<TABLE border=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top>Hi everyone. Hoping I can get some insight into my problem. My 360 FE in my '68 F-100 has fluctuating oil pressure all of a sudden. It will run at idle at 10-12 psi in gear or in park. It will run at 20-22 psi going 40+ mph. It just started all of a sudden sunday evening. If I slow down when I come to a light and stop it will drop to 0 psi and move bakc up to 10 psi. The engine will not tick at anytime! When I take back off it will fluctuate between 0 and 15 psi...sometimes jumping quickly to 20 psi. I thought my mechanical gauge was messed up or the line or fitting was plugged. I blew the line and fitting out after removing them and I alos swapped out the mechanical oil pressure gauge with 3 other ones I had. They all do the same thing. If I make a turn the pressure will go to 0. It will run at 20-22 psi as long as I am going down the road. I used to get great oil pressure before this. Like I said it is very sudden. I searched the forums but could find no oil pressure problems with fluctuation. Any insight would be helpful.

P.S. Still have 1000 miles before oil change and I use FL1A Motorcraft filter and Valvoline 10w30 since Motorcraft is hard to comeby in that grade. It is full of oil and no leaks. Original 71,xxx miles on engine. Thanks
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It really is not fluctuating as you drive at constant speed does it...?
sounds as if maybe it starts to get the oil hot and then goes up and down with rpm.
dont really think it gets very hot where you live but i use 20-50 in my fe's engines due to the hot high climate here.
Yes, the fe's will start off like gangbusters then settle to a much lower pressure. Also you may not have much data on the truck if u have had it 3-4 months. so engine may need some work.
50 lbs of pressure out of a fresh fe is living good.
40 when hot is about as good as it gets on the same. and that has lots less miles..maybe

 

as far as turing goes..
sure that you oil is sloshing past the pick up screen in pan...so..pumping air there..

 

Well I'd stop driving it and pull and replace the oil pump, check the pickup screen all bolts plus put in a new pump drive rod while your in there and remember the little clip goes up.. Should fix all your troubles,,my 2cents
orich

 

Alright, I pulled the engine....tired of messing with it and putting bandaids on it. Pulled the mains...they were worn cause of low oil pressure. As well as the cam, lifters, and cam bearings were junk from previous cam walk. I disassembled the engine and took it to the machine shop. I am getting it freshened up. New bearings, rings, pistons, cam, lifters, double roller timing set, oil pump, oil pickup, freshen heads up (hardened seats, etc), freeze plugs, the works. Just wish I had the money to go to a 390. Not too happy with all of this. It's a really great truck. with 71,000 original. NOt happy I gotta rebuild. Kinda ruins it...but hey...I love the truck and all will be right now.

 

yeah 390's are good and i have and have had plenty but the 360 will do it...sure you will happy knowing from the sart you have years of use ahead of u.

 

Shop for pistons with some compression--they might be out there. Good luck.

 

I don't have the money to do hardly anything to the engine....staying stock for the most part.

 

I understand, but if you HAVE to buy pistons, the extra for higher CR will be paid back with better economy and power. (Depending, of course, on how much more they are.) But the 360 suffers badly from the stock low CR and sunken piston deal, so the improvement will be semi-dramatic.