Oil Pump Spring?

[Parzival]

Does anyone recommend replacing the spring in the oil pump when doing work that involves removing the oil pan.
I have my oil pan off at the moment, and I cringe at the idea of missing the opportunity to make sure every system is operating at optimal performance.
In the book it says to inspect the oil pump for wear by removing the cotter pin and inspecting the spring and other adjacent parts. The trouble is I dont see those parts being made available anywhere, The pump it self is so simple that thing will likely never wear out, but that spring may, and it directly effects the oil pressure produced.
Thoughts?

[mark w]

there is no spring in the oil pump, nor a cotter pin.
to remove it, its three bolts, AFTER you have removed the timing cover and the Pulley.

[Parzival]

there is no spring in the oil pump, nor a cotter pin.
to remove it, its three bolts, AFTER you have removed the timing cover and the Pulley.
I believe you are mistaken.
61532
There is a spring and a few plugs in here, I think one is called "concave spring seat" or somthing like that, I didnt bring my workshop manual home with me.
My pulley and timing cover are removed.

[David T]

That thing is pretty bulletproof so unless you suspect a problem I would leave it alone. The only problems I have heard of is when it gets touched. Did you remove the gasket for the crankcase yet?

[Parzival]

I haven’t touched it at all yet, if I did I would leave Theo pump installed but pull that pin to inspect the spring. I was reading in a Volvo forum hat one guy noticed his spring was broken during his engine rebuild. I believe the function of that spring is similarly to the function of the PPR spring. It buffers the pressure and allows a relief in case of an over pressure.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[David T]

Correct, that spring functions as a pressure relief preventing the pump from over-pressurizing the system. It allows the excess oil to dump back into the crankcase. If it was broken it would cause the oil pressure to be lower than it should. It also functions as a bypass if the oil filter gets plugged up so you don't burst the spin on filter.

[mark w]

I believe you are mistaken.
61532
There is a spring and a few plugs in here, I think one is called "concave spring seat" or somthing like that, I didnt bring my workshop manual home with me.
My pulley and timing cover are removed.

AH, i see. I removed my pump, but didnt take it apart that far.

[Parzival]

AH, i see. I removed my pump, but didnt take it apart that far.

did you remove it just to inspect it? or did you replace it?

[dn010]

The Volvo springs are shit. Two of the three pumps I took apart had broken springs. The spring in the D seems to be better made than those.

[Parzival]

The Volvo springs are shit. Two of the three pumps I took apart had broken springs. The spring in the D seems to be better made than those.

Really 2 out of 3!?
Thats crazy, im gonna check mine for sure, even if the Delorean springs are better. If it is broken, where can I get a new one?

[dn010]

I should specify that I'm talking about the Volvo B280F pump springs that were broken.

Unfortunately I have not found anywhere to get replacements so I have a few pumps laying around. These pumps or components cannot be used on the DeLorean engine because the gears are longer, the pressure relief valve is different along with the spring.

I'd guess you won't need to worry about this but if you do find that the spring is bad, I'd start by seeing if anyone here has a pump laying around due to having to part out their block rotten engine. You could also try getting a B28F pump somewhere to see if it is the same.

Get a set of oil galley brushes (engine brush kit on Eastwood) to clean up your oil passages and make sure nothing is plugged.

[David T]

