Loss of Oil Pressure after parts install.. help please!!
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Loss of Oil Pressure after parts install.. help please!!
After installing heads, lifters, pushrods, and a cam my oil pressure really has went to ****.. on first start up its fine, acts normal, idles around 60psi, then for a while driving it it stays normal idles at about 40psi then while driving goes up to around 60psi, the more i keep driving it the lower the psi goes, i was running 5w30 mobil 1 sythetic and it would go all the way down to 20psi idling, then around 40psi driving, now i have 10w30 Castrol Syntec in it and it stays at 40psi unless i get on it hard and it goes up to about 50psi or so.. whats the deal here? any ideas?? someone told me that a guy around here had a ls1 and after a cam install it ate a cam bearing and oil pressure did something like it.. i hope thats not what is going on.. any ideas are appreciated!!!
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i had a similar problem after my first cam install. idled around 20 and driving was 40 at most. i just left it like that for about a year and a half until i did my next cam swap. i changed out my oil pump to a ported ls6 from texas speed and ever since my oil pressure has been amazing. i guess my stock ls1 pump was just getting old and worn out and couldnt handle the bigger cam.
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OP, when oil gets hot it thins out and you will see an oil pressure loss. Going from 5-30 M1 to 10-30 Catrol is really going from 5-20 to 10-30. You are actually running a thicker oil now.
cold start ups you will always have the 40-60psi at idle and then when it warms up 20 at idle to 40 psi while cruising is fine.
rule of thumb I have always hear is you need 5psi of oil pressure for every 1000rpms your engine is running.
cold start ups you will always have the 40-60psi at idle and then when it warms up 20 at idle to 40 psi while cruising is fine.
rule of thumb I have always hear is you need 5psi of oil pressure for every 1000rpms your engine is running.
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most likely the guy knicked a cam bearing and lost oil pressure. if that is the case then you should always see a low oil pressure from the get go. same thing goes for a spun bearing.
one test you could do is run the engine for a little bit and then take off the valve covers to see if you have oil in the overhead and if you do then your engine is getting the needed oil pressure to lubricate the pushrods, rockers, and springs.
excessive crankcase pressure will also prevent oil from draining back down into the pan which would cause an oil pressure drop. (doubt this is going on, see it more often in diesel applications)
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awesome info guys.. that really helps me out alot.. i was getting real worried about bearings there for a little bit.. it is a 99 and ive heard problems out of the 99 oil pumps in these things.. guess ill have to go to a ls6 ported and while im at it get a timing chain.. it is the factory pump for who asked if i changed it.. i didnt.. i didnt even touch the pump while doing the install.. thanks much guys!!!!
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well hopfully its a oil pump and not a bearing somewhere.. i would really like to put that money towards something else if you know what i mean.. i really need to get me a rearend and suspension that will handle the mods i have.. the oil pressure really started going down about a month after all the installs... but it stays constant.. dunno what the deal is really.. thanks for the inputs!! keep em coming!!