Oil pump check

One thing I would have definitely overlooked on finishing the build was checking the oil pressure
The pump was cleaned out and reassembled with the same shimming it had when it came apart
I thought that would be OK and if not for a mechanic friend bringing it to my attention would have gone unchecked
The pressure was off the gauge and could have led to serious problems if it had not been noticed

Cheers

Jed

thats not the Oil Pump , thats the Oil Pressure Release Valve .

THIS
is a Oil Pump.

Talk about apples & oranges that sure aint one for the faint hearted
What a beast!

What was incorrect when you reassembled the motor?

There were shims between the pressure relief valve and the spring. Why I don't know. I just put them back in. They were not needed and I thought that was due to the refurbished pump. The shim can be on the cap side of the spring
Maybe the PO put them in there I don't know but I guessed it was a normal practice either way it seems I did not need them

Cheers

The shims determine the maximum oil pressure. The excessive oil pressure you spoke of was, no doubt, the result of a stuck OPRV (oil pressure relief valve). Increasing the number of shims does not increase the pump's output. It's my experience the OPRV only comes into play with cold oil. Say you have the OPRV shimmed to deliver 60 psi. The only time you will actually see 60 psi is when the oil is cold, once the oil has reached operating temperature the oil pressure will be approximately 10 psi/1000 rpm. In fact, with hot oil the oil pressure at idle may drop as low as 2-3 psi with a normal pump and engine. The Norton oil pump just won't put out enough volume at idle with hot oil to maintain a decent pressure. Obviously, you will need a gauge, either temporary or permanent, to check these pressures.