If you do a complete teardown of the block, as part of the process you have the block "boiled". That should get all of the crud loose and out but as dn010 says, you wash and brush out the oil galleries and all the small passages with long brushes anyway. ANY engine builder will not trust anybody else to make sure EVERYTHING is clean. It is a real "rookie" mistake to lose an engine because of some dirt. Not too long ago someone had their valve covers blasted and powder coated (not a Delorean). Because of the baffles inside one cover some of the blasting media was not removed completely. You can guess what happened and it doesn't take long. A good engine builder will also number match everything as he disassembles, and measure everything himself as he assembles to make sure the machine shop didn't mess up. Building an engine is a very fussy and meticulous process. Any small mistake and it is all over. Take your time and if you have to, make up a checklist. I have found if you get interrupted while you do a build you can forget exactly where you were and miss something. If something is not fitting right, STOP and figure out what is happening, do NOT think you can force it and it will be OK. Keep track of your bolts and make sure you are using the correct fastener in the right place. Take pictures or make sketches. Sometimes you don't reassemble things right away and you forget. Check and double check your valve timing and distributor. When I build an engine I use mineral oil, not synthetic, and a quart of Marvel Mystery Oil for my break-in oil and change it after 1,000 miles. In a car that doesn't get a lot of mileage, 500 miles or 1 year. On initial start-up use a mechanical oil pressure gauge and make sure you got plenty of pressure or shut it off right away. Minimum 30 psi at idle plus 10 psi for every additional 1,000 RPM's.

[Parzival]

I did find a broken oring in the oil pick up. Not sure if it was effecting anything or not, but thats one thing that will be fixed.

[DMC-81]

I did find a broken oring in the oil pick up. Not sure if it was effecting anything or not, but thats one thing that will be fixed.

Definitely, that will help.

On reassembly tips: One thing my engine builder did is mark each bolt head with a dot using a paint marker to indicate that it was torqued. I thought that’s a great practice. I used assembly lube and always primed the oil pump before firing the engine. There are different ways depending on the type of engine to do this. On my recent Magnum build, the engine builder recommended STP Oil Treatment (15 oz) along with the normal spec engine oil. Change at 1,000 miles.

[Giamanut]

Definitely, that will help.

On reassembly tips: One thing my engine builder did is mark each bolt head with a dot using a paint marker to indicate that it was torqued. I thought that’s a great practice. I used assembly lube and always primed the oil pump before firing the engine. There are different ways depending on the type of engine to do this. On my recent Magnum build, the engine builder recommended STP Oil Treatment (15 oz) along with the normal spec engine oil. Change at 1,000 miles.

Alright I am no D expert But I have worked on a gazillion Oil pumps and that springs sole function in life is to maintain oil pressure at a given PSI if you use a stronger spring you will have higher Oil pressure. It just opens at a certain PSI and lets oil bypass most times back to the pump! Fuel pressure regulators work Identical adding washers tightens the spring creates more fuel pressure! Surprised anyone found a broken spring on an engine with normal oil pressure, I would suspect a broken spring would jam the poppet valve closed and create high oil pressure that really moved with RPM, or it would allow the poppet valve to stay open and lose a lot if not all oil pressure.
If you remove the spring you will find a little Poppet Valve at the end of it! And just inside of the cotter pin should be a washer or maybe 2.
Torque strip your bolts and you can even get different colors.

[Ron]

Alright I am no D expert But I have worked on a gazillion Oil pumps and that springs sole function in life is to maintain oil pressure at a given PSI if you use a stronger spring you will have higher Oil pressure. It just opens at a certain PSI and lets oil bypass most times back to the pump! Fuel pressure regulators work Identical adding washers tightens the spring creates more fuel pressure! Surprised anyone found a broken spring on an engine with normal oil pressure, I would suspect a broken spring would jam the poppet valve closed and create high oil pressure that really moved with RPM, or it would allow the poppet valve to stay open and lose a lot if not all oil pressure.
If you remove the spring you will find a little Poppet Valve at the end of it! And just inside of the cotter pin should be a washer or maybe 2.
Torque strip your bolts and you can even get different colors.Actually, its purpose is not to maintain a certain pressure -- It is to limit pressure. The oil pressure will vary with RPM, etc. while the pressure is within the limit. If the limit is exceeded the valve will open and the excess goes to the crankcase, not back to the pump. Adding washers will not raise the oil pressure -- It will allow the pressure to exceed the limit (and probably damage the oil filter and/or blow out an oil galley plug).

