kilrb

After firing my C5 up after a head/cam swap, the oil pressure came up to around 38psi within 4-5 seconds. After a minute or two, it came down to around 20psi. I killed it for fear that something was amiss. After thinking things through, I fired it up again, determined to kill it if it went below 20. When I give it throttle, it comes up, but at idle, it's just wanting to sit at 20. After giving it a little throttle for 30 seconds to get it up to 30psi, I let off, and it dipped into the mid teens, and I killed it. That was the only time the check engine light came on. I ain't touching it again until I figure out what's up... Any ideas on what it could be? I did replace the oil pump with an LS6, but I made sure the pickup tube o-ring was in good shape, and I didn't force it in. I'm pretty sure it isn't damaged.

AutomagicLS1

iTrader: (18)

After my H/C swap I started it up and my oil pressure was at about 25PSI hot idle, cold start. It would go up to about 35psi reving it up to 4K. Before it was at 80 cold start 50 psi hot idle. I was like WTF I had a brand new oil pump in there. Long story short replaced the oil pump with another same problem. I wired up an external guage and oil psi was perfect. Sending unit went bad. What you can do is replace the sending unit or you can get an external guage and theres a plate above the oil filter. Unbolt it and drill a hole and I think use a 5/8 tap and make some threads for the sending unit and screw it in and bolt it back onto the block. Fire it up and I bet you your oil pressure is normal. Will save some time by having to take the intake and crap off again. I never replaced the stock oil pres sending unit just using my autometer one.

onecamaro1

I'm redoing my H'C swap for the same reason, I jacked a lifter because i was being stupid and tried to wait it out. My issue was the oil pump O-ring being pinched. Car is in the garage right now putting heads back on, I changed the lifters, doing oil pump and a new o-ring also.

cantdrv65

iTrader: (3)

Its the O-ring time to rip it back apart. Been there done that it SUCKS! I also thought there was no way I cut the O-ring but sure enough it was split in TWO! Make certain to put the O-ring on the TUBE FIRST. Crank the engine up and check oil pressure before you have the steering rack and water pump back on, I also learned to do that the second time.

kilrb

When you two who had the probelm with the O-ring first fired it up, did the oil pressure start out ok and then drop? Mine started out just under 40 and then dropped. If it was the O-ring, would it have ever reached a normal pressure in the first place? Or is that because the oil was cold?

kilrb

How long did it take to ruin your lifter? I let it idle for a couple of minutes at 20, and then tried it again later for about two minutes. I then called it quits... What PSI were you running? There was quite a bit of ticking when I fired it up, and it didn't seem to get much quieter. Is that indicative of not enough oil getting up into the valve train?

tilly

iTrader: (5)

I am having oiling issues with my car. A lot of my friends had problems with there sending units after h/c swap or just taking the intake off. Check the sending unit. You can get it cheap at an autoparts store.