Oil Pressure???
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 33
Likes: 0
From: Northridge CA
Oil Pressure???
When I start the car in the morning I have a good 40 lb of oil pressure. Get on the freeway to work for about 30 minutes with no problems. But as soon as i get off the freeway and stop at a light, the oil pressure drops to zero. I check the dip stick and it shows that its full. Im stumped. Any ideas??
Racer
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 278
Likes: 5
From: illinois
have you had a recent oil change? what weight oil are you using? any unusual noises... like knocks or pings? When I bought my 71 previous owner had the oil changed. after 1 year (600 miles) I changed the oil to 10w30 and developed the same symptons as your, changed oil again to 20w50..I now have 35 psi at idle and 40 psi when driving. My car has 158000 miles.
There was some engine work done but none of the previous owners when or what was done. Im 4th owner.
Mike
There was some engine work done but none of the previous owners when or what was done. Im 4th owner.
Mike
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 2,164
Likes: 7
From: Beringen
When I start the car in the morning I have a good 40 lb of oil pressure. Get on the freeway to work for about 30 minutes with no problems. But as soon as i get off the freeway and stop at a light, the oil pressure drops to zero. I check the dip stick and it shows that its full. Im stumped. Any ideas??
Excessive oil pressure drop can come from only a couple of things : to wide bearing clearances or things like oiled lifter, spring oilers or a pump with too much clearance
Do you know any spec from your engine ?
If it didn't have this problem before could be the pump.
Last edited by Belgian1979vette; Oct 5, 2012 at 02:32 PM.
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 4,930
Likes: 11
From: AnyTown NJ
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
Oil pressure at normal operation temp is usually 10lb per 1000 rpm depending on the hot oil viscosity....in drive at idle you should be at less than 1k rpm so your oil gauge will show less than 10lbs....the way it's graded it looks like no pressure.
I do think you should be seeing more than 40lbs when cold (depending on your rpm)...more toward the 60/70 lb range......once at normal operating pressure 35/40 lbs at cruising speed is normal.
BTW, I've used 10w30 all my life without any engine related problems.
I do think you should be seeing more than 40lbs when cold (depending on your rpm)...more toward the 60/70 lb range......once at normal operating pressure 35/40 lbs at cruising speed is normal.
BTW, I've used 10w30 all my life without any engine related problems.
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Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,114
From: Crossville TN
Clheck oil pressure with another gauge. Plumb in at the pipe plug near the oil filter. Chances are that your gauge just reads a little low at low pressure and that you just haven't noticed it before. If it didn't have any oil pressure at idle, you would notice the lifters clacking in about 10 seconds. Since you don't hear the lifters at idle (do you?), your 'problem' is just the inaccuracy of the stock gauge.
Racer
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 437
Likes: 3
From: Alvin Texas
check with a mechanical gauge.My oil pressure went to the max side, replaced the sender wit a BW unit, oil went to 0 at idle hot......bad sender........another new one worked great, 20W40 idles @about 30 runs about 45-50. just like it was before the failure.