LS6427

iTrader: (2)

Its just me, but if I were you I would use regular oil, 10w40. Or maybe even 20w50 for an old engine.

I'm just not a synthetic oil guy.

02RedWS6RamAir

iTrader: (2)

I though 20w50 would be a bit heavy?

2002Z28Camaro

iTrader: (2)

i would replace the oil pump aswell it seems low but i was told the lt1 have low oil presure

LS6427

iTrader: (2)

Nope. My LPE 427ci stroker has been getting 20w50 since it had about 40,000, now it has almost 80,000. It runs like a top. Cold start-up is almost 60 psi and it really never ever gets below about 30 psi, unless I'm idling in 90* weather, in traffic with the A/C on.

Do it...20w50, regular oil.

LS6427

iTrader: (2)

His oil pump is kicking ***, 40 psi at cruise with 124K on the engine.

Formula413

iTrader: (1)

Mobil 1 5W30 is a very thin 5W30. If you're going to run synthetic, I would use the Castrol Syntec 0W30 "Made In Germany" aka GC (German Castrol). People who do lots of research into oil swear by it.

1995blacktattop

iTrader: (2)

thats exactly where my 95 with 123k sits at warm idle if the air temp is below 80 degrees.. what worries me is mine will drop to the point where the "check gauges" light will come on if the air temp is over 80... what would cause that?

I tried a different oil sender unit and the pressure actually got worse (the pressure would drop to 0 every time i let off the gas once the car was warmed up if i was going under 20mph or stopped) i ended up putting the "old" sender back in (i say "old" because the shop that rebuilt my trans last november broke my original sender unit and i had to get a new one)

i just checked my oil sender unit and when i unplugged the sensor and turned on the key the gauge shot up to the top which i know is normal. but what i noticed was that there is only one wire on that connector? is that right? the wire appears to be tan

1995blacktattop

iTrader: (2)

i took a pic of mine today after getting the oil changed from 5w30 to 10w30 (they didn't have 10w40) and it was 70 something outside and i had the car in the driveway doing some video of the oil pressure gauge (in the process of uploading that to youtube) and i went to back the car into the garage and the gauge never hit the CG light but it did get down to "almost" where it would have



here's a vid i took that shows what the oil pressure gauge does when warm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Myfc5xab5Kc

LS6427

iTrader: (2)

I know the guages in our cars aren't the greatest, but you're running pretty hot. I would get a mechanic to check the pressure with a mechanical gauge and see how far off your oil pressure gauge might be. Also, get a scan and see what your temp gauge is doing.

But again, if you have pressure, especially up around 40 psi when under throttle, you're good to go.

1995blacktattop

iTrader: (2)

i'm only running that warm because the car was sitting in my driveway on for a good 3-5 minutes (in the video i said 2-3 but thats probably not right cause i left it running while i got the mail and then walked in the house to get the camera. i normally run no higher than 210. maybe what i am seeing is temp related which would be a good sign cause thats about as hot as ive seen it and generally that is when the CG will trip. i normally do see around 40 or so if i'm crusing unless i'm around 25-30mph in overdrive and then the rpms are lower so its usually 20-25 then

and when i mean after an oil change i mean that i went and got the oil changed, drove 15 miles home, and then it sat for a few mins running before the vid was taken

LS6427

iTrader: (2)

Well, the hotter the engine gets, the thinner the oil gets, the lower the oil pressure will go.

That is really hot for just a 15 minute drive and sitting for 5 minutes.

My car cannot get that hot no matter what I do to it, and I have a 490 RWHP 427 stroker. If I were you, I would want to know how hot that thing is REALLY getting, compared to what the gauge says. I've seen friends LSx's that show 210 and they are really 230. My temp gauge reads 185 and its really 200. My engine sits 90% of the time with the A/C blasting, at the 155 mark on my temp gauge, which is really 180-185.

You may very well have a cooling issue.

When I get my temp gauge up to 210, by sitting in heavy traffic on a 90* day with the A/C on full blast.....my oil pressure will go down to about 15 psi when idling.

