LT1 Running... Kinda
LT1 Running... Kinda A quick summary of where I'm at...
I bought a 97 Trans Am over a year ago because the "mechanic" said it had a thrown rod after his brother ran it off the road. Well it turned out to be a broken flexplate. So I replaced it and figured since the car had sat for at least two years before I bought it, I decided to replace all the fluids except the brake fluid. I also replaced the thermostat while I was changing the antifreeze and a new tranny filter while I had the tranny down.
Now on to the fun...
I finally started the car a few nights ago and it had some random misfire codes "P0300" and the SES light started flashing and the "check gauges" light came on. I looked at the gauges and it was reading 0 oil pressure. I turned the car off and found the oil pressure sending unit was broken and replaced it last night. I let it idle on the driveway for a good 5 minutes prior to attempting to drive it and I was surprised that it shifts fine. But It still has the misfire codes and feels like it's running on 6 cylinders. Plus my oil pressure is only reading 10 psi or so until you rev it up to 1800 rpm's and then it's only 20 or so but the check gauges light goes back out. he car has 86k on it and has the original plugs and wires on it so I'm thinking about starting there and trying to siphon out the 3/4 tank of OLD gas and put some fresh in it. But I'm at a loss as to why the oil pressure is so low. Is it from the misfires and not running on all 8? Any advice? I'm used to LS1's and poking in the dark.
I bought a 97 Trans Am over a year ago because the "mechanic" said it had a thrown rod after his brother ran it off the road. Well