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Dropping Oil Pressure under Boost

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Old Dec 1, 2006 | 05:35 PM
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Default Dropping Oil Pressure under Boost

My oil pressure is about 50-55 psi at idle. When I lightly roll into the throttle the oil pressure climbs to almost 80 psi at 6000+ rpms. Now when I hammer it, and get into boost, the pressure climbs up over 60-65 psi @ about 3000 rpm then drops pretty quickly to under 40 psi by 6000 rpm. This never happened before when I was N/A. Is this a common thing with procharger cars? Is all of the oil running to the back of the oil pan an starving the motor? Could it have something to do with PCV system (I really don't think it does but I'm not sure)?
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Old Dec 1, 2006 | 06:43 PM
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try a thicker oil....and make sure you are not low on it. this worked for me. i run NON synthetic 20-50
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Old Dec 1, 2006 | 08:05 PM
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Right now I am running 10w-30 due to the temps here being in the 10-20 degree range in the morning. Do you think a 10w-50 synthetic will work for me?
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Old Dec 1, 2006 | 08:12 PM
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Try adding a half quart more oil and see what happens. If my car starts getting a little low on oil, the oil pressure drops on a hard pass down the track. I usually run a half quart over just to be sure its safe.

DJ
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Old Dec 1, 2006 | 08:17 PM
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is running that kind of high oil pressure, even at idle,a good idea or even nessesary?
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Old Dec 1, 2006 | 08:28 PM
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Originally Posted by otherwhitemeat
is running that kind of high oil pressure, even at idle,a good idea or even nessesary?
The factory oil pump is still in there. It just rolled over 27000 miles. Do these motors have the dual pickups in the pan?
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Old Dec 1, 2006 | 10:04 PM
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Single pickup. Maybe your oil pump pressure release spring is floating under heavy load? Just an idea...
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Old Dec 2, 2006 | 12:54 AM
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Be careful. I killed my motor this way. Find the problem and fix it before doing too many wot runs.
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Old Dec 2, 2006 | 07:51 AM
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I have to run close to seven quarts. Under hard acceleration, the oil is forced to the back of the pan and the pickup cant get all the oil it needs. Worked for me.
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Old Dec 2, 2006 | 07:56 AM
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Originally Posted by Country Boy
I have to run close to seven quarts. Under hard acceleration, the oil is forced to the back of the pan and the pickup cant get all the oil it needs. Worked for me.
Yeah with a single pickup I can see this being the problem but the only thing that still does not make sense to me is it never did this before the blower. I'm going to overfill it alittle bit today and see what happens. Thanks for the ideas guys.
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Old Dec 2, 2006 | 08:02 AM
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blower vs N/A... which accelerates faster?

Its worth a shot.
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Old Dec 2, 2006 | 08:22 AM
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Originally Posted by funnelone
My oil pressure is about 50-55 psi at idle. When I lightly roll into the throttle the oil pressure climbs to almost 80 psi at 6000+ rpms. Now when I hammer it, and get into boost, the pressure climbs up over 60-65 psi @ about 3000 rpm then drops pretty quickly to under 40 psi by 6000 rpm. This never happened before when I was N/A. Is this a common thing with procharger cars? Is all of the oil running to the back of the oil pan an starving the motor? Could it have something to do with PCV system (I really don't think it does but I'm not sure)?
Its a baffling issue in your pan. Now the cheap fix to over come this, would be to run the PF61 oil filter or K&N 2006 and 6 quarts of oil...You could still run the smaller filter as well but id strongly urge you run a full 6 qts with it instead of the 5.5 that it will hold.

The other option for everyone is to run a custom oil pan to hold more capacity and still keeping windage to a minimum. Ill have pics of one here in the next week or so a local engine builder is doing for a motor he built. Its not cheap, but its sweeet and will cure this issue. He looked at the aftermarket pans that are available and they still dont cure the issues that he wanted from them so he opted for a custom pan to clear this guy's tubular K.
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Old Dec 2, 2006 | 10:45 AM
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Originally Posted by V6 Bird
Its a baffling issue in your pan. Now the cheap fix to over come this, would be to run the PF61 oil filter or K&N 2006 and 6 quarts of oil...You could still run the smaller filter as well but id strongly urge you run a full 6 qts with it instead of the 5.5 that it will hold.
How much of the extra .5 quarts will the larger oil filter take up? Would the larger filter not just take up the extra oil.
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Old Dec 2, 2006 | 11:53 AM
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Next question is why in the hell is the K&N filter 3x more than any of the other ones (12 bucks)?
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Old Dec 2, 2006 | 11:54 AM
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My Mobil 1 cost $12 too...
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Old Dec 2, 2006 | 02:45 PM
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Originally Posted by funnelone
Next question is why in the hell is the K&N filter 3x more than any of the other ones (12 bucks)?


ha ha are u serious...... let me guess youve always used FRAM filters.....
Im like Country Boy ive always used Mobil 1 filters... why buy good oil and then a **** Filter......

My oil pressure drops when im low on oil and when the motor gets hotter..... say around 200-210..... I run 5W30.....
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Old Dec 2, 2006 | 03:34 PM
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Originally Posted by NA$TY-TA
ha ha are u serious...... let me guess youve always used FRAM filters.....
Im like Country Boy ive always used Mobil 1 filters... why buy good oil and then a **** Filter......

My oil pressure drops when im low on oil and when the motor gets hotter..... say around 200-210..... I run 5W30.....
Well I switched from 10w-40 to 5w-30 and the idel pressure dropped down to about 45psi. Addding the extra oil seems to have solved the dropping pressure problem. It runs right up to almost 80 psi@ 6k+. Thanks for all help.

As to the K&N question, What makes it such a great oil filter? What makes the Mobile 1 so great? Just curious if you are buying them because of the name or if something else sets them apart.
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Old Dec 2, 2006 | 05:27 PM
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those filters are better at filtering the oil they can trap smaller particles

as to why you may need more oil, your procharger uses oil correct? well the oil that its going threw the lines to it and back the engine has less then it normally had n/a hence the reason for possible oil pressure drop
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Old Dec 2, 2006 | 05:56 PM
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Originally Posted by 89Formulaws6
as to why you may need more oil, your procharger uses oil correct? well the oil that its going threw the lines to it and back the engine has less then it normally had n/a hence the reason for possible oil pressure drop
Prochargers use self contained oilling system. 6oz. inside the head unit.
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Old Dec 2, 2006 | 05:57 PM
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prochargers are self contained for their oil. vortech taps into the engine oil system.
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