79 L48 Help Please Oil/Temp
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Joined: Apr 2008
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79 L48 Help Please Oil/Temp
Ok 2 questions...
How high should the temperature be im not sure if its overheating or not when it heats up it stays between the 100 and 220 lines but im not sure if the guage is working properly or not between the 100 and 220 seems to cold but when I open the hood everything seems really hot...I dont know much about cars ........
The oil pressure guage reads between 40 all the way up to 80....if im going fast it will sit just below the 80 mark is that to high?
How high should the temperature be im not sure if its overheating or not when it heats up it stays between the 100 and 220 lines but im not sure if the guage is working properly or not between the 100 and 220 seems to cold but when I open the hood everything seems really hot...I dont know much about cars ........
The oil pressure guage reads between 40 all the way up to 80....if im going fast it will sit just below the 80 mark is that to high?
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 24,125
Likes: 15
From: Columbia Missouri
Ok 2 questions...
How high should the temperature be im not sure if its overheating or not when it heats up it stays between the 100 and 220 lines but im not sure if the guage is working properly or not between the 100 and 220 seems to cold but when I open the hood everything seems really hot...I dont know much about cars ........
The oil pressure guage reads between 40 all the way up to 80....if im going fast it will sit just below the 80 mark is that to high?
How high should the temperature be im not sure if its overheating or not when it heats up it stays between the 100 and 220 lines but im not sure if the guage is working properly or not between the 100 and 220 seems to cold but when I open the hood everything seems really hot...I dont know much about cars ........
The oil pressure guage reads between 40 all the way up to 80....if im going fast it will sit just below the 80 mark is that to high?
Staying under or around 200 is safe, going over 220 would start to get too hot.
If you're wondering if your gauge really works well, stop by a local shop, garage, or GM service center and have the use an IR gun on various parts of the engine to tell you your temps.
My oil pressure gauge stays between 40 and 80 depending on RPM, and that's because my tolerances are all still very tight in respect to the rod and main bearings.
It's possible the previous owner installed a high pressure pump, and your reading could also be attributed to the weight of engine oil being used.
What weight engine oil is in there right now?
Thread Starter
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Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 68
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Staying under or around 200 is safe, going over 220 would start to get too hot.
If you're wondering if your gauge really works well, stop by a local shop, garage, or GM service center and have the use an IR gun on various parts of the engine to tell you your temps.
My oil pressure gauge stays between 40 and 80 depending on RPM, and that's because my tolerances are all still very tight in respect to the rod and main bearings.
It's possible the previous owner installed a high pressure pump, and your reading could also be attributed to the weight of engine oil being used.
What weight engine oil is in there right now?
If you're wondering if your gauge really works well, stop by a local shop, garage, or GM service center and have the use an IR gun on various parts of the engine to tell you your temps.
My oil pressure gauge stays between 40 and 80 depending on RPM, and that's because my tolerances are all still very tight in respect to the rod and main bearings.
It's possible the previous owner installed a high pressure pump, and your reading could also be attributed to the weight of engine oil being used.
What weight engine oil is in there right now?
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 24,125
Likes: 15
From: Columbia Missouri
Perform the oil change using 10W30 and see if the oil pressure changes. It's entirely possible the gauge is not 100% accurate any more.
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Joined: Apr 2008
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Ok changed to 10w30 mobile 1 synthetic.....
oil pressure still sits a tad bit below 80 most of the time...but occasionally will go as low as 40
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 24,125
Likes: 15
From: Columbia Missouri
Okay, the next step, if you're worried, is to check the actual pressure with a mechanical gauge. They are cheap at local parts stores. Just install it at one of the oil ports, and read the gauge with the engine running and compare the readings to the stock gauge.
If the mechanical reads totally different then the next step is making sure the sender is grounded good in the block. If that doesn't change it, replacing the sender is the next best step. Finally, if nothing before it helps, you might have to have your gauge fixed or replaced.
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,118
From: Crossville TN
Water temp is likely between 180 and 200 degrees (depending on what thermostat you have). That is just a bit under boiling water temp (212). You know how hot a cup of boiling water is, now imagine an engine compartment full of hot water. It's hot when you open the hood. It sounds like your oil pressure and water temp are normal. Quit worrying about it. 
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