I've done a few searches and everyone's scenario is different... here is the original thread I made at cz28.com

http://camaroz28.com/forums/showthread.php?t=603209

and for anyone that can't read it then here's my initial post...

Alright a friend from work and I got done with the heads and cam swap today. I have 5.3L heads, torquer v.2 cam, 92 mm FAST intake and 92 mm throttle body with pacesetter longtubes. No exhaust yet, but that will go on tomorrow at a shop in town. (Didn't think I would love the open headers like i did ) Anyway, its a pretty rough ride, but better than we both had expected.

The car starts right up and starts to idle, just a little high, then fluctuates a few hundred rpm up and down around the 1100 mark. This I believe is normal, but the oil pressure is lower than I expected. There's a million and one threads that i've searched and all the scenarios seem different, but here's mine...

At first start up, pressure was in the 30 psi range and stayed pretty constant, fluctuating up/down a little with the idle. At cruising, pressure is around 40, which I believe again is pretty normal. The Check Gages light came on three times on the way home, because of low pressure. Each time was at a stoplight just getting started rolling again. The rpms didn't go below 600 or so, which I know is low but the engine isn't tuned yet and its my first time so it wasn't normal driving, but the oil pressure is really stumping me. Oil hasn't been changed yet, and I've seen a few people say that once the oil has been changed and filter replaced, pressure returns to normal. (because of graphite and whatnot from the original gaskets getting into the oil) I got the h/c package from TSP, along with a double roller timing chain, unnecessary but i don't know my future plans for it yet, as well as a ported pump. Does this stuff seem alright to everyone? Has anyone had similar issues?

Thanks





So what I'm leaning towards doing first is checking the o-ring at the pickup, but I may need to replace it so I need a part number; if anyone can get that to me or some other suggestions then that would be great... thanks!

 

how sure are you that the pickup tube o-ring got seated properly? That would be my first guess.

 

As stated for sure start with O-ring. Did the cam slip in easily? I hate to bring this up but any chance you nicked a cam bearing?

 

Mine kinda does the same thing. I was just fixin to start a thread about this. When I first start my car oil pressure is fine about 50 psi at idle. After warm it fluctuates around and usually ends up around 20 psi at idle. If I go WOT throttle it will go up to about 60 and then it drops back to 20. I thought it was the oil pump o-ring too but I just swapped it (the old one looked fine) and made sure I got it in right this time and its still doing it. The same way it was. I'm begining to think its the oil pump. I don't know what else it could be. Anybody got any ideas? Not trying to Hijack the thread but it seams we're in a similar situation.
OP what oil pump are you running?
I did my cam swap back in December and have changed the oil twice since then so that's not helping. I'm hooking up a 150 shot on the car but I don't want to spray it until I get this worked out. Any and all suggestions are welcome. I really don't think its the o-ring though.

 

Thanks guys; the cam went in pretty well, less than a couple minutes for that part...I talked to the guy that helped me (or actually that I helped out a litttttle haha) and he said that the o-ring would be a good place to start too. He's done the cam/head swap on several cars, so i wouldn't think he wouldn't know how to put the cam in, but I've been wrong before lol.

rocksws6...I have a ported ls6 pump that came with the package from Texas Speed. Others with the same set up and pump are claiming like 60-70 psi gahhh.

 

i am havin the same problem.. but mine is with my new motor... im about to put in a new ported oil pump and get a new o- ring and was wondering what else i could check out while i had it all torn apart!!

i will keep y'all posted on how mine tunrs out!!

 

Did you have to use shims between the oil pump and block for the double roller chain? Because that can make it a bit tough to get the o-ring in there properly. The part number is 12557752.

 

Wow- I am experiencing this, too- put in a ZO6 cam I got cheaply, with the GM springs for it- it was suggested while doing this, I freshen the timing chain and oil pump; the motor was right at 100 k mi- did all that, and I have the same issue- at idle, when hot, the oil pressure drops so low the "check gages" light comes on- I know it really is too low, because if it sits there like that for 15 or 20 seconds, you can hear everything start to tick and clatter- so, I have to put it in nuetral at lights, and blip the gas-

I *thought* a tune would fix it, specifically asked the tuner to bump the idle up- he was hesitant to do it very much, only another 50 RPMs- I was wondering if the oil was low, maybe wrong on the dipstick, so, when I changed the oil, I over-filled it with an extra quart-

I thought I would have a new LS6 oil pump, plenty of pressure, but I don't know what is going on- if anyone has a clue, let me know! With just the cam, lid, and a Borla cat back I was at 323 RWHP, 346 tq- the tuner said A/F was almost perfect, but he bumped the timing up for 332 RWHP- not bad for a mild factory cam, but this oil pressure is making me crazy-

 

if you nick a cam bearing it can cause a drop in pressure, but ti would need to be a pretty bad nick.

 

I think its the oil pump. I think there is something wrong with the pickup tube port to where the o-ring is not sealing completely. Like I said when I took out the old o-ring there was nothing wrong with it. Made sure and got the new one in right same freakin thing. I'm trying to spray this damn thing and this is messing me up.

 

I ran into the same problem when we did an LS1 swap into an 04' 4.8L truck. Not that it matters but, there is two different o'rings between the car and the truck pickup tube. Yours should have been red. There is three things to check..Pickup tube, timing chain spacers(if using double row), and your cam retaining plate...You should have plenty of psi. I would personally steer away from ANY ported oil pump due to failure issues, and instead go with a Hi volume like a Melling.

 

did you change your oil on the initial start up? if not there is a good chance you got some anti freeze in there and that won't build pressure and isn't very good on bearings. just a thought

 

to be completely honest, i have no idea what shimming the pump means. lol this was my first time with this kind of job...the process went like this as far as I can remember:

get cam in, install timing chain gears (both crank and cam) with the chain on, tighten, put on oil pump, used feeler gauges to check and there was plenty of clearance, we turned it over by hand since the plugs were still out and there was no sort of grinding sounds...

enlighten me on what shimming is, how to do it, and what it does.

 

yes, we put in 6 qts of mobil 1 synthetic 5w-30

 

soo rocksws6, d'scamaro, and wild *****....whoever finds out first needs to POST!! haha i'll buy you a dr pepper. the (much more knowledgeable than myself) technician that helped me with the head/cam swap is going to take a look at it this weekend as I will be out of town, but whenever I hear back from him and get back from the virginia wilderness i'll be sure to post what the problem was.......IF its fixed.

 

I'm going to change the oil pump in mine. Probably be next weekend but will post up my findings when I get it done. Good luck.

 

Yeah, I'm waiting to see what you find out- sort of resigned that I will have to pull the cover and water pump off, and see what's going on-

Three possibilities: the "O"-ring, shims on the timing chain ( we used the LS2 timing chain, I think the LS1 is discontinued) or the cam retaining plate? It probably runs at 50 PSI, +/- at highway speeds, but, when the oil is warm, at idle it will drop right down to nothing- got to get in there and get it fixed- it is a real pain to drive in stop-and-go traffic-

Keep us posted!

 

Souuuunds like me. My buddy called yesterday and said he'd probably get to it this weekend...sadly, I won't be there to remove all the crap and put it back on, but I have faith in him haha

 

dang, you have a nice buddy

 

welll, buddy has a nice wad of bills from helping me in the first place

and excellent customer service skills in wanting to get the job done right



and most importantly, nothing to do this weekend lol