oil pressure relief valve

[GS1000S]

Does a 1979 GS850GN have an oil pressure relief valve? I've got a strange problem where the oil pressure light flickers and the pressure fluctuate up to 2# up and down while being held at a constant RPM. 2000 RPM in this case.


thanks, Pat

[Nessism]

Humm, just looked through the parts fishe and didn't find any reference to an oil pressure relief valve. If there is one on the 850 I couldn't find it. The oiling system is low pressure so maybe they just don't need one?

Regarding the flickering, what kind of gauge do you have and do you have an oil cooler installed?

[tkent02]

At 2000 it shouldn't even think about flickering, even if the oil is way too hot. Tell us a little history, did it just start doing this? Hot and cold both or only when hot? What oil are you using? Problems could be the pump itself, perhaps the rubber O rings that seal the pump to the case, could be torn up camshaft bearings letting all the oil out too easily? Just guessing here, trying to think of places the oil could get out of the pressurized passages inside the engine without leaking externally. Also wondering if the oil pressure sender unit could do this, but not likely if you have a gauge doing the same thing. I wonder if perhaps the filter bypass valve in the filter itself might have failed? Did you use a Fram last time?

[GS1000S]

I bought a #15 gauge and an adapter to tap into the main galley. I ran an oil pressure test in Feb. and @ 3000 rpm the pressure dropped down to 1.75# after a 20 min. warm up for cold weather. 2 days ago I dropped the pan to check the pickup and it was clean. Removed oil pump and it and the o-rings look good. No oil cooler, new oil filter, Suzuki 10w-40 oil. Oil pressure is within spec. but barely.