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MG TD TF 1500 - Low oil pressure K.I.S.S.

I've had intermittent low oil pressure readings.
Plenty of suggestions from all, usually ending with stripping oil pump and take-up in sump.

Eventually found problem was the needle on the guage was loose, would be picked up by friction by spindle and read fine, then occasionally drop back to a lower reading or zero (needle is a push fit).

Discovered this when I tapped the guage and the needle fell off!

Now have excellent oil pressure.

K.I.S.S - keep it simple stupid

Mike TD29330
M Lees

Wow! Mystery solved, just goes to show that its the little things that you overlook, that catch you out.
Dave H
es1

Not just t-types, MG hobbyists have a strange fixation with replacing and rebuilding oil pumps. Oil pump rarely will ever be cause of regular or intermittent low oil pressure, they just pump out so much oil right up to the day they go flying to pieces that is not the symptom to cause rebuild or replace. Only rebuild or replace on a engine running in your car if they are making scraping or grinding noises. Rebuild if you want when the engine gets rebuilt, but the pumps when properly built out will last through 2 or three engines, easy
b fisk

Mike, that story had me in stitches.

You don't happen to have some photos of you staring quizzically into the engine compartment, checking the oil, and then tapping the oil pressure gauge for a certain publication have you? 😉

David
David Wardell

Talk about co-incidence...

After an 80 km drive, oil pressure guage was showing 20 psi at 4000 rpm and 0 at idle.

I am panicking as I have to get back home... no ominous noises, but stressing about potential damage.

After searching the forum, reading depressing stories about crank rebuilds, bottom end replacements and not touching the car for two weeks, I checked the guage and found that the facia of the guage had rotated about 20 degrees anticlockwise. The "tab" that locks it in place had loosened... simple fix, back to 55psi and 40 psi at idle!

Whohoo!
R Alexander

Another K.I.S.S.
On holiday near Barcelona,Spain, 1200 miles from home went on a run to Andorra another 140 miles. Heard a knocking from the engine which disappeared at tickover but got progressively noisier as revs increased all typical of a big end fail. We drove slowly back towards our hired villa. I then realised that there was no change in oil pressure. Found the fan belt was de-laminating and hitting the side panel. The centripetal force was flinging it out as revs increased and as you know there is very little clearance on a TF.
Ray TF 2884
Ray Lee

This thread was discussed between 06/04/2017 and 08/04/2017

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