Hello Guys/Gals,

My name is Lance and i am very proud owner of a 2000 Camaro SS Convertible and a 2000 Trans-Am Ws6. This is my first thread here although i have read and read some more since i have been 20. I am 26 now, Thankyou so much for giving me the know how and providing me with everything i have ever needed. I will post pics soon.

For now i have a problem and am not sure what to do nor can i find an answer for it. I have a medium modified camaro. I have stainless steel headers and a volant on it. For some reason every since i have taken off the OEM air intake the car stays cool but the oil pressure comes down because of over heating. Now that i have installed the headers in this Houston heat the oil pressure is very very low after driving awhile. What can i or should i do? I have SLP switch mod installed for the fans, and a blow back on the radiator. Is this a major problem? What should i do? It goes a lil below 20 and right on 20 at its lowest peak on my oil pressure guage.

 

Verify with a mechanical gauge. Then go from there

 

What is a "blow back"?

It's not unheard of for the older '98-'00 oil pumps to reach readings as low as ~20psi at idle (especially with an auto trans that has lower idle speeds than the M6) in extremely hot conditions with the A/C running (I'm assuming this was with the A/C on). Things like oil weight/type and miles on the engine can also make this more liklely.

Having said that, you mentioned that oil pressure dropped after recent modifications. Are the headers coated? If not, getting them coated would help to reduce underhood temps a little bit.

What were the oil pressure readings under the exact same conditions (outside temp, engine load, run time) prior to these modifications?

And lastly, does it always drop to 20psi once the engine is warmed up, or will it stay higher in cooler weather conditions and with less load (i.e. no A/C) on the engine?

 

A blow back is a fan mounted to the radiator closest to the front end. The oil pressure is always high over 40 when at idle and before the motor gets warm/hot. When its cooler outside it runs cooler so the oil pressure is higher. As far as the headers getting coated. How do i go about that? Where should i go? Exhaust shop or mechanic? Do they have to take the headers out? Thanks alot man~!

Side note: Before the mods with the car completely stock with the origional intake it was fine. But with the lid it was alot cooler.

 

Lots of guys (such as myself) run stainless headers with no noticeable difference in oil pressure due to underhood heat. I would be cautious about doing the job of pulling the headers and having them coated without a little more research.

The only time I've seen my oil pressure drop like that was one day in OKC where I got stuck in stop 'n' go traffic for a half hour in 100* heat with A/C blasting. This was running Castrol GC which is really stout oil.

If I were you, I'd want to verify what my actual coolant and oil temps are when the pressure gets low like that.

What kind of oil are you running?

 

Im running what the stock calls for but the higher end of the spectrum Synthetic. Do you have specific recommendation on the oil and filter? Also i have verified what the temp etc.. is at during these times and everything is more than fine. Without fans on im running below 210 mark at all times.

 

Have you verified oil pressure with mechanical gauge?

 

You mean a "pusher"? Fans are either pullers or pushers. I've never heard the term "blow back" before. The stock fans for these cars were pullers; have you changed that configuration?

So when you currently see ~20psi, what were the oil pressure readings under those exact same conditions (outside temp, engine load, run time) prior to these modifications?

What was cooler? The coolant temps? Did you use a scanner to actually verify this before and after? A lid won't make an engine run hotter.

You may be seeing the early signs of an oil pressure sending unit going bad, or the readings may be a simple result of the oil you're using combined with extreme outside temps, long run times, and/or higher mileage engine (didn't see mileage mentioned yet). Remember, the '98-'00 LS1s didn't get the LS6 pump stock, so they usually see somewhat lower readings than the '01+ LS1s.

 

Do your headers run VERY close to the oil filter (almost touching)??

 

Welcome to the site.....

I don't know how many times people have to be told....((not that you have been told yet)).... To NOT mess with the stock cooling system. If you have a pusher fan and fan switches you're screwing the pooch.

I hope you have the factory fan shroud still in place too. And the factory lower air dam in place.

Both fans must also run TOGETHER at all times in both low and high settings. Or both off. One pusher isn't going to cut it.

QUESTION.....does it overheat in traffic only.....and run cool cruising on the highway...?
If so......you have fan efficiency issues and air flow through the condenser and radiator issues.

.

 

if you mess with things in the engine bay significantly you can alter air flow when the radiator fans are on and when the car is not moving and reduce cooling capability. and when it's hotter outside the worse that becomes. but it sounds like you need to run a heavier oil, don't run 5w30, you should be using a 15w40 or a 20w50 since it sounds like you are in a very hot environment. i can tell you first hand because i have an oil temp gauge if you're running the oem thermostat of 190 degrees your oil temps will be around 180-220F under normal conditions. when you are not moving, heat will build up in the engine bay and increase oil temps. radiator fans under oem settings do not turn to low speed until 226F coolant temp and high speed is 234F. and i've had my oil temp gauge show oil in the pan climb to 250-260 F after idling for 5-10 minutes in traffic and i'm sure summer temperatures in ct are no where near what they are in tx. hotter the oil gets, the lower it's viscosity and the lower the oil pressure will be- so you either need to maintain cooler oil temps somehow or run a higher viscosity oil.