Oil Pressure Q's
 

well my car is acting a little funny oil pressure-wise. basically it's bleeding down somewhat at WOT in the last couple hundred rpms, went from 70psi to like 60psi. I didn't really notice this problem until after I had developed a bad oil leak (smoke coming from under car at WOT, oil all over tc inspection cover, tranny pan, passanger side header and passanger side exhaust) also the car will smell like burnt oil immediately after a WOT pull. I was wondering if an oil leak at a high pressure point could cause a bleed down in pressure or any irregularities like pressure bouncing around somewhat at idle and cruising.

also I've yet to ever try a mechanical gauge out and was wondering exactly where you would hook it up. thanks reading.

Check the dip stick to make sure its seated right. Could also be the rear of the valve cover, intake or rear main. But Im thinking dip stick since its happened to me b4 just like you described

so you're saying a leak has caused a pressure flucuation for you in the past?

This is just likely the oil pressure relief spring in the oil pump. It is opening and allowing more oil to go into the pan rather than into the motor so that it doenst get over-pressurized. My stock Z28 did that. It would go from 60 to 50 after 5500 RPMs. I can't explain the leak though other than the possibility of the rear main being blown out, but that's unlikely.

yes my car would get tons of smoke only at WOT and the pressure would drop a bit. It ended up being the dip stick wasnt seated all the way and at high rpms it would blow oil out the block. Easy thing to check/fix if it is indeed the dip stick.

My recent JEGS catalog shows a dip stick designed to prevent it from blowing out. Just a thought.

If the oil is, in fact, being blown out of the dip stick tube, high crankcase pressure, resulting from blow-by, is the culprit.

Jake

West Point ROCKS! Nation's TOP COLLEGE per Forbes Magazine!

well I just figured it was a hell of a coincidence because I didn't notice this problem until after I started having oil leak problems

any more opinions, I'm gonna prolly start looking at it tommorow