[Giamanut]

Actually, its purpose is not to maintain a certain pressure -- It is to limit pressure. The oil pressure will vary with RPM, etc. while the pressure is within the limit. If the limit is exceeded the valve will open and the excess goes to the crankcase, not back to the pump. Adding washers will not raise the oil pressure -- It will allow the pressure to exceed the limit (and probably damage the oil filter and/or blow out an oil galley plug).

Weather it goes back to the crankcase or pump does not matter it relieves the pressure at a point at which oil pressure overcome the spring thus controlling Max oil pressure. And yes the purpose of controlling Max oil pressure is as you stated and adding stiffer springs or washers is done routinely to raise Max Oil pressure. In fact the total difference between a High pressure OP and a stock OP is the spring . Oil only rises with RPM until the Poppet Valve that is held in by the spring is pushed back.
Absolutely adding a washer will raise Oil because it will take more Oil pressure to Push open it to bypass Functionally Identical to the Fuel Pressure regulator in the FD. Functionally we are stating the same thing for the most part.

[dn010]

Like Ron stated, the valve does not regulate pressure. It only opens at a certain PSI to bleed high pressure. This argument doesn’t really matter since regardless, there are no springs available for our application.

[Giamanut]

Like Ron stated, the valve does not regulate pressure. It only opens at a certain PSI to bleed high pressure. This argument doesn’t really matter since regardless, there are no springs available for our application.

Exactly! To Bleed off or limit is to regulate! It is the same thing it does not come into play at low pressure Only Regulates/Limits/bleeds off high pressure. Or if you like bleeds off excessive pressure. Thereby regulating/limiting/bleeding off it to a spec max oil pressure. https://www.melling.com/aftermarket-parts/international/melling-u-k/technical/

[Ron]

Weather it goes back to the crankcase or pump does not matter it relieves the pressure at a point at which oil pressure overcome the spring thus controlling Max oil pressure. And yes the purpose of controlling Max oil pressure is as you stated and adding stiffer springs or washers is done routinely to raise Max Oil pressure. In fact the total difference between a High pressure OP and a stock OP is the spring . Oil only rises with RPM until the Poppet Valve that is held in by the spring is pushed back.
Absolutely adding a washer will raise Oil because it will take more Oil pressure to Push open it to bypass Functionally Identical to the Fuel Pressure regulator in the FD. Functionally we are stating the same thing for the most part.

Exactly! To Bleed off or limit is to regulate! It is the same thing it does not come into play at low pressure Only Regulates/Limits/bleeds off high pressure. Or if you like bleeds off excessive pressure. Thereby regulating/limiting/bleeding off it to a spec max oil pressure. https://www.melling.com/aftermarket-parts/international/melling-u-k/technical/First, I'm not trying to step on your toes but simply clarify/correct the stated operation for the benefit of others...

Weather the excess goes back to the crankcase or pump matters when explaining/understanding the system.

There is more to it than semantics-
"Maintaining a given PSI" is not the same thing as "regulating/limiting/bleeding off it to a spec max oil pressure." The former yields a constant pressure. (The pressure regulator in the FD (PPR) is a good example.) The latter yields varying pressure, up to the spec. (Which is how the oil pumps actually work.) The PPR maintains -- The OP relief valve limits.

[Giamanut]

First, I'm not trying to step on your toes but simply clarify/correct the stated operation for the benefit of others...

Weather the excess goes back to the crankcase or pump matters when explaining/understanding the system.

There is more to it than semantics-
"Maintaining a given PSI" is not the same thing as "regulating/limiting/bleeding off it to a spec max oil pressure." The former yields a constant pressure. (The pressure regulator in the FD (PPR) is a good example.) The latter yields varying pressure, up to the spec. (Which is how the oil pumps actually work.) The PPR maintains -- The OP relief valve limits.

