How to toast and engine in one easy step!

U

unity

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Step one: Drive it like its mean to be driven!

Thats all I did. I peaked at about 6k RPM. Fortunately seconds later I pulled into a McDonalds drive-thru. I noticed the slight smell of oil followed by a little blue smoke from the underside. Since it does not leak oil, I found it VERY odd. I proceeded through the drive-thru noticing pools of something behind me. Could it be from me? Another car? Oil? Water? As soon as I got the food I pulled into a parking spot.

Yes it was from me and yes it was oil. The oil pressure switch ruptured. No light, no warning. The oil flowed out so fast that it was a steady stream from block to ground in several "waterfall" locations.

I lost less than two quarts. But if I had not decided to get food and continue home, I would have lost a lot more!

A new NON-DURACRAP switch is going in. The switch that was in there went in with the engine. That means it lasted about 20k.

I think I may locate and OEM switch to be safe even though I picked up a Sorenson already.

This was a close call!
 
Glad to hear that you stopped the engine before it did any damage.

Did the low oil level warning or idiot light come on?

That's one thing I like about these cars, the visible and audible warnings that can prevent serious damage. Too bad the charging system warnings aren't as good as the oil warnings.
 
Well its fixed. No there was no oil pressure light and since I lost less than 3 quarts, no oil level warning on the message center either.

I am not sure how it broke. It looks fine, but oil was certainly coming out of it. Put a new one in and I am all good. Now I have to de-oil everything!!!! Its ALL over. Kinda pissed, my pretty high-gloss red engine mounts look horrible! Its even all the way back on the trans pan!
 
I thought about that. But Grease Lightening works fast and really well. ALso it does not make the aluminum fog up at all. I use it to clean the top of the engine. Love the stuff and its CHEAP.
 
I wonder . .

wonder if you were really out of oil if it would work to jury rig a plug and asking McDonalds for some of their deep fry oil that they're tossing anyway.
 
Nearly toasted my 1995 Mark VIII (182K miles) - on the way to a court date - can't be late - had a stuck thermostat and the temp got hotter and hotter. pegged the gauge and 1 block short of the courthouse car stalled at the stop light. on green got it started again and tap tap tap surged into a parking spot. Couple hours later unwisely drove it home unfixed. this site helped a lot and car is OK now. I'll post more later and in a different thread - one about valve cover gasket replacement : (
 
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