Thoughts on oil pressure vs flow?

[xb-60]

Texasdoc, I agree, yes I think you’re over-thinking it. Even ‘highly-tuned’ engines can get by with less than ideal oiling conditions.

A short story….a few years ago (mid-eighties) Wheels magazine in Australia ran a bog-standard Alfa 2 litre twin cam sedan from Sydney (east coast) to Perth (west coast)….around 4000km / 2500 miles in around 29 hours, start to stop. At Port Augusta (roughly half-way) the Alfa mechanic from Adelaide met them for a quick check-over and they reported zero oil pressure at idle, and around 15psi on the gauge at their 170km/h / 110 mph / 5000rpm cruising speed. The mechanic said “he’s OK” and they continued their blast across to Perth at 15psi on the gauge and with no problems. The cause of the low oil pressure was one of the aluminium slugs that blank off the cross-drillings in the crank having come out. I know this because A. my Alfa has had the same symptoms twice and B. I knew the Alfa mechanic.

Providing your oil is thin enough at cold start-up, you’re OK (almost all the wear occurs at start-up). I could also add that my Alfa is 41years old now (I've had him for 36 years) and has clocked up over 250000 kilometres, and has always run on 20W-50 oil.


Cheers,

Glen