I get that totally agree but the way the PPR is Constant Is because the Pump Is Constantly above Valve working Pressure! Electric pump vs mechanical but when either is at Valve working pressure they work Identical. Poppet and spring.
Think about this for a second say your an engineer and you have to lubricate any mechanical system you know there is an ideal pressure but you can not get that ideal pressure 100% of the time because at 0 rpm you have zero pump pressure from a mechanical pump. Plus cold vs warm oil, etc etc all you can do is relive pressure at the Ideal psi on a warm engine at the most used rpm I am not saying you are going to maintain a given oil pressure at all rpm at all under the valve working pressure it is going to go with rpm. What I am saying is that Max oil pressure is By Design and most oil pumps will have an inherent Max PSI at any RPM 75 maybe 85 psi maybe even 100 psi.
The biggest difference in or train of thought here ( which is good by the way) is this you say the oil pump valve is designed to protect the oil seals / filter etc from over pressure, and it does do that however I say it is designed to provide the best possible lubrication. In short the Oil Pump is not designed around the seals rather the seals are designed around the Best Possible Lube. The valve in the FD and the Oil pump function on the same principal, but the PPR has a constant 100 or more psi behind it from a constant speed pump. The difference is in the pump not the function of the valves.

[Ron]

I get that totally agree but the way the PPR is Constant Is because the Pump Is Constantly above Valve working Pressure! Electric pump vs mechanical but when either is at Valve working pressure they work Identical. Poppet and spring.
Think about this for a second say your an engineer and you have to lubricate any mechanical system you know there is an ideal pressure but you can not get that ideal pressure 100% of the time because at 0 rpm you have zero pump pressure from a mechanical pump. Plus cold vs warm oil, etc etc all you can do is relive pressure at the Ideal psi on a warm engine at the most used rpm I am not saying you are going to maintain a given oil pressure at all rpm at all under the valve working pressure it is going to go with rpm. What I am saying is that Max oil pressure is By Design and most oil pumps will have an inherent Max PSI at any RPM 75 maybe 85 psi maybe even 100 psi.
When the PPR valve is at its working pressure, it is in its normal state -- It remains active to maintain a given pressure.
When the OP valve is at its working pressure, it is not in its normal state -- It will remain active only as long as pressure exceeds the limit.
They both return unwanted pressure to the tank, but that is where the similarity ends. They don't work identically. One is in its normal state, while the other is not. One maintains pressure, while the other limits it.
If we look at normal system pressure(s), one constantly relies on its valve, while the other's valve is usually dormant.


The biggest difference in or train of thought here ( which is good by the way) is this you say the oil pump valve is designed to protect the oil seals / filter etc from over pressure, and it does do that however I say it is designed to provide the best possible lubrication. In short the Oil Pump is not designed around the seals rather the seals are designed around the Best Possible Lube. The valve in the FD and the Oil pump function on the same principal, but the PPR has a constant 100 or more psi behind it from a constant speed pump. The difference is in the pump not the function of the valves.
I didn't say the pump or valve was designed around anything. (I can see how blending purpose/design/function would make it sound that way. Are you a lawyer ;-) I said the valve's purpose is not to maintain a certain pressure, because you said that was its sole purpose in life, and I disagree. I said, "It is to limit pressure", because its function is to protect the oil system. I will say that it is the oil pump that is designed to provide the best possible lubrication ("adequate" in the real world ;-) And that the valve is designed around the maximum system pressure, in order to perform its function/purpose. You said, "if you use a stronger spring you will have higher Oil pressure", which I also disagree with. That's all I had a problem with -- I basically agree with the rest...
To me, what you first said would be like saying, "I have worked on a gazillion alternators and that thermal breaker's sole function in life is to maintain current at a given amperage. If you use a higher rated breaker you will have higher amperage." Would you buy that? I hope not.

