W113 280SL Low oil pressure

[Mikesmerc]

Hello all, I test drove the above car a couple of days ago with 70k miles on it. Took it for a 10min drive at 60mph, checked the oil pressure and had dropped below 1 bar(15psi approx) at idle. The engine seems fine otherwise, no funny noises etc. What could cause the above besides a worn crankshaft/shells?
Cheers
Mike

 

[Myros]

Mike, I'd be a bit worried about a 70k miler doing that

we have a 152kmiler on a 300 TE and, the worst it gives, when nice and hot is 1.5 bar. MB say 0.1 bar is acceptable at idle, but I really wouldn't want one that did that.

It could be a blocked oil pick-up to the pump, or a worn pump, or all other kinds of worry that you shouldn't see on a looked after 70k engine. Or maybe the oil has thinned.

I'm going to stop now as I'm scaring myself

 

[Mikesmerc]

Hello Myros, I feel the same way, bit of a sick feeling and I havent even made an offer on it. I heard somewhere that on some merc motors the cam chain tensioner is fed with oil and if the seals on this are worn the oil recircs back to the sump instead of building up pressure. Quick n cheap fix, too good to be true.
Mike

 

[Myros]

Hello again Mike.

It might be worth checking out the chain tensioner fixes just in case. A spanner handy lad like yourself should be able to manage it ok if it does work.
How's your 450?

 

[Mikesmerc]

Still have my 350, bit sick though, another niggling fault causing her to surge and cruise roughly but will accelerate quickly suggesting the pump/filter are ok. My 560 has an impossible to find fault making her backfire at startups and under heavy acceleration. God I hate ECUs and all related leckys. Give me a carb any day.
You still got your 107 Myros?
Mike

 

[Myros]

Yep. My three girls won't let me sell it

and I have to admit i'm very fond of the old girl myself. In all the hot weather last month I was going to and from work with the top down. I felt at one with the world, espec when I pressed the loud pedal. Just redone the front brakes and master cylinder, going to fix that cruise control next.
I bet your 560 is feeding back into the ignition loop somewhere, busted diode or something. You need Malcolms input.

 

[Mikesmerc]

Typical, the first decent summer we get in 20yrs the old girl starts acting up, not to mention becoming a father and the time that goes with it, but shes worth it(the baby that is). Heard someone mention that diode thing before in a BMW, prhaps it was yourself, Malcolm has advised me before in my struggles, but I dont get much time to even get a look in.
Happy motoring Myros
Rgds
Mike

 

[Myros]

it probably was, as I had that in my old beemer

never mind the motoring Mike, enjoy Fatherhood. I do. The cars are just icing on the cake of life.

 

[TimN]

Getting back to the point in hand. I had two vehicles that had low oil pressure. One was simple caused by a gomit that had come off the oil filter and got wedged down the oilway. This was simply removed. The other was a severe leakage from one of the camshaft journals. It was easily spotted by turning the engine over on the starter with the coil diconnected for a few seconds with the rocker cover removed. Could be worth a try.

 

[Mikesmerc]

Sorry, had forgotten about this post, thanks for the tip Tim.
Cheers
Mike

 

[television]

We always substitute the car guages for real presure type, its the only way to tell what the oil presure really is.

malcolm