low oil pressure!

[tonys87]

my car has always had low oil pressure around 10-8psi in hot idle,after installing a bb turbo with the oil restrictor it went up to about 20, it does stay at 56-58psi at wot which i heard is the important part..but today i saw the psi at 5 at hot idle and the car still runs great but i just get the feeling that somethings not right and since im doing the heads and roller cam i was wondering if there are some things i can do while we're in the engine to fix the problem..thanks,tony

 

[tonys87]

made a couple more passes at wot and im only getting 42psi..nobody knows whats wrong?

 

[jurassic five 7]

How many miles on the oil and were they mainly WOT blasts or mainly cruising?

Have you tried just changing the oil and then taking it back out and 're-testing it'?

 

[Chuck Leeper]

sounds like it's time to pull the engine, and take a look.
You don't say what the mileage is, but with the new parts going on/in, it would be on an engine stand, if it were mine.
A 10 sec engine w/ worn out brgs, low oil psi, is a sure candidate for a membership in the DOTCC....

 

[yullose]

High oil temps (no cooler) will thin viscosity, causing low oil pressure... and also leaky injector(s) will contaminate the oil with fuel, thinning viscosity and lowering oil pressure...

What kind of oil are you using and when's the last time you changed it ?


Just a few other things to consider. :wink:

 

[yullose]

sounds like it's time to pull the engine, and take a look.
You don't say what the mileage is, but with the new parts going on/in, it would be on an engine stand, if it were mine.
A 10 sec engine w/ worn out brgs, low oil psi, is a sure candidate for a membership in the DOTCC....

BAH !

Nothing a few quarts of 60w won't handle.

 

[tonys87]

the car has 82k miles and the oil is mobile one with about 1,200 miles mostly cruising miles ill try an oil change and see if it helps. i was thinking of maybe changing the oil pump?

 

[salvageV6]

Where is the gauge reading from?

You could try a Kenne Bell oil booster plate and cavity mod. for a few extra pounds.

Or better yet blue print the pump.

And if it's changed a bunch for no apparent reason I'd pull the motor like Chuck suggested.

Obviously check the oil, filter, gauge, etc. first the simple stuff.

 

[tonys87]

im not sure where the gauge is reading from but its a vdo gauge. also how do you blue print the pump or do you just buy one? i figured that while the engine top half was apart i can change something to help the problem. thanks guys

 

[HP Man]

Go back to Dino oil. My last engine was built by a well know engine builder and he told me never run synthetic oil in this engine! His words not mine. I like TA Performance oiling mods, worked great for me in the past. My .02$ Gene

 

[ronbuick]

Mobil 1 what,more info please, might try some DELO oil, 15-40 wt with your very soon oil change, it might also pay to do a oil analysis at the same time. Just need more info, thanks.

Ron

 

[Heath]

put some 20w50 in it see if that helps for a cheap fix. Or bite the bullet and rebuild it.

 

[tonys87]

well the previous owner claimed that the motor had been rebuilt 8k miles ago so i thought maybe it might be something more simple like a bad pump or better oil.. i also had a engine builder suggest that i should do the bearing on the engine and that it would be a easy fix since the oil pan can be droped without lifting the motor and he gave me a quote of 400 total for parts and labor..has any of you ever done that?

 

[tonys87]

Mobil 1 what,more info please,


all i know is that it was mobil 1 synthetic,a friend did the oil change and how do i do a oil analysis?

 

[ronbuick]

Do you have any heavy equipment places where you are at or trucking, construction companies, also how about a Schaeffer oil dealer, he can do it for you also, and the other places mentioned should have a clean and sterile containers for you to put the oil in, costs maybe 10$ bucks or so, heck it might even get it done for free. HTH.

Ron

 

[salvageV6]

How to build a front cover/oil pump - TurboBuicks.com

TA Performance also has front covers already done and set up I believe, their website should have the details.

Double check all the oil ports on any aftermarket front cover you buy if you go that route, some were blocked off by casting slag yet vendors still sell them out the door that way.

 

[4-71/Z-28]

is the car running warmer(coolant temp wise) now that its probably warming up over there in vegas? i know my 20-50 oil is very temp sensative, when its at 160-170 its about 10psi higher than when its in the 180-190 range.

 

[ALVAROG1983]

well i would start checking how the oil looks and cut open the filter it won't hurt to check the bearings just because the motor has been rebuilt don't mean anything.

 

[tonys87]

alvarog1983..after i started the thread a local guy (jamaricanss) aka anthony hit me up on a pm and gave me some brad penn the green oil 20-50. it runs now at 21psi..if the car runs really hot like around 195-200 it goes down about 4psi. i really like that oil

 

[87granny]

PhillyTurbosix mentioned that oil may try it he says it's really good oil