[Giamanut]

When the PPR valve is at its working pressure, it is in its normal state -- It remains active to maintain a given pressure.
When the OP valve is at its working pressure, it is not in its normal state -- It will remain active only as long as pressure exceeds the limit.
They both return unwanted pressure to the tank, but that is where the similarity ends. They don't work identically. One is in its normal state, while the other is not. One maintains pressure, while the other limits it.
If we look at normal system pressure(s), one constantly relies on its valve, while the other's valve is usually dormant.


I didn't say the pump or valve was designed around anything. (I can see how blending purpose/design/function would make it sound that way. Are you a lawyer ;-) I said the valve's purpose is not to maintain a certain pressure, because you said that was its sole purpose in life, and I disagree. I said, "It is to limit pressure", because its function is to protect the oil system. I will say that it is the oil pump that is designed to provide the best possible lubrication ("adequate" in the real world ;-) And that the valve is designed around the maximum system pressure, in order to perform its function/purpose. You said, "if you use a stronger spring you will have higher Oil pressure", which I also disagree with. That's all I had a problem with -- I basically agree with the rest...
To me, what you first said would be like saying, "I have worked on a gazillion alternators and that thermal breaker's sole function in life is to maintain current at a given amperage. If you use a higher rated breaker you will have higher amperage." Would you buy that? I hope not.

You know who Invented copper wire?
2 Attorney's fighting over a Penny.
It's all Good.
You obviously have very good understating and I don't mean to dispute anything really, because it is pretty minor differences.
So why do so many D's peg the OP gauge when cold? No way there making 80 PSI the book specs. 65 PSI @4000 RPM so I doubt they ever see a legit 80 psi. Sending unit maybe? Thoughts?

[Parzival]

You know who Invented copper wire?
2 Attorney's fighting over a Penny.
It's all Good.
You obviously have very good understating and I don't mean to dispute anything really, because it is pretty minor differences.
So why do so many D's peg the OP gauge when cold? No way there making 80 PSI the book specs. 65 PSI @4000 RPM so I doubt they ever see a legit 80 psi. Sending unit maybe? Thoughts?

Its the sending unit, they were not correct from the factory.

[Bitsyncmaster]

So why do so many D's peg the OP gauge when cold? No way there making 80 PSI the book specs. 65 PSI @4000 RPM so I doubt they ever see a legit 80 psi. Sending unit maybe? Thoughts?

That is a good question. My guess is they do get 80 PSI when the oil is cold and the pump design lets that thick oil build more pressure.

[Ron]

You know who Invented copper wire?
2 Attorney's fighting over a Penny.
It's all Good.
You obviously have very good understating and I don't mean to dispute anything really, because it is pretty minor differences.
So why do so many D's peg the OP gauge when cold? No way there making 80 PSI the book specs. 65 PSI @4000 RPM so I doubt they ever see a legit 80 psi. Sending unit maybe? Thoughts?LOL - Since the drawing process wasn't around back then, I wonder who got the dust when they sawed that tiny spiral...and who paid for doing it?

Agreed.

I agree with Dave, most of them are really getting 80psi. When cold, the oil is thicker and the clearances are smaller so the resistance to flow increases. A lot of people dump STP etc. into the crankcase... I wouldn't dismiss the gauges entirely though (The DeLorean electrical system in general leaves a lot to be desired.) W/O working it out, I would suspect that the many different style alternators (integrated voltage regulators), cold components and replenishing the battery after a cold start might come into play...Probably insignificant.

You can get a mechanical gauge setup with several adapters for less than $25.00 and check it out easily since the sending units are easy to get to. (Good tool to throw on the shelf ;-)

[Bertone80]

Definitely, that will help.

I used assembly lube and always primed the oil pump before firing the engine. There are different ways depending on the type of engine to do this. On my recent Magnum build, the engine builder recommended STP Oil Treatment (15 oz) along with the normal spec engine oil. Change at 1,000 miles.

I think you are saying to prime the oil pump with assembly lube. I have heard of such before but wondered how this is done. Is it by taking apart the pump (4 bolts) then fill up the space inside the pump then reassemble it? Just want to make sure it is done this way, or else.

