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oil relief?
Bill:
I normally have great oil pressure (50 or better in cruise) but last fall I was flying and the front engine was down to the bottom of the green arc. When I landed and powered back, the pressure went to just above zero. The easiest thing to do if you are contemplating low oil pressure is to make sure the relief valve is not scored and the spring is good. On a "new" engine with junk in the oil, I would check the relief valve port for contamination.
My oil pressure issue was caused by a tiny piece of something (non-magnetic) stuck on the seat of the plunger. If the plunger is displaced at all with hot oil, the pressure will be too low.
See the attached picture of my contamination. Once cleaned and put back together - 50 psi hot all day long again.
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