1937 Centaur tractor

MHMJD47 · Jul 6, 2014

Centaur tractor, 1937 with LeRoi engine does not have oil pressure after last ran in a few years and stored inside. Ran fine a few years ago. Could this engine need primed, how? All 4 cylinders are loose and block is not cracked. Was stored without any fluid in radiator. Any experience or suggestions on why no oil pressure?

sms · Jul 7, 2014

Don't know much about it but have heard of engines
losing oil prime after sitting. Maybe dirt/sluge in
check valve or something?

just another old geezer · Jul 7, 2014

Step one. Pull the line off of the oil pressure
gauge and see if oil comes out. I have had oil
pressure gauges fail to read pressure.

Steve@Advance · Jul 7, 2014

It most likely has lost prime, especially if it had oil pressure before it was stored. Some engines have the oil pump above the oil level in the pan. This happens when all the oil drains back down and the pump is dry.

A couple of solutions are to start it and rev the engine and hope to get pressure. A risky move since everything is dry.

The other is to remove the oil pressure gauge tube and pressure feed oil back through the system. This can be done with any means of pumping clean oil under "some" pressure. A new, clean pump up sprayer will work, or anything you can rig up to pump clean, light oil.

Just adapt a fitting into the block, pressure it up for an hour or so, then replace the gauge fitting and see if it gets oil pressure.

MHMJD47 · Sep 16, 2014

Got pressure in it a few weeks ago and seemed good. Then just tried again and no pressure again after only a few weeks. Frustrating.

1937 Centaur tractor

MHMJD47

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sms

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just another old geezer

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Steve@Advance

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MHMJD47

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