The reason I ask is because I have been working on resealing the liners and reassembling my B28F engine of my Volvo Bertone. Hope you guys don't mind a Volvo guy kind of getting all the know-how and wisdom from the Delorean group here. I have completed the reassembling of the liners and torqued the heads down. I have also reassembled the timing chain cover and torqued the crankshaft pulley. Then I realized that I should have primed my oil pump before this last step. What a mistake!

I can loosen the pulley and remove the timing chain cover and prime the oil pump. But can it be done in a different way? There is a plug on the top of the engine located right beneath the water pump. Can I fill oil into the hole by opening up the plug (it's a large screw)? I already tried it. The oil quickly flowed into the oil filter through the center tube. So the oil did not really flow into the pump. Looks like this will not prime the pump.

Any recommendations? I hate to have to go back to tear down the timing chain cover. Thanks a lot everyone!

[Bertone80]

Here is an image of the front end behind the timing chain cover of a B28F PRV engine. You can see the plug that I am talking about actually open s up a path into the oil passage from there oil will flow up into the cylinder heads. The oil pressure sensor switch can be seen on the left side of the oil passage on the picture. I though if I could fill up the oil there the oil pump can be primed. I am not sure about it now.
63390

[Bertone80]

Here is a picture that shows the plug.
63391

[Ron]

"Remove the oil filter and inject some engine oil through hole (A) with an oil can to prime the oil pumps. (Fig. 111)"
63392

20 W 40 ABOVE -10°C (14°F)

The above is from the Workshop Manual, C:10:02, available for download in the Resources section, HERE (http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?2866-Searchable-Workshop-Technical-Bulletins-and-Volvo-Engine-Manuals).

FWIW- Many people like to also put oil in the filter, disable the ignition and turn the engine over until they see the pressure start to rise before 1st startup. But, not a good idea if the cams are not broke in....

[David T]

That's what assembly lube is for. When I build an engine I use it on the cams. As for priming, you can fill the motor with oil as per C:10:02. I would also agree to remove the spark plugs, put a mechanical oil pressure gauge on and crank it til you see some pressure. I also recommend 1 quart of Marvel Mystery Oil added to the oil for the break-in period and dump it after 500-1,000 miles. If you have new cams there usually is a break-in procedure. The manufacturer should state it on a card in the box. For example; for the first 20 minutes of engine operation maintain 2,000 RPM's. Do NOT use synthetic oil for break-in. You want the friction so the parts will wear and condition themselves. If you can, get racing motor oil with a high zinc (ZDDP) content. As for oil pressure, the "correct" oil pressure sender is NOT correct. It is not calibrated properly to the gauge. There is a substitute that will give the proper readings. Because the oil filter is sideways it is not possible to fill the filter with oil before installing.

[Bertone80]

Wow! Thank you so much, Ron. That makes perfect sense. I have wondered if there is an oil outlet from the oil pump that feeds oil into the oil filter. Filling oil into the outlet will prime the pump obviously. I could not find that outlet until I saw your post. I could not see that hole still. But when I stick a finger there I found it. Will try to fill oil into there tomorrow. Once the engine is fully reassembled I will crank the engine without firing as you suggested. I should see oil light on the dash going out. Thank you so much again, Ron.

[DMC-81]

I think you are saying to prime the oil pump with assembly lube. I have heard of such before but wondered how this is done. Is it by taking apart the pump (4 bolts) then fill up the space inside the pump then reassemble it? Just want to make sure it is done this way, or else.

The reason I ask is because I have been working on resealing the liners and reassembling my B28F engine of my Volvo Bertone. Hope you guys don't mind a Volvo guy kind of getting all the know-how and wisdom from the Delorean group here. I have completed the reassembling of the liners and torqued the heads down. I have also reassembled the timing chain cover and torqued the crankshaft pulley. Then I realized that I should have primed my oil pump before this last step. What a mistake!

