I have a 352 engine, and I am wondering what the oil pressure should be. It seems low to me, settling down to about 10 after warm up.
I am also having a problem with what seems like a valve tick only when cold and before oil pressure builds (which seems slow) and after high RPM. Once the engine cools to normal the tick goes away.
Is it possibe I need to replace the oil pump and or check the screen?
I had blown head gaskets when I bought the truck so maybe water has done some damage?
Thanks
Jim

 

Okay, how many miles are on the motor? 10 psi is WAY low. I'd expect at least 40 hot... The ticking sounds like oil starvation. What kind of filter do you use (hope it's not a fram).

 

OK...it's a Fram...what should I have on it? Is there a Motorcraft filter that will work well?
I was thinking oil starvation too, do you think it's the pump?
As for the miles I have no clue. (odometer says 36,000 but could be 100 200 or higher.) I'm thinking 136,000 or close.

 

It's possible. The fram filters have a paper anit-drainback valve in them so you start the motor dry everytime. I use motorcraft, or ac delco depending on what vehicle I'm changin the oil in. I'd try a filter change. It may just be the filter has clogged. Is this motor recently rebuilt or completely original? It sounds like it might be time for bearings in the bottom end. Whats the FRAM part number? I am willing to bet you can use a motorcraft FL1A and be fine.

 

Hi Jim, Oiling is one of the drawbacks to owning an ol FE. The biggest concern is making sure there is oil in the crankcase. They die hard. The FE doesn't have high oil pressure to start with and because of poor flow design gets weaker with high milage. I have no evidence that the Fram has caused any harm, but I did stop using them.

Keep oil in it and drive it till it quits. That can be a long ways away.

John

 

Motorcraft filter is a FL-1A, Advance auto has them, WalMart(UGH!)does. Check your pressure with a mechanical guage to see what it really is. Take the sender out and then thread a mechanical guage in and run it. get it hot and see.

Barry

 

Thanks for the fram tip. I have a motorcraft filter in currently but was just about to replace it with a Fram - I'll stick with the motorcraft

 

Never use Fram. They're the worst filter out there.

 

Mine runs between 10 and 15bs.Figure the guage was bad but not too worried.Runs strong and does not tick.May check it with a mechanical guage.

 

I have used Fram for years because of the anti feed back valve that keeps the filter full between starts. I also use Motorcraft when I can find them. I have never noticed a single bit of differance between the two. They both give the same oil pressure and I never get the lifter clatter when cold starting. I used Quaker state filters once and got nothing but lifter noise in the morning. I just pulled the valve cover on my 95 after 140,000 miles and it has only seen Fram filters with Castrol and the top end was as clean as the day it was sold. It has also never had lifter noise and it still doesn't use a drop of oil between oil changes. I also change my oil between 2,500 and 3,000 miles.

I was told by a Ford dealer mechanic that fram was the only filter to use if you could not find the motorcraft.

FWIW

jd

 

Fram has a lot of clout when it comes to filters: they're one of the oldest and well-known brands. However, most oil filters these days have the anti-drainback valves, so they're not unique to Fram. The big difference is in the filter itself. Fram uses glued paper caps on the end of the element, which leaves the chance for dirt to get buy. Motorcraft, Wix, Delco, and even the $1.99 house brand at O'Reilly use stamped steel ends. Fram also uses a piece of spring steel to hold the element up to the inlet while Wix and Motorcraft use an actual coil spring. Fram should spend a little less on advertising and a bit more on product engineering, IMHO.

 

Well you guys spiked my intrest so I have spent some time researching oil filters and have received some education on them.
First the only fram filter one should use is the Fram tough guard, the rest of the fram line are garbage.
You can use a Purolator filter because that is who builds Motorcraft filters they donot make them themselfs. Motorcraft also contracts to Champion labs to build their filters. Champion labs also builds the Deutsch filter sold at AutoZone.

I myself will probably be switching to the motorcraft or the Purolator oil filter.

FWIW

jd

 

There have been several decent articles and comparisons between Fram and most everyone else. Bottom line -- Fram spends its money on advertising and not on the filter, as Neal noted. Do Fram filter work MOST of the time? Of course they do. Is there a 1 in a hundred chance they will fail, versus 1 in a thousand for a proper Motorcraft? Maybe. And my engine is worth the extra security that a slightly more expensive filter brings.

Interestingly, the same does NOT seem to hold for oil. There is very little or no evidence that any of the special oils, semi-synthetics, full synths, etc., do much at all. If you are hell bent on putting 10,000 miles between oil changes, then synthetic is better. But if you are a 2-3k sort, then your best value is probably Walmart or whatever your local shop has on sale.

 

Somewhere on the web there is a site that rates all the oil filter brands. I checked it out and there was some great information. In a nutshell Fram is NOW one of the worst filters on the market. They used to be good quality in the 70's but lost it along the road for various reasons. Mostly physical construction and materials used issues. I work in parts and laid several brands out on the counter and used this info as a guide for comparrison. Everything was true. Fram uses a pastic anti drainback valve where almost all other companies use metal. The flow holes are smaller than better designs. Thats just a couple of the things I remember but not all by far.

It basically seemed to boil down to Mobil, Purolator, Wix, and AC being the top dogs. I personally think Motorcraft is good. They just dont have many stock #'s.

 

Greg
I think the article you mentioned is one of several that I read yesterday. It was done by a individual and not a lab. The guy was very good, He went around and bought every filter out there and parted them on a lathe and put together a verry good report. It convinced me to switch from fram, (whom I used to be a fram fan). When the guy disclosed in his report that Fram uses cardboard ends instead of metal like everyone else that was the turning point for me.

As for oils my father taught me at a very young age that oil changeing was the most important thing a person could do for the life of an engine. My father had my brothers and I working in his garage since we were in single digit ages. I learned early on that there is a differance between oils to. I used to be a Penzoil fan until I took the valve covers off of a 302 that had only a diet of Penz and had to scrape off the sludge after 100,000 miles. I have had vehicles with 200,000 that have had nothing but Castrol and look new. Some oils have very low detergent levels as were some oils like Castrol have high levels.

So from here on out my vehicles will get castrol and Motorcraft filters best diet I can recomend.

The thing that kills me is when I hear people telling me that they only change thier filter every other oil change to save a quart of oil. Ouch!!

My 5 cents worth

jd