Here's my problem, need some help....

When the car warms up, the oil temp goes up too high, and the oil pressure starts to drop.
The header is less than 1/8 inch from the oil filter.
I wrapped the header in header wrap, just in the area of the oil filter.
No difference.
When the car heats up and I start to see the oil issues I mention above, the car runs slower, the valve train starts clattering.
I just adjusted all the valves on the passenger side and they are completely quite when the car and oil is cold.
I do not believe I have any bad gauges since the engine noise and the oil temp/pressure problems seem to be related. Also, when cold all gauges operate as expected.
Throughout this whole thing the cooant temp stays normal.
So, HELP!!!
Last edited by jsup; May 24, 2008 at 05:34 PM.
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The oil heats up to over 255* as verified by 65Z01's Auto Xray. The gauge is all the way close to the left side.
When the oil gets this hot, the pressure drops to the point that in gear at a stop the oil pressure drops into the "danger" zone on the gauge.
I know that the OP and OT will vary when the car warms up, but this is TOO HOT and the pressure is TOO LOW.
I thought the filter was too close to the header, which still may be the case, it's only 1/8 inch away from the collector, which happens to line up with the oil filter.
I wrapped the header in header wrap to try to lower the heat around the oil filter. Didn't seem to work.
Do you think a remote oil filter may do the trick, along with an oil cooler? Or should I suspect something other than the header heating the filter?

That's why I think the close proximity of the header to the filter is heating the oil. There's about 1/8 inch between the collector on the header and the oil filter. That's not alot, and the collector gets very hot.
Last edited by jsup; May 24, 2008 at 08:05 PM.
It is more likely that your oil pump may be going.
Let us know what you find.

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If it wasn't circulating properly, why is the problem of OP temperature dependent?
If the car is cold the OP is high and the motor is quiet.
If the OP impellors are worn, cold thick oil gets pushed through anyway. Hot oil won't get pushed through - it could just 'hang around.
Maybe the pump IS weak.
Last edited by schrade; May 24, 2008 at 08:44 PM.
The dist is still OEM? The bottom end is still OEM?
Could the pressure issue be due to a defective pressure sensor and maybe the higher oil temps be a separate issue??
BTW, where did the oil temps run before the mods?

I think I'm looking at a bearing of some sort, either main, cam, connecting rod, something......
I sure hope not. I'm going to cut open two oil filters I have laying around and see if there's any metal in them. Maye I'll send some oil out to be analyzed.
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In normal driving and short WOT burts, the oil temp is 20-30F above the coolant temp. I do have the early factory oil cooler which may help in this regard.
As far as I'm aware, high oil temperature is likely caused by blow-by of the hot combustion gases. I don't think the header proximity is the real problem.
You could try and use a higher viscosity oil (20W-50 maybe) to maintain normal oil pressure at the elevated oil temperatures.

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The temp runs up real fast when I step on the gas and wind it up.
Perhaps whatever is causing friction, produces more heat at high RPMs and it's not the headers?
Oh, I thought I mentioned this. I purchased some header wrap tape, the foil type, and wrapped the header by the oil filter, twice, still had the problem.
Last edited by jsup; May 25, 2008 at 11:44 AM.

In normal driving and short WOT burts, the oil temp is 20-30F above the coolant temp. I do have the early factory oil cooler which may help in this regard.
As far as I'm aware, high oil temperature is likely caused by blow-by of the hot combustion gases. I don't think the header proximity is the real problem.
You could try and use a higher viscosity oil (20W-50 maybe) to maintain normal oil pressure at the elevated oil temperatures.
I'm thinking maybe an after market oil cooler, and an 8 qt oil pan....thoughts.
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