I can loosen the pulley and remove the timing chain cover and prime the oil pump. But can it be done in a different way? There is a plug on the top of the engine located right beneath the water pump. Can I fill oil into the hole by opening up the plug (it's a large screw)? I already tried it. The oil quickly flowed into the oil filter through the center tube. So the oil did not really flow into the pump. Looks like this will not prime the pump.

Any recommendations? I hate to have to go back to tear down the timing chain cover. Thanks a lot everyone!

Sorry, I'm not referring to using assembly lube to prime the oil pump. They were separate thoughts.

1) Use assembly lube when building the engine to minimize wear on your new or cleaned parts until the engine oil starts circulating after the first start. Use it on crankshaft, rod, and cam bearings, and on tappets, lifters, and cam lobes. You will want to at least oil the liners and rings. On the DeLorean, there were no cam bearings, but we lubed all lobes and the bearingless holes in the head where the cam rides. Basically you don't want any dry metal to metal friction.

2) Prime the oil pump before firing the engine for the first time. Oil pumps are driven differently depending on the engine design. For example, on my V8 Magnum, I removed all spark plugs and unplugged the power to the injectors, before turning the engine over several times with the starter to get the oil circulating. (The oil pump is driven off the crankshaft with a gear). Then I replaced the plugs and fired the engine for the first time.
As another example, on a small block Chevy, because the oil pump is driven off the ignition distributor, I used an old distributor to make a drill driven motor to manually turn the oil pump with the drill. Then I replaced the real distributor and fired the engine.

On the DeLorean, I would remove the spark plugs, remove the fuel pump fuse, and turn the engine over several times before initial fire, then replace the fuse and plugs and start the engine.
You can do this with the Volvo engine, substituting any changes in configuration for the Bertone.

Edit: or do what Ron suggested. :)

[Bertone80]

That's what assembly lube is for. When I build an engine I use it on the cams. As for priming, you can fill the motor with oil as per C:10:02. I would also agree to remove the spark plugs, put a mechanical oil pressure gauge on and crank it til you see some pressure. I also recommend 1 quart of Marvel Mystery Oil added to the oil for the break-in period and dump it after 500-1,000 miles. If you have new cams there usually is a break-in procedure. The manufacturer should state it on a card in the box. For example; for the first 20 minutes of engine operation maintain 2,000 RPM's. Do NOT use synthetic oil for break-in. You want the friction so the parts will wear and condition themselves. If you can, get racing motor oil with a high zinc (ZDDP) content. As for oil pressure, the "correct" oil pressure sender is NOT correct. It is not calibrated properly to the gauge. There is a substitute that will give the proper readings. Because the oil filter is sideways it is not possible to fill the filter with oil before installing.

I am reusing my cams and rocker arms. In fact I am reusing just about everything except seals and gaskets. MY B28F engine has 89k miles only. It ran great before coolant found its way into oil one day. I parked the Bertone sadly since 16 years ago. I could not afford Volvo dealer's quote for repair. The cheapest independent shop I could find wanted $3k back then and I did not even know if they know much about the B28F engine.

So I drained the coolant and oil. Filled fresh oil then parked the car ever since. I did start the engine once a month or so for no more than 30 seconds then shut off and disconnect the battery. Now that the virus forced me to stay home I decided that it's time to DIY to reseal the cylinders. I checked the head gaskets and found them not to blame as I was told 16 years ago. When I pulled the cylinders evidence of rotten seals was so clear. I did the complete cylinder resealing job. I am at the final reassembling part of the job.

So I think my cams and rockers do not need to be broken in.

[Ron]

+1 David, except you do not want to maintain any RPM during the break in period -- That is bad for new cams (and cylinder walls, since it can create ridges...).
[No card?: 2000 RPM+ varying up and then down should be OK.]