1995blacktattop

iTrader: (2)

hmm... i did have a radiator put in a few months back, and ironically i had a heating issue before that. i had no heat or very little, and now it works fine. the fans are definately kicking on because you can tell at the end of the video the temp gauge is right at 210 vs being almost 220

on the drive home it was probably around the first hash (180?) mark on the temp gauge most of the time. don't these cars normally heat up when they are stopped for a long period of time?

that would definately explain why i only saw the check gauges light on warmer days (80+) and only when stopped or in reverse.

bjamick

iTrader: (31)

My LT1 never read that low.. Something is up with you guys sending units. Mine read over 60 while I was driving. 93 LT1 TA to.

99NMB

iTrader: (7)

Thats about typical oil pressure for a LT1 with a stock volume pump. Back when i had my 95 LT1 ta it was about 6-7 psi at idle. the rule is 10 psi per 1000 rpm so you guys are fine with 6-7 psi at idle since your cars idle at 6-700 rpm.

02RedWS6RamAir

iTrader: (2)

Had my oil changed yesterday to dino 10W40....Gauge now read abouts about 16-19 while stopped and idling. BTW I have a Hypertech Programmer with a 160 stat.........

LS6427

iTrader: (2)

No way your engine should be getting that hot. Well over the 210 mark for a very short mild drive, not good. But you need to see what the temp really is compared to the gauge. From what I've seen, you would be around 240* where its sitting in that picture.

My engine can idle all day long and it will never get past the 155 mark on my temp gauge. Which is probably around 170-180 while just idling.

1995blacktattop

iTrader: (2)

i wanted to go 10w40 but they didnt have any..

as for the temp i thought normal operating temp was anything below 230 (where the fans kick on) when im moving my temp is lower.

what would cause the temp to be higher at idle? i'm pretty sure my cooling system is functioning properly since i get heat and when the fans come on the car cools back down to ~ 210 or so

i think my OSU is ok since i put an autozone one on there and the pressure actually got worse since i think that unit was defective. the one on there now is only about a year old.

how many wires go to that osu? i disconnected it this morning and only found 1 tan colored wire

LS6427

iTrader: (2)

Well, it doesn;t take much to get heat. What I;'m saying is, your gauge when reading 230 like it is in the pic, can really be at 250*. You just don;'t know until you get a scan. This could be why your oil is thinning under alot of heat that you aren't aware of.

Maybe your fans aren't coming on in the low and high settings. Maybe they should come on sooner. The only way you get cooled while sitting still is by the fans, thats it. While you're moving, its from the front air dam, via air flow. Fans should not come on unless your going real slow or in stop and go traffic.

-Get a scan for temp.

-Make sure the fans are working properly. (coming on together and low/high settings)

-Definitely should get a 160 t-stat.

Then you can see whats up.

I think your oil pressure is fine. I think its getting crazy thin from heat and dropping the oil pressure. But you have to do those checks.

99SSragtop

LS6427,Here's an exam from the link I gave above. Check the answers I bet you get 1/2 of them wrong.I did.Its very interesting.

Answers to the Oil Final Exam
I feel these were all very difficult questions. You would be doing well to get 10 correct.

1- While starting up your car at 75 F, mid-winter in Florida, which of these synthetic oils provides the least startup resistance, minimal battery and starter motor load?
A- 0W-20
B- 0W-30
C- 0W-40
D- 0W-50
E- They are all exactly the same
The correct answer is A- 0W-20.

2- While vacationing in Orlando, it is 104 F mid-summer in Florida. The rental car company put a straight mineral based 30 weight oil in their car because they wanted the operating temperature viscosity to be at 10 cS. What will be the approximate viscosity of the oil when you start up your engine now?
A- 10 cS
B- 20 cS
C- 30 cS
D- 100 cS
E- 400 cS
The correct answer is D- 100 cS

3- While vacationing in Florida you are able to race your car at the Sebring track. At an oil temperature of 302 F what is the approximate difference in viscosity between a 20 and 40 weight oil. Pick the closest number.
A- 1
B- 10
C- 20
D- 40
E- 400
The correct answer is A- 1

