Honda PC37 Oil Pressure Problem

[Luniz]

Hi there,

we have a problem with the engine of our 2010 car which we can't really figure out. Maybe one of you guys has come across the same problem before and knows a solution?

As soon as the engine builds up revs, the oil pressure at the filter gets too high and the o-ring around the filter gets pushed out, resulting in a complete loss of oil.
The question is: Why is this happening? The oil routing is pump -> pressure regulating valve ->filter -> cooler -> rest of engine. So even if there was a blockage somewhere in the engine, the regulating valve should open and release the pressure into the oilpan. The short channel from the pump to the valve cannot really be blocked, it is at least 10mm wide. The valve itself seems to be working fine.
The only alternation we have made to the oil circuit is a shortened oilpan and therefore shortened nozzle, nothing else.
The engine has also lasted two FS-events and some promotionals without trouble.

So if this sounds familiar to one of you, please point me in the right direction!

Cheers,

[Luniz]

Hi there,

we have a problem with the engine of our 2010 car which we can't really figure out. Maybe one of you guys has come across the same problem before and knows a solution?

As soon as the engine builds up revs, the oil pressure at the filter gets too high and the o-ring around the filter gets pushed out, resulting in a complete loss of oil.
The question is: Why is this happening? The oil routing is pump -> pressure regulating valve ->filter -> cooler -> rest of engine. So even if there was a blockage somewhere in the engine, the regulating valve should open and release the pressure into the oilpan. The short channel from the pump to the valve cannot really be blocked, it is at least 10mm wide. The valve itself seems to be working fine.
The only alternation we have made to the oil circuit is a shortened oilpan and therefore shortened nozzle, nothing else.
The engine has also lasted two FS-events and some promotionals without trouble.

So if this sounds familiar to one of you, please point me in the right direction!

Cheers,

[RenM]

have you checked that the valve does work for sure? You could do that with compressed air.

[Luniz]

Yep, done that. There's not much to go wrong there, it's just a piston under a preloaded spring. When the spring deflects, the piston gives way to a radial hole in the cylinder where the oil can go through.

[W1N3I]

Hi Luniz,

is that Problem maybe caused by the Oil Filter?To short thread or some kind of rag in there http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_wink.gif so that the pressure on the O-Ring is too low?

W1N3I

[AndrewUofL]

We had an issue that caused the exact same thing a couple years ago. Our issue ended up being we had not disabled the internal oil pump on a replacement engine when we were running a dry sump. Make sure the relief valve is working and also check that there is oil flow after the filter. There must be a blockage after the filter. I dont know about you engine but if there is a blockage your relief valve may not have the flow required to prevent the o-ring from failing on your oil filter. it may be sufficient to prevent other damage though. Just what I would check first.

[Luniz]

Hi Andrew,

thanks for the input! If the flow rate of this yalve is really too small to allow all of the oil through, then the blockage must be somewhere directly behind the filter. Afterwards the flow split up into different routes to all systems of the engine, and I think it is highly unlikely that we have several complete blockages...
I would like to show you what I mean on a lubrication diagram, but googling for something with lubrication in it is a bit of a laugh ;-) Not Safe for work though!

Cheers,

[RenM]

The oil pressure sensor is located after the crankshaft bearings isnt it? What does its reading say? Have you compared the oil pressure vs rpm to when your engine worked normal?

[Luniz]

we only use a switch... but that was always fine, so the blockage must be after that switch I suspect?

[AndrewUofL]

Im sure you have checked this but is there any debris in your oil?

Also, you can go to you local autoparts store and get a cheap oil pressure gage. We have one that we remove our pressure switch and screw the bung into there if we have concerns about oil pressure that our switch doesn't address. Its a pretty good diagnostic too to have in any shop. This may give you more of an idea of where the blockage is if that ends up being the problem. I dont know about your switch but ours indicates pressure at a somewhat low pressure so if you blockage is before the switch, there may be enough pressure to still activate it.

[With_the_Flow]

As I'm going through dry sump design issues myself, I can tell you the switch turns on at 3 psig which is accomplished at a slow crank rpm so you can have a nearly complete blockage before the sensor and get the standard switch to flip. It would be worth investing in a electrical or mechanical gauge.

without looking at it, try replacing the filter if its not new and a new o-ring couldn't hurt.

[Mike Cook]

Is the remote oil filter housing routed backwards (i.e. oil going in outlet and coming out inlet),
don't ask me how I know.