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Normal driving when my LT4 was stock showed my oil pressure around the 1/2 mark on the guage, when I came to a stop it would idle around the 1/4 mark. Now it never drops below the 1/2 mark, and normal driving boosts it to the 3/4 mark.
i see 50-60psi on a highway cruise. 70-75psi max, and hot idle at maybe 35psi. assuming the gauge is accurate, of course.
i see this consistently, with the different oils i've used, although it was maybe 5psi lower everywhere with mobil 1 5w30 that was in the car when i bought it (which is a very thin 30 weight).
the stock pump has a bypass pressure (of fully open) at 70psi. maybe a 30 weight is too thin to hit that max? i see 70psi at higher rpm, no matter how hot the oil is. (although i've never run it higher than 250 degrees.)
The normal range for the LT1/4 engines is 20psi at hot idle and 60 psi at 5000 rpm...........mine has about 50 psi cruising at 2400 rpm, 60 psi at 5000 and about 22 psi at hot idle.......this is all with Mobil 1 5W-30 synthetic......the rule of thumb for Chevy small block is 10 psi for every 1,000 rpm is fully sufficient.
From: Everyday you must choose between the pain of discipline and the pain of regret. Fredericktown, OH
Re: LT-4 oil pressure (Alex D)
Thanks for your replies!
Alex, I always used the 10psi per 1,000 rpm rule in my drag race motors and never had any problems (although I always like a bit more at idle than 10).
Normal driving when my LT4 was stock showed my oil pressure around the 1/2 mark on the guage, when I came to a stop it would idle around the 1/4 mark. Now it never drops below the 1/2 mark, and normal driving boosts it to the 3/4 mark.