.


I pulled the spark plugs after a lovely evening drive. I tried to scan or take pictures with my shoddy webcam; neither quite worked well.
However, all plug tips are light tan in color, except the second from the firewall which is oil fouled.

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<i>D'Artagnan</i>
<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v432/stephaniexchaos/dart/th_IMG_0326_zpsumhhfxi0.jpg">

oy vey...

ok steph here is some bathroom reading for you, http://www.slantsix.org/articles/oil-pu ... report.htm
the pertinent info starts at the bottom of the picture of a man in front of a heat-treating machine. take some time to understand how the oil pump works and how it is constructed. if the plunger was actually removed, inspected, and found not to be binding in its bore then it is not your problem unless the spring is broken and im assuming someone would have mentioned that. jamming a nut in there isnt going to do anything. FIRST, measure actual oil pressure. then, take the pump cover off and look for signs of heavy scoring on the inside of the cover. and get that damn nut out of there...
if the pump looks good and the pressure is low, youre losing oil from somewhere. thrust bearing? we'll get to that. -so what are we waiting for on the oil change? get some 20W50 in there with a good filter, Purolator WIX or Baldwin are good choices, never FRAM. Cut the old filter open and look for filings in the filter media. Be advised that thick oil isnt going to fix your engine, just nurse it along.
plug #5 interests me. i wonder what the compression numbers on that jug will be. the rest sound just as they should be.
Yes please lets go through the choke circuit thoughtfully, im surprised your engine starts and runs that easily with it jammed wide open. it can stall rich OR lean, lets establish one or the other and go from there. do a search on the electric choke conversion, it will be the best and most reliable option for you and the process is well-documented here.
No, I dont have a portable garage. I have warm clothing and cold determination. I replaced a transmission in an 84 Continental in -20C weather just four years ago, in a driveway, no shelter; just Bundle up, grit your teeth, and do it in the rain. Come on, youre in your early 20s.
None of this will strain your shoulder it is not heavy work, just stay warm. theres bragging rights on the track and bragging rights under the hood, lets see how you cut the light...

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I've been calling it as i see it for my entire life and that's not about to change. Take it or leave it.