Sorry to bother, holding together an 87 F150 6 cylinder with wire and chewing gum, and can't afford a real mechanic.

Could a problem with low oil pressure cause expansion of the metal (pistons/etc) cause extremely labored if not temporarily sieze the starter motor? When cold, starter spins..., when hot it glugs and either wont spin or barely turns once. Tried starter, cables, battery, solenoid to no avail over the past year and it seems to get worse. Notice the oil pressure slowly going to low (standard gauge) the warmer it gets.

If so, is changing it myself too much for a guy with sockets, wrenches and a vague idea what it looks like? Is there a trick to removing the oil pan? Is the best way to spring for a new pump?

Would sure appreciate some helpful advice from a kind soul. Sorry for my ignorance,,,,,,lost my manual for the truck of all things. Layed off and counting pennies, but really need that truck. About killed my wife and I last night when I stalled it turning left on a busy street, and couldn't get the starter motor turning. When cold, starts great, and while running, runs good and strong.

 

Have you tried to back off on the timing to see if the `hot start` problem improves!

__JOHN__Õ¿ö
FTE Club #7
Member-
http://www.cruisin-north.com/
Santa Rosa, Calif.
72 F-250
ICQ#6030753
http://www.ford-trucks.net/users/jbhf250/
https://www.ford-trucks.com/pictorial/big/1972_f250_2.html

 

Oil pressure dropping when warm is normal. At idle most engines want to see at least double digit pressures, 10psi to maybe 50. Kind of depends on the engine. Most factory gauges are very inaccurate and just a bit better than an idiot light.

I had a similar problem with an old Dword engine. When cold the starter would crank just fine. When hot, no start. Eventually as a hobby, I torn the engine down and discovered that one Piston Rod was undersized and was binding up when warm. That engine had 60,000 on it.

Alternatively, your starter may be overheating or weak. Do you have headers near the starter? If so, you might need some heat wrap or insulation. If the starter is old, it could also be weak when warm. It is fairly easy to rebuild a starter. Just a good cleanup, new brushes and bearings and you are good to go.

I don't know how the oil pump on your engine is mounted. Some are external and extremely easy to change. Others are inside the pan and require you to drop the pan. Both easy jobs if you Are good with a wrench or adventurous and can read a manual.

Before dropping the pump, have you used a reliable pressure guage to make sure your pressure is off? If your pump is external, you might be able to just replace the pressure regulator spring, extremely easy if externally mounted. The spring is cheap and has been known to fatigue over time.

Good Luck,

Jim Henderson