Progress Maybe a little any way

Bob Gil · August 07, 2008, 03:45:30 PM

Well I made do with the alternator bracket that I had (still need one that is right) instatted the new alternator, redid all the wires that I could find out where they might have gone or should go. Got the rear engine start and kill wired up and adjusted and working.

I fired it up and walked to the dash to check it out from there and I have all the engine bus related stuff working it looks like (all but the tac any way). (still have not done the genset yet.)

I am not sure but the oil psi gauge is at 74 at idle and only goes to 99 so it reads EE when you reeve the engine up. the oil temp and the trans Temp started climbing up and both the water gauges started coming up.

Does 74 PSI at idle sound right for oil for a 6-53 DD? I have never had much to do with them and I though that they did not run much oil PSI at idle (25-40) but I can't remember it has been so long since I drove that 318, the 238 was worn out and it has been a long time too.

Busted Knuckle · August 07, 2008, 03:52:05 PM

Bob sounds awful high to me, maybe one of our experts such as Dallas can better tell ya! I'm not at all familar with the 53 series and am limited on my 71 exposure! I been around lot's of 92's and 60's and even those don't run that much psi! FWIW

BK

JackConrad · August 08, 2008, 06:05:29 AM

Bob,
If you do not have one, I would install a mechanical oil pressure gauge in the engine compartment. Use a Tee and come off the same fitting as the existing gauge sender (so you are comparing apples to apples, so to speak). That pressure reading sounda a bit high. Jack

junkman42 · August 08, 2008, 06:31:11 AM

Bob, this may sound a little far fetched but You may want to check the alternator ouput to see if the voltage is high. With the wiring problems You have repaired it is possible the output voltage of the alternator is uncontroled and is causing high gage readings. John

Dallas · August 08, 2008, 08:45:49 AM

Bob,

According to the DD Field Service Manual, (sorry, I don't have the service manual handy, it's packed away), for a 4 valve 6V53 you should only see 40-60 psi oil pressure between 2200 and 2800 rpm.

In my experience, 53's, along with being noisy, had the same oil pressure at idle that the 71's had.. usually around 5-20 psi after they were well broken in. If you are seeing more than that with your digital gauges, you may have an incorrect sending unit and gauge set, or a bad ground at the dash or engine, or, and this is important... the bypass on the oil filter housing may be hanging up. As was mentioned in a previous post, stick a mechanically reading gauge in the back of the engine compartment to make an accurate reading of what you actually have going on.

You may also want to add a mechanical coolant temperature gauge and a mechanical fuel pressure gauge. These allow you to come back to the engine compartment and see what is actually going on with the bus.

Good luck,

Dallas

Busted Knuckle · August 08, 2008, 09:17:22 AM

Quote from: Dallas on August 08, 2008, 08:45:49 AM
Bob,

According to the DD Field Service Manual, (sorry, I don't have the service manual handy, it's packed away), for a 4 valve 6V53 you should only see 40-60 psi oil pressure between 2200 and 2800 rpm.

In my experience, 53's, along with being noisy, had the same oil pressure at idle that the 71's had.. usually around 5-20 psi after they were well broken in. If you are seeing more than that with your digital gauges, you may have an incorrect sending unit and gauge set, or a bad ground at the dash or engine, or, and this is important... the bypass on the oil filter housing may be hanging up. As was mentioned in a previous post, stick a mechanically reading gauge in the back of the engine compartment to make an accurate reading of what you actually have going on.

You may also want to add a mechanical coolant temperature gauge and a mechanical fuel pressure gauge. These allow you to come back to the engine compartment and see what is actually going on with the bus.

Good luck,

Dallas

As usual Dallas gives very sound advice! (Jack too! LOL!) A set of mechanical guages in the engine compartment are a great way to either confirm the readings of the dash guages or prove a mis-reading before looking for a problem that may or may not exist!

BK

Bob Gil · August 08, 2008, 10:57:57 AM

I was thinking that the oil psi was a little off base. I have not found where the sending unit is mounted i was just checking the alternator when i got it installed and I found that the gauges were reading some thing. The oil temp and others seam about right but that oil psi did not seam right to me.

I am going to get a manual gauge to put in the rear so I will really know what is going on.

The alternator is not the problem it is new with built in reg, and the gauge read 12.2 when i first started it and I watched that go up to 13.5 as it was charging and then i went back and checked it with my meter.

JackConrad · August 08, 2008, 11:04:13 AM

Bob,
Not sure about your bus, but look down on the frame on the driver's side near the engine. There may be a small manifold with a couple senders and a small hose from a fitting on the engine (at least there is on our MC-8). Those are the oil pressure senders for the gauge and shut down sensors as well as a space for a mechanical gauge to connect. Jack