Volvo amazon engine oil pressure advice please

[Volvo_133]

I have bought a boxed new old stock 50mm oil pressure gauge, showing its original price of 70 shillings (£3.50). Fitted today to my 1970 122S with B20 engine, run up to operating temperature I am reading 50 psi at idle and 70 psi at 2000 rpm. Can anyone with a gauge fitted pass comment please?
Regards Chris

[142 Guy]

Originally Posted by Volvo_133

I have bought a boxed new old stock 50mm oil pressure gauge, showing its original price of 70 shillings (£3.50). Fitted today to my 1970 122S with B20 engine, run up to operating temperature I am reading 50 psi at idle and 70 psi at 2000 rpm. Can anyone with a gauge fitted pass comment please?
Regards Chris

50 psi at idle seems very high unless that is a cold temperature and you are using a straight 30W oil or 20W50. On my B20 with an ambient temperature of around 26 C and the engine temperature gauge reading in the 87 - 92 C range, my oil pressure is around 20 psi at around 900 RPM. I am running 5W50 full synthetic oil.

[c1800]

Volvo spec for B20 engines is 35-85 PSI at 2000 RPM , warm engine, new oil filter.

Spec for oil is 10W30, so using a higher viscosity oil (e.g.20W50) will give a higher reading.

[Volvo_133]

Thank you both for your advice, the oil at present is 20/50. Will change oil over the winter.

[142 Guy]

I presume over the winter means the car is in storage during the cold weather? If not, 20W50 conventional oil is a poor choice for driving when the temperatures drop below 5C. Below 5C it does a fabulous impression of molasses, flowing poorly with the result that oil supply to bearings is reduced during the start up phase.

If you plan to drive the car when air temperatures are below 5C, I suggest changing to a 10W30 conventional or a 5W40, 5W50 synthetic before the temperature drops.

[amaz'in]

Hi 133,

I also run a 1970 122s (133).

Engine was fully re-built around 15,000 miles ago, you can see the car itself on here where I Introduced myself recently and Derek kindly popped photos on for me.

At ambient temp of around 22° today my readings are very close to yours.

Cold from start up. Idle 50 and 2000 rpm around 63-65.
Hot with oil temp @ 95°C Idle 40+ and 2000 rpm around 53+

Currently running 15w/50 which has covered around 350 miles.

J.

[Volvo_133]

Thankyou both for your comments. My car will be stored now until the spring of 2021 inside my garage due to protecting a vulnerable person during the virus.
The mileage is at 58000 miles believed to be genuine using no oil between oil changes.
I would have loved to have gone to the amazon meet at Sywell, maybe next year.
Thanks again,.
Chris

[amaz'in]

Hi Chris,

Sywell was most enjoyable, partly aided by glorious weather, furthest I've been in my car for several years, 108 miles each way, most I normally do is 20-30.

Car doesn't normally use any notable amount between oil changes since its moderate paced local driving, but Sywell was mostly motorway @ 65-70 mph, so I expected to use a smidge, checked it next morning having done oil change week before Sywell, 200ml for 360 miles, so pretty good.

She will go off the road shortly and I will break out the 69 131, now that cars oil pressure is more like 142's with 20psi at (cold) idle.

James.

[Volvo_133]

Hi James,
We have gone to the Sywell event and back again the following weekend to the pistons and props event. Another very good weekend do with flying ederly aircraft from both world wars, drag racing, car show etc.I enjoy the old engineering technology of planes,cars, clocks etc which can be dismantled and repaired and kept in service, rather than sealed for life kit.
Hopefully next year the environment will be healthier for people to socialise safely.
Chris