4- Assume there are no losses in the system and your oil pump is truly volume based. Also assume there is no cut off pressure valve and you are using a 40 weight motor oil. If at 1,000 RPM your pressure is 30 and your pump output is 1 (one), what will the pressure and output be at redline, 8,000 RPM?
A- 240 PSI, flow = 8
B- 180 PSI, flow = 8
C- 240 PSI, flow = 4
D- 180 PSI, flow = 4
E- 120 PSI, flow = 8
The correct answer is A- 240 PSI, flow = 8

5- Water can be used as a lubricant.
A- True
B- False
The correct answer is A- True

6- If you increase the pressure in a bearing, all other things being constant, the force of separation between the parts increases.
A- True
B- False
The correct answer is B- False

7- The best weight oil for racing any Ferrari or Lamborghini is a 40 weight multigrade synthetic oil like Mobil One 0W-40.
A- True
B- False
The correct answer is B- False. It can best be determined by driving the car with one type of oil and see what happens.

8- For my Maranello 575 the 0W-20 weight Mobil 1 oil is actually too thick for my driving conditions.
A- True
B- False
The correct answer is A- True

9- The major problem with engine oil is that it thins with increasing temperature.
A- True
B- False
The correct answer is B- False. The problem is thickening when the engine is turned off. With long term use the problem is also thickening.

10- Your 1993 sports car manual states to use an API / SAE SH rated 10W-40 mineral based motor oil. Your engine has only 4,550 miles on the odometer. On your next oil change it would be better to use a SM rated 0W-40 synthetic oil.
A- True
B- False
The correct answer is A- True

11- According to SAE J300 a 0W-30 and a straight 30 weight oil must have a viscosity of between 9.3 and 12.4 centiStokes at operating temperature (212 F).
A- True
B- False
The correct answer is A- True

12- In my list of recommended oils what did I list as the best mineral based motor oil in the 50 weight class?
A- Pennzoil multigrade 20W-50
B- Castrol GTX 20W-50
C- Red Line 15W-50
D- Valvoline Durablend 20W-50
E- No oil was recommended
The correct answer is E- No oil was recommended. They all are too thick at startup for daily use.

13- You are running 5W-40 Shell Helix Ultra fully synthetic motor oil in your Mercedes Benz. You are in a K-Mart shopping center and checked your oil and it is 1 1/2 quarts low. You will need to add one can of oil now. Which of the following is the best choice.
A- Mobil 1 - 0W-40
B- Pennzoil Synthetic 5W-40
C- Red Line Synthetic 5W-40
D- Castrol Syntec 0W-30
E- Shell mineral based 10W-40
The correct answer is E- Shell mineral based 10W-40. You can mix any SM rated oil in there but this is my first choice based on my research.

14- Motor oils that are labeled “for racing only” should not be used for everyday driving because:
A- They do not have detergents
B- They may have harmful levels of some additives
C- They are generally unrated, there is no SJ, SL or SM approval
D- You would have to take your engine apart and clean it periodically
E- All of the above
The correct answer is E- All of the above

15- ASTM stands for:
A- Automotive Standards and Test Methods
B- Automotive Society for Tooling and Machining
C- American Society for Testing and Materials
D- American Standards Trade and Manufacturing
E- Society for American Standard Testing Methods
The correct answer is C- American Society for Testing and Materials

16- If your engine is running too hot at higher RPM one thing you can try to bring the temperature down is to use a thinner oil.
A- True
B- False
The correct answer is A- True

17- Oil with a startup thickness of 100 (at 75 F) that becomes the appropriate thickness of 10 when fully warmed up (212 F) is called a 10W-30 weight motor oil.
A- True
B- False
The correct answer is A- True

18- A main advantage that the synthetic has over the mineral based oil of the same grade is the ability to lubricate better at startup.
A- True
B- False
The correct answer is A- True

19- In ASTM D 4485 3.1.4: Engine oil is defined as - - “a liquid that reduces friction and wear between moving parts within an engine, and also serves as a coolant.”
A- True
B- False
The correct answer is A- True

20- I am (single best answer):
A- Surgeon
B- Biochemist
C- ‘Halfass mechanic
D- Absurdly interested in motor oils
E- All of the above
The correct answer is E- All of the above

LS6427

iTrader: (2)

Oh man, I have no clue about some of that stuff. I just use the oils that have been working for the past 15 years between me and literally hundreds of people I know with badass to stock cars.