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Old 11-20-2016, 07:22 PM   #4
Driftless
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City: Taunton, Mass.
Vessel Name: Rise & Shine
Vessel Model: Prairie 29
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 76
I'm with Ski on this one. The Chevrolet small block is a very simple engine, not at all hard to deal with. The oil pressure will drop as the oil heats up. At cruising speeds the oil pressure is regulated by a spring loaded relief valve that's built into the oil pump. It isn't very sophisticated, just a spring loaded plunger that keeps the pressure from going sky-high when the engine speed (and oil pump speed) picks up.


Newer engines run at lower oil pressures - 40 is common and they last forever. This improves vehicle fuel mileage a little. Higher oil pressure is not necessarily better.


I'd second Ski's advice about monitoring for fuel or antifreeze in the oil, and checking your oil every day before starting up. As long as you do that, the chances of a failure in your oil system is very low - this oil system has been in production for more than 60 years now and there's none better.


That's my story and I'm sticking to it.


Onward!


John Stewart
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John R. Stewart
"Rise 'n Shine" Prairie-29, (formerly) "Driftless" Albin-25, Hull number 737
Dighton, Massachusetts, USA
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