TenSecondZ

Ok crew - I have lurked and looked at C-4's for the past few years and I am very close to pulling the trigger on a very nice 1992 6-speed with just under 100k.

Here are my main items of concern. First let me give a little background - The car has had 3 owners but almost all of the service records since day 1 - The interior looks almost brand new - paint in great shape etc.. It is BONE stock down to the paper filter so I highly doubt the car has been ragged out / run hard etc. I have even been underneath the car and other than a bit of wetness on the pan (which is normal given the mileage) it looks to be in very good shape.

1) At hot idle the oil pressure guage is just at the 1st hashmark which from what I gather is 20-25 PSI, Not extraordinarily low, but I have seen other vettes with it higher. Granted 2 things could be a play A) The guage is inaccurate to the low side and or B) Other vettes I have seen have been running a thicker oil. I know for a fact the current fill is M1 5W-30

2)Is there an easy way for me to tap into a fitting and check the OP
with a mechanical guage? If so please give me some guidance.

So do you think this is cause for concern? or me just being extra cautious / paranoid?

3) I notice quite a bit of valve train noise.. no particular side or individual rocker, but overall an even noise. I have owned and built Gen 1 SBC in the past and can't recall hearing a noisy stock valvetrain. Is it a function of the valve covers and the engine being very exposed / close proximity? Based on some reading over at BITOG (bob is the oil guy) M1 is frequently cited as making valve trains slightly louder than with other fills. Engine revs smoothly and the noise doesnt get worse or uneven but the valvetrain / rockers (stock) are definitely audible.

I looked inside the valve cover and it is spotless, not even varnish build up.

So do my observations / concerns have any merits?

Thanks in advance for all of your help. This is a really nice car, just want to make sure I am going into this eyes wide open.

Marcus

cv67

I would hope the clatter is not a low oil pressure issue. Using 10-30 will bump the reading up some but if the clearances are toast the damage is done. Id check it out though, a superclean one that is 100% bone stock is usually a safer bet.

zr1fred

I'd say the oil pressure at idle is about right, what is it at 3000rpm, does it change dramatically from hot to cold? Are you sure your not hearing the injectors? Piston slap?

JD'S WHITE 93

The oil pressure sounds about normal. The 92 LT1 was noisy in comparison to the later cars. The 93 got composite valve covers to help reduce valvetrain noise and a revised cam which also bumped the torque 10ft.lbs. but it was revised to reduce valvetrain noise. If you are concerned about the oil pressure take it somewhere and get it up on lift where they can change the oil and hook a gauge to where the oil filter should be. I would check this last so if it checks out you buy it and get an oil change while you are at it. Good Luck !

BlackC6LS3

You can hook a manual oil pressure guage to in the rear left side of the block where the oil pressure sensor is. Just screw that out and screw in you guage.

rangerphil

I have an 11,000 mile 92. Yep, the motors are fairly noisy and is a normal condition. Your oil pressure runs about the same as mine and is well within acceptable ranges.

Strick

My 92 (with 60K) is also noisey, but I think the mag valve covers amplify the rocker noise. I went with Crane roller rockers and they are just about as noisey. My oil pressure drops when hot at idle, but still within limits. If you can, see if the opti has been replaced or worked on. My Vette was very clean at 40K when I bought it, but there was a small oil leak from the timing cover seals, especially from the water pump drive seal. To fix this I had to remove the opti and while it was out, I took it apart and found moisture, rust and dirt inside the cap. It was ready to leave me on the road; dead. She'll run great right up to the time it sets codes and quits. Take a look at this article I wrote on how I fixed this problem: https://www.corvetteforum.com/techti...=231&TopicID=2

I know it's long, but it will give you a good idea what you might face.

TenSecondZ

Great Info - Thanks to everyone for your input.

Yeah - I have been reading up on the opti issue. The water pump was replaced a few years ago. Opti looks to be original - So that is definitely a pending job for me.

I will post pictures if and when I do buy.

Thanks!

JAKE

Everything you wrote about seem normal to me and the description reads like it's a "keeper".

Only remaining issue is the price he's askings Vs what you're prepared to pay.

Jake