F-226 oil pressure

[checker]

Never sure where to post topics about the Continental Engine but I know some of you have this motor. I have to share an experience that I resolved today.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>

I have the F-226 L head and since I installed the engine 3 years ago I have had close to zero oil pressure. I would say zero but since oil was flowing I must have had something. At first I suspected the location I had the electric oil sending unit was not the proper port so I posted questions on AACA about that. Then I suspected my unit and gauge so about a year ago I replaced both those. No luck. Then I hooked up a temporary mechanical pressure gauge, still zero. Honestly I wasn't too concerned because I saw oil on the top end of the motor but I was still concerned. Over the 3 years I've put perhaps 50 miles on this engine that I bought from a collector who bought it from a machine shop about 20 years ago and kept it in the crate for future use.<o:p></o:p>

About 3 weeks ago I started reading up more on the oil pressure relief valve. Seems you can buy different strength springs, or shim the one in there. I decided I would buy a new valve off of ebay last week ($23), complete with new spring and a plunger. It arrived yesterday. Pulled my old one today. THE PLUNGER WAS MISSING. Only a spring was in there. I have been driving around for three years with no oil pressure relief valve. I am so fortunate nothing catastrophic happened. I fired it up a few minutes ago. Oil pressure for the first time. Sorry for rambling but I'm a little in shock.

[jimkf]

The 226 engine is a nearly indestructible unit. I drove one in my Kaiser thru heavy Chicago traffic with a blown head gasket and it didn't give up until I hit the Ohio/Indiana line. I towed the car home and was later able to start and drive it to where I live now. I cracked the block in 3 places and when I pulled the distributor shaft, it broke in half due to the hot exhaust gasses literally wearing it away...compliments of the blown gasket. The engine was going to be replaced anyway due to having somewhere near 200K on it, but that's a testament to it's durability!

[Bud Tierney]

Cont'ls F226 (F6226 in the truck version, F226 in Ag/Ind'l version and PF226 in free-standing power unit version) was one of Cont'ls highly popular F- series of 4s and 6s.

They were used in everything for soup to nuts--Trucks, Ag, Ind'l, Comm'l equipment of all kinds, so they were well seasoned when Kaiser decided to use them.

[checker]

Thanks Bud for that info. It seems like they had a lot of designations for similar engines and I never understood the differences. I think the F227 was very similar to the 226 if not almost identical. To add confusion the valve I bought was actually labeled Wisconsin Motors.

[Bud Tierney]

Yes, the F227 was an update and did supercede the F226, and there was a connection made between Cont'l and Wisc, maybe during the Teledyne (conglomerates) years (buried somewhere in my notes, but not at hand).

Cont'l was also famous (infamous??) for different designations for basically the same engine; someone said it started during the auto engine years, to ID engines going to different builders, but I don't know if that's correct.

The TM engines on the wisconsinmotors website are actually Cont'ls, altho, like the Cont'l Renaults, could be originally foreign designs.

I believe Cont'ls aircraft engine business now part of a Chinese Gov't or Chinese Military Cptn. Pleasant thought!!