...
So I think my cams and rockers do not need to be broken in.Yeah, the FWIW was just in case -- Not worth much to you here. :biggrin:

[Ron]

...
As another example, on a small block Chevy, because the oil pump is driven off the ignition distributor, I used an old distributor to make a drill driven motor to manually turn the oil pump with the drill. Then I replaced the real distributor and fired the engine.LOL Totally OT- Way back when, the first time I tried to prime a SBC, I used a large flat head screwdriver in a drill extension. I about had a heart attack when I saw that oil was only getting to one side of the engine. After peering into the hole, I finally understood what that little grove around the base of the distributor was all about. (I still have the same doner distributor...and set of 327 valve covers with the tops cut off ;-)

And now, back to our regularly scheduled program...

[Bertone80]

When I was much younger and knew little about engine I screwed up in one rebuild of a beetle engine. It happened exactly because I did not prime the oil pump and I started the engine up. I had all my attention on the engine in the back end of the car and the dash was in front so I did not see the oil light remain lit for more than a minute. Until I began to wonder why the engine was so noisy I saw the oil light. Too late. A set of new liners/pistons were ruined. This is why I am very careful about priming the oil pump for my B28F project this time.

I guess it won't hurt if I let the engine going at 2000 RPM as if I were breaking in the cams when I start the engine as long as the oil pump delivers pressure to the oil. I am waiting for a new water pump so it will be some time before completing the project.

Thanks a lot to everyone's help.

[David T]

On some engines it is absolutely essential to prime the oil system. The motor doesn;t get oil till the oil pump primes, fills the oil filter and then pressurizes the oil galleries. Could take a while and the assembly lube would not be enough. On a lot of engines (not the Delorean) you remove the distributor and, using a tool you turn the oil pump with a drill. Cranking the motor will not get enough pressure to turn off the oil light. Get a mechanical oil gauge and hook it up for the first run.

[Bertone80]

I finally completed re-assembling the engine, primed the oil pump successfully following Ron's suggestion, filled coolant and oil then started up the engine. Wow, it idled like a dream. Oil pressure was up quickly so the way to prime the oil pump worked beautifully. All the work in 6 weeks I finally see hope on this engine. Now in a week or so I will see if coolant stops leaking into oil which was the problem that caused me to park the Bertone for 16 years.

Well, starting it up after the reassembling wasn't without some struggling in finding coolant leak in a couple of places though. I had to dismantle again the intake manifold, fuel distributor, fuel lines and vacuum lines to find where the leak was and reassembly all that back together. It fixed one leak but then there was another one. Finally two days of work and the leaks were all eliminated. I had to replace two Volvo OEM clamps. Despite they are Volvo OEM with Volvo logo on them they are no good. No matter how hard I clamped them down they still leaked. After replacing them with two new ones the leak stopped. The new clamps are thinner and more flexible and obviously the flexibility of the metal makes a huge difference.

The Bertone (1980) has 89k miles on the engine and there was hardly any wear I could see when I took the B28f apart and inspected it. So hopefully this engine will last me another 100k miles down the road.

[Bertone80]

This is just a update to my recent B28F engine restoration project.

I have had the engine filled with oil and coolant then started up. It idled very well and have had reached the operating temperature numerous times. It's been about a week. So far, the oil level does not increase and the coolant level does not drop. So I guess the work is successful I guess. The original problem was coolant leaked into oil almost 20 years ago. I replaced the head gasket twice back then but the leak persisted. I think the DMCTalk community did not exist or I wasn't aware of it back then. I parked the Volvo Bertone ever since. Finally I gathered all the courage I need to DIY the correct fix by dropping the engine, took it apart and reshimmed the cylinders. The work could not have happened if I have not learned all I needed to learn from this community here. Many thanks to DMCTalk for saving my B28F engine.

Looks like it works. I will find out it it continues to work in a few weeks to celebrate for the success. I still need to adjust the idle, the air/fuel mixture in order to pass smog check. Now I am not really in a hurry...