Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Troubleshooting CALLING OUT ALL OIL STARVATION VICTIMS

This whole oil starvation thing is still very mysterious to me. I mean I've taken hard sweeping right hand turns before, nailing the gas. In fact i do it several times a week on a nice exit ramp that's about 100 degrees coming home from work. I always keep the oil level at the top of full (easy to do since my car never burns any oil).

It just seems like there must be more to the situation than meets the eye. With all the Contour V-6s out there, and people autocrossing, it would seem that there would be more of these problems than we see. I think we need a bunch of failed engine teardowns to see what the common thread is on the internals. Something internally must fail for this to happen. I mean before the turn and the bearing spins.

Stingray,

I do exactly what you do - I have a sharp 90 degree right-hand turn that I take at about 80km/h two-three times per week. No problems yet - car is still under warranty and I have that blanket though.

just my personal opinion, but I think that with every hard right if you are not running a full amount of oil you have the possiblility of spinning the bearings. It could just wear away little by little and finally it is the next right hander that does you in. Not always happening all at once but a cumulation of many times. I don't know we'll have to see when they get my engine apart.

Hmm i dont know.. Do you race your car alot?? Do you floor it from everystop light?? I did with my old SVT and I blew my engine. I think this whole right hand turn thing is BS. I have taken plenty of sharp right and left hand turns. I have had no problems.

good call......i could see it happening...but with 55000 on the clock, a vortech blower, and MANY hard sharp fast turns in my area.......hhhmmm maybe ppl are just having bad luck....i ALWAYS make sure my oil is right on the full mark when im out though

"I think this whole right hand turn thing is BS."

Sorry but I do not. I talked to alot of racers, SVE people etc about this. Too many cases involving basically right offramps. Not quick right turns (not even soloII) but typically long sustained right sweepers with high RPMs and a flicker of low oil pressure light too late. This strongly suggests insufficient oil at the oilpickup. Yes, it does not occur everytime someone does this, may be a cummulative injury as Coors said, or involve the g forces attained , the angle of the road, the actual level of oil in the pan.

Solutions,
1) Accusump (probably best & most expensive). If I ran track I would do this.
2) Baffeled oil pan - Kit $125 from SHO -Shop. Best veiwed as partial protection. Under racing conditions still had some oil pressure flux without Accusump but baffels reduced it.
3) Just avoid high gs & RPMs on long right offramps. Short hard right turns are fine, but 5-10 sec of 1.0g+ could cost a motor.

The other issue involving spun bearings is crank whip (see recent threads re "dual mode damper"). This is for the ones that did not involve high gs. Separate issue with a different but effective solution.

Dont shoot the messenger, dont like it any more than you but with the appropriate fixes the Duratec should be "dura"ble. Or you can blow me off and ***** & moan.

Well, my engine failed after a dealer replaced the front main seal and oil pan gasket. I have a feeling that they did not install the damper correctly on my car, because I noticed a power loss as soon as I picked it up. 15 miles (no right or left turns other than normal in town corners) later the oil light was flashing and the engine was knocking.

For a complete run-down on my situation, click here and here .

just got the quote from the dealership
they suggest bottom end longblock replacement to the tune of

$6134.67 parts and labor.

Delightful isn't it

But Ford is paying right - because you obviously can do alot better. Terry H. IIRC said he could get NEW 3.0L long blocks (including heads)for $2000. Probably could have the 3L ports polished & move your SVT cams, intake manifold etc + installation for under $2000. Basically, a blown 2.5L out of warranty is mearly an excuse to get a 3L.

What we need is MORE left hand on ramps

I take ramps fast all the time, never had a problem yet, It is related, but its like the hit or miss quality with the cr in general, I have a "young" motor, (21000) but I have zero problem out of the car. (gonna go find some wood)