Changed the oil cooler yesterday, got all fluids refilled and found zero leaks.....But, the oil pressure guage reads no pressure when I'm at idle or not on the accelerator. When driving, it moves into normal ranges until I let off the pedal to slow down, turn, etc. I used the picture from the following link on putting the oil pressure relief valve back in place. From the pic, I assumed the spring would go in facing the camera or toward the block as it reattaches.... however, after looking more closely, it appears the spring goes away from the block or on the inside of the filter-side endcap. Anyone have more definitive pics or advice? I want to make sure I get this right before I start this over from scratch.

 

there is a sensor on top of the HPOP resivior. Right in the front when you open the motor.

check and make sure the terminal is clean and seated properly.

Thats where the oil gauge reading comes from.

The motor simply will not run if you do not have oil pressure.

as for the info you are talking about, I'm not 100% sure, I've never worked on that.

 

The spring goes in the cooler header first, Away from the engine block.
Then the small piston, spool, whatever you want to call it, and then the big spool housing. The part with the holes around the outside of it. Then the snap ring if it has one.

The two piece valve only goes together one way. If the inner part is sticking out then it's the wrong way.

Hope this helps. And yes that is probably your problem. You can put the whole valve in backwards and it will do this because it's dumping all of the oil pressure it can make at idle back to the sump.

I sure hope I remembered that all right. I had to make a new valve for my 94 a couple weeks ago. It used a different rear header on it and that valve was so scored up that it was sticking. I tried to polish it and then lost oil pressure so I just made a new one. I'm pretty sure this is right though.

 

Thanks for the info Dan.

 

Thanks guys....If I had looked at the picture I had closer, I probably wouldn't have made that mistake. Hard lesson learned.....not looking forward to starting over.

 

Don't feel bad. I've had my cooler off like 6 times in the last two years and I just now found the leak. It took below zero weather to actually see it but I got that sucker now!!!!!

 

Ok, I've got everything drained and the cooler off again but the spring I put in backwards is gone......where would it wind up and what kind of problems could it cause? If not a problem, would a local auto parts store carry that spring so I can get rolling again?

 

It shouldn't have been able to go anywhere. It was just up against the engine block right. The oil comes through the cooler from front to rear I believe that valves dumps excess directly back to the sump. I am not looking at one right now but maybe??? it was pushed into the oil pan. I'd really have to go look at the engine I have on a stand to figure it out. I'll go do that. In the meantime if you have a long magnet can you feel around in the pan with it?

Could it have fallen in your drain bucket when you loosened the back of the cooler?

 

you done good. If you didn't drop it then it had to go in the pan. I just looked and that hole does go straight through the block into the pan. It's big enough for the spring to go through. Yeah you were dumping nearly all your oil pressure like that. I doubt it's hurt though. It wouldn't have had enough left for the HPOP if it was too low for the bearings.

The only way I can see to get it out is with two telescoping magnets. Fish for it with one through the bottom then move it up near the hole where the relief valve sits and try to grab it with the other one. The only other way will be pulling the engine and removing the pan. This sucks! I hope you find it in your drain bucket.

I wouldn't leave that in there. It's pretty light and will probably get tossed around. I just wouldn't risk it. You can get it without pulling the pan though I think.

 

Well, it's not in the drain bucket. I fished for it through the block with a telescoping magnet without any luck. I used a magnet running it along the bottom of the pan trying to pull it to the hole but later realized the way the pan is configured there's no way it would come out that direction. Yes, this sucks. I don't have good access to a backup vehicle as this one gets me my primary job and is my livlihood for job #2. My wife of course needs hers to run the kiddos to shcool, doctor's appt.s, groceries, etc. So much for trying to save myself some money.....man this hurts me in a bad way. Any other opinions on leaving the old one in the pan and the potential for damage? My instincts tell me it's unlikely to get picked up in a way that would cause a damaging restriction but then my instincts told me I could get this job done and save myself some money. Figure I could find a replacement from someone one here or via a a filter-side endcap from a salvage yard maybe. Worst come to worst, I could order the whole end cap and still be ahead on what it would have cost to take it to the shop....but the downtime is gonna eat me up.

 

Put a permanent magnet on the outside of the pan to hold it in place, then fix and be done.

 

I thought about that fordman but how will I know for sure I've got it sucked up to the magnet? We just assuming as it wallows around it will eventually get close enough to "catch"?

 

Is this spring that is being talked about today different then the one that is under the oil
filter,i looked in my drain pan and did not find the rest of the parts.
We have a 95psd,are these parts year specific,as there appears to be a snap ring or no snap ring. WAS THIS ONE OF FORDS BETTER IDEAS ????,Thank's

 

johnbrown,

mine did not have a snap ring....at least if it did, that was lost at the time of the initial removal and not recovered....my mfg date is 08/1995

 

94 and most 95 models didn't have a snap ring on them. If yours did then it would have a groove for it but I think your month was the serial number cutoff for the old style. You probably didn't.

It is different than the one under the filter. That one is a filter bypass valve. This one is the oil pressure relief valve. It relieves pressure on the low pressure oil system when it's really cold out, things like that, to keep from blowing the cooler seals and several other lower end seals. It's on the block side of the rear header.

I'd really go fishing for it. Seriously. There are too many things it can get trapped in. It could get flung up in the lifter area even.
The other commonly dropped in there part, the fuel pump push rod is pretty heavy and is more likely to stay on the bottom than that spring is. It just might come out the drain plug hole too. I'm not sure.

And I just looked online and can't find individual parts for the valve. It looks like the whole header to get it. That would be a good thing if you can afford it. It's got a snap ring on both valves. I'd still get the old part out though. Really sorry you're having such a crappy day.