hot oil pressure?
Thread Starter
TECH Veteran
iTrader: (6)
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 4,766
Likes: 0
From: Phoenix, AZ USA
hot oil pressure? New engine.....388 all bore.......5W-30 oil....
I have not run it much (just one full heat up in the garage to check for leaks/noise/etc....) but watched the oil pressure. At idle when its "cold" I'm seeing 34psi (digital oil pressure gauge) but once the engine heats up (oil reaches 180 degrees on a digital oil temp gauge) the pressure drops to 25psi (again....digital gauge). Part of this has got to be from the fact that at 180 my oil thermostat opens up and starts sending oil through the oil cooler (instead of bypassing the cooler). The oil pressure comes up into the high 30s (37-39psi) by 2000 (have not gone past 3000 yet) and I'm getting oil pressure when the starter is cranking (3-4 psi) so I'm confident that the oil pump and O-ring are both good.
To me the idle pressure seems low but I keep seeing that people tend to have mid 20s PSI at idle with loose built larger CI engines. The guy that did the machine work on my engine said 5W is WAY too thin and I need to go up to something thicker (he said he uses 20W-50 which seems thick to me but then again this guy has sent engines into the high 7s/low 8s that run for many years so.....) which I can do as AZ never gets below 50 degrees even on the "coldest" winter night.
Thoughts?
I have not run it much (just one full heat up in the garage to check for leaks/noise/etc....) but watched the oil pressure. At idle when its "cold" I'm seeing 34psi (digital oil pressure gauge) but once the engine heats up (oil reaches 180 degrees on a digital oil temp gauge) the pressure drops to 25psi (again....digital gauge). Part of this has got to be from the fact that at 180 my oil thermostat opens up and starts sending oil through the oil cooler (instead of bypassing the cooler). The oil pressure comes up into the high 30s (37-39psi) by 2000 (have not gone past 3000 yet) and I'm getting oil pressure when the starter is cranking (3-4 psi) so I'm confident that the oil pump and O-ring are both good.
To me the idle pressure seems low but I keep seeing that people tend to have mid 20s PSI at idle with loose built larger CI engines. The guy that did the machine work on my engine said 5W is WAY too thin and I need to go up to something thicker (he said he uses 20W-50 which seems thick to me but then again this guy has sent engines into the high 7s/low 8s that run for many years so.....) which I can do as AZ never gets below 50 degrees even on the "coldest" winter night.
Thoughts?
Thread Starter
TECH Veteran
iTrader: (6)
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 4,766
Likes: 0
From: Phoenix, AZ USA
ttt.......I know its not a topic that has been rehashed 54,732,432 times like "what does the TR224 idle like?" but come on now....somebody must have some input....... 
Bondurant at their Phoenix, AZ track runs 15W-50 in their C5s. I've gotten good oil analysis results on my LS1 with Mobil Delvac-1 5W-40 and Mobil-1 15W-50, but it was mostly road course useage w/ sustained high oil temps.
I'd go with Mobil's new Truck & SUV 5W-40 which should be available at Wal-Mart and whatnot. If not, Mobil-1 0W-40 seems to get good results also.
I'd go with Mobil's new Truck & SUV 5W-40 which should be available at Wal-Mart and whatnot. If not, Mobil-1 0W-40 seems to get good results also.
I believe that Truck and SUV oil IS Delvac1, except its sold in quarts...it carries the same specs per Mobils website. Anyway, with looser tolerances, 5W30 is TOO thin. With looser tolerances, you need thicker oil to keep the pressure up. You should be good using Delvac1 or if you want to use regular oil, try a 15W40 such as Shell RotellaT or Delvac1300, which are a little better at carrying heavy loads vs. a regular motor oil. I noticed very little pressure increase by using M1 0W40 in my stock shortblock...it is a decent amount thicker than 5W30 though.
Trending Topics
I tried 10W30 on my new forged motor, but thats too thin. Non stock motors dont have the same tight clearences as a stock motor. I have to run a 20W50 here. At cold, I see ~70-80 PSI and hot idle is ~40 PSI. Go to a thicker oil.
LS1 Tech Stories
The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them
Pouria Savadkouei
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked
Pouria Savadkouei
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP
Verdad Gallardo
Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes
Verdad Gallardo
Awesome K5 Blazer Restomod Comes With C7 Corvette Power
Verdad Gallardo
10 Camaros You Should Never Buy
10 LS Engine Myths That Refuse to Die
Verdad Gallardo
Originally Posted by CANNIBAL
How thick are you gonna go, 2001CamaroGuy?
I recently changed my oil/filter and changed oil to Castrol 10W-40 (the part synthetic kind), not sure of the name. Well, anyway startup is at about 60psi now and reduces to 40psi at operating temp.
So far that seems to be consistent, have not seen it go lower than 40 psi even out in the 90s+ we're having here in the Houston area!...Randy
Thread Starter
TECH Veteran
iTrader: (6)
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 4,766
Likes: 0
From: Phoenix, AZ USA
Originally Posted by CANNIBAL
How thick are you gonna go, 2001CamaroGuy?
I'm going to try finding a 5W-50. If that won't work then I will just go with the 15W-50.
I've been running Mobil-1 15W-50 since June on my stock shortblock, no complaints here. It's quiet on startup, quiet when I'm thrashing it. I'll be going back to 5W-40 after the racing season is over.
Not sure what oil filter you like, but I'm really happy with Baldwin and generally the plain old Delco PF-whatever.
Not sure what oil filter you like, but I'm really happy with Baldwin and generally the plain old Delco PF-whatever.
Thread Starter
TECH Veteran
iTrader: (6)
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 4,766
Likes: 0
From: Phoenix, AZ USA
I use the Napa Gold (Wix) filters but not an LS1 filter. I have a remote twin filter bracket and run two large Ford truck filters (each holds a quart). With the oil pan (6 quarts), all the lines (~1), the oil cooler (just under 1), and the filters filled (2), my system holds about 9 quarts.
Thread Starter
TECH Veteran
iTrader: (6)
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 4,766
Likes: 0
From: Phoenix, AZ USA
I'll be running a 20W-50 for a while. Its the only thing I can get my hands on local. 
That shouldn't cause any problems as its never below 65 degrees even in the morning (before sun up) out here. Once I get through the first 5K I'll switch over to Mobil 1 15W-50.
That shouldn't cause any problems as its never below 65 degrees even in the morning (before sun up) out here. Once I get through the first 5K I'll switch over to Mobil 1 15W-50.
Originally Posted by 2001CamaroGuy
I use the Napa Gold (Wix) filters but not an LS1 filter. I have a remote twin filter bracket and run two large Ford truck filters (each holds a quart). With the oil pan (6 quarts), all the lines (~1), the oil cooler (just under 1), and the filters filled (2), my system holds about 9 quarts.
Thread Starter
TECH Veteran
iTrader: (6)
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 4,766
Likes: 0
From: Phoenix, AZ USA
Originally Posted by CANNIBAL
Are you gonna run a 20W-50 synthetic or conventional oil?
Thread Starter
TECH Veteran
iTrader: (6)
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 4,766
Likes: 0
From: Phoenix, AZ USA
Originally Posted by CANNIBAL
How did you construct that cooler? Could you give me a parts list? That sounds bad ***, that setup.
https://ls1tech.com/forums/showthrea...ght=oil+cooler