First of all, I have a 1987 base coupe with 93K miles. The engine is completely stock and has been fed a steady diet of Mobil 1 5W30 or 10W30. I get no smoke from the rings and have no oil consumption issues. I get the usual blue puff at startup sometimes. The engine runs strong and gets good fuel mileage with no knocks or rattles except......

My problem is oil pressure. Once the oil is up to temp (180-200), I've seen pressure as low as 9 PSI and a ticking sound coming from the engine. I know what the injector tick sounds like and this is something different. A quick blip of the throttle and the pressure comes up and the tick goes away.

Logic tells me that this pressure is a real reading due to the ticking. I did buy a jug of 15W50 Mobil 1 from Wal-Mart and the pressure is fine now. I get about 15 at idle and 50 at speed. Logic also tells me that this is a band-aid fix and I'm not happy with it.

Considering the overall health of the engine other than oil pressure and after actually verifying with a mechanical gauge the true oil pressure, what would you all suggest? My first instinct is to go with a crate motor due to time constraints and the fact that my Corvette shouldn't be my first rebuild. I don't want to half-azz it either.

I would add that when the motor is out, I would go with AFR heads and either the Lingenfelter modded base/runner/plenum or a SR and the cam they recommend for the SR.

So, given my goals here, would I be better off with a crate engine (ZZ4 or similar) or trying to do a rebuild? Either way will be major bucks spent on a base coupe that's 16 years old that I would never get back except in the smile factor. Is there another option?

Thanks all!
Randy


[Modified by KF9WM's 87 coupe, 6:18 PM 6/2/2003]

 

I think those are probably your two best options. I would also think about getting a ZZ4 short block, which can be had for $1800. Nice parts in there and good to 450hp easily. Then have your original D-port AL heads ported and add the 2411 or ZZ9 cam and a SR and you will be all set.

Scott

 

I'm thinking that your oil pump is going south, and a weak lifter not getting enough oil is causing the ticking. You can fix the oil pump now for just a couple hundred.

But, the ZZ4 is basically the same block, I would just buy the block and have it built RIGHT the first time, spend the money and you probably will never regret it. If youre shooting for big power go ahead and do the bottom end while you have the money.

Id also use the Accel SR and 219 cam (its the cam they recommend for SR).