Frontline Fabrications Oil Pump pressure too high fix.

[TurboDSM90]

PSA: For the 4 people that have managed to receive their Billet 6 bolt FLF oil pumps

If you have too much oil pressure, check the bleed hole near the oil pan flange. It gets clogged with rtv upon install. You can get creative and use welding wire or a coat hanger in the hole, snake it through the oil drain plug while installing the pan ,remove the wire as you torque the pan down.

If you still suffer from high oil pressure, find an old TransLab valve body kit, use the red or black spring, cut that length off the spring that comes in the AVIAID oil pressure regulator. You can roll the cut end into the center of the coil wind a bit, put that end on the adjustment screw side facing towards the allen head part. The shift kit spring into the plunger that is inside the regulator housing. Insert the plunger with valve body spring into the regulator, then work the AVIAID red spring into the housing pushing the plunger in.

Make sure everything is clean as you install these parts. Oil temp also plays a huge part with this pump, so keep an eye on things. Having 150psi oil pressure in the high revs is sketchy with all these oil lines the kit uses.

If you run 15w50 or any of the thicker oils on your build, this will get oil pressures into a manageable state.

 

[We're on Boost]

On the Frontline Fab page I read that it comes with a "Machined aluminum remote filter housing with adjustable pressure regulator."
Is that maybe not always enough pressure relief?
If that isn't enough, you could probably hook up a new Peterson Oil Pressure Relief Valve instead of an old and modified TransLab valve couldn't you ?

 

[ist dwa]

Can you provide some data as too how oil pressure you are seeing etc?

 

[TurboDSM90]

On the Frontline Fab page I read that it comes with a "Machined aluminum remote filter housing with adjustable pressure regulator."
Is that maybe not always enough pressure relief?
If that isn't enough, you could probably hook up a new Peterson Oil Pressure Relief Valve instead of an old and modified TransLab valve couldn't you ?

They come with this regulator and a red (lowest made) pressure control spring. The regulator operates much like the stock spring and plunger setup, but adjustable and a performance design. The one on the left comes with the billet pump.

Filter Mount Remote Pressure Regulators at Replacement Parts | Page 1 of 1

Can you provide some data as too how oil pressure you are seeing etc?

Before, I would hit 140psi at redline, 50 at idle hot. Cold, 120 at idle on startup until it got up to temp. Now with the spring modification, 20ish psi warmed up, 100psi at redline.

You must be logged in to view this image or video.

 

[TurboDSM90]

The regulator comes with the long red spring as I found out thats the lowest psi one for the regulator. The picture attached shows the valve body line pressure spring and about the length to cut. The turquoise spring circle shows how I rolled or bent in the clipped end. Thats what you should do to the longer section of the spring included with the regulator.

You must be logged in to view this image or video.

 

[LaserAWD]

I've recently got my car back running after a putting in a new engine with my FF oil pump. I've only had it idling and free revving on jack stands as I get ready for a tune but it looks like I might be having this exact problem. After the engine is up to temp the lowest I can get the oil pressure at idle, ~1k rpms, is around 40psi (cold is probably in the 60psi range, hard to tell exact number on the autometer guage). If I just free rev to 4k rpms it's up in the 75psi range. I don't want to rev it out like this cause who knows what it'll be at 9k rpms.

I ended up using one of the silicone style reusable oil pan gaskets that was made to work with the new hole location on the Frontline billet oil pump. However I don't know if it took into consideration the relief hole (or if it's blocking it). I don't really want to pull everything back down under the engine and then the pan but I guess I might have to check it.

The real question here is where to buy the valve body springs you're referencing above? Also which translab valve body kit, one for a DSM?

Hoping I can just get the spring somewhere, any help is appreciated.

 

[LaserAWD]

After looking at where the relief hole is located and how the gasket is made I went ahead and pulled the pan last night. The reusable gasket was definitely covering the hole area.

You must be logged in to view this image or video.

If you look closely you can see the imprint of the hole and the channel edges on the gasket itself. I'm not sure if it was blocking all flow but it certainly is not helping.

You must be logged in to view this image or video.

I took the imprint and used it as a guide to cut the gasket and then held it in place with the bolts to make sure everything is clear of the relief hole.

You must be logged in to view this image or video.

I'll be buttoning everything back up tonight and will report back if this helped the oil pressure at all. Or if I'll still need a different spring in the pressure regulator on the remote filter housing.

 

[TurboDSM90]

I've recently got my car back running after a putting in a new engine with my FF oil pump. I've only had it idling and free revving on jack stands as I get ready for a tune but it looks like I might be having this exact problem. After the engine is up to temp the lowest I can get the oil pressure at idle, ~1k rpms, is around 40psi (cold is probably in the 60psi range, hard to tell exact number on the autometer guage). If I just free rev to 4k rpms it's up in the 75psi range. I don't want to rev it out like this cause who knows what it'll be at 9k rpms.

I ended up using one of the silicone style reusable oil pan gaskets that was made to work with the new hole location on the Frontline billet oil pump. However I don't know if it took into consideration the relief hole (or if it's blocking it). I don't really want to pull everything back down under the engine and then the pan but I guess I might have to check it.

The real question here is where to buy the valve body springs you're referencing above? Also which translab valve body kit, one for a DSM?

Hoping I can just get the spring somewhere, any help is appreciated.

I should have a few more spare springs from valve body rebuilds. PM me your addy and Ill see if I can put one in an envelope and mail to you.

Thats similar to the pressure I was seeing, but as the rpms got passed 4k it would peg the autometer gauge at 100psi. I ended up installing a lab grade gauge with a peak needle on it and I was seeing 150psi after a pull. Whats funny is I have a haltech but havent installed a darn oil pressure sensor for logging....also run the same manual boost controller I built 15 years ago

 

[LaserAWD]

As an update... I got everything buttoned back up after modifying the gasket and it didn't make a noticable difference. I might be down to the mark between 25 and 50psi now (~37.5psi). If it made any difference it was 5psi or less.

TurboDSM90 had a spare spring he sold me so once that comes in hopefully I can get it modified and my oil pressure under control.

 

[FIBA M - EC17PSE]

coming back to this as FF say to ask for the lower spring when ordering the housing now directly? so what does it come with that's NOT part of the older kits??

has anyone checked the spring rate on this?

for those that done the half spring mod what thickness was those springs? i don't have shift kit new springs just the OLD ones i pull out of the VB. but i guess no one has the ratings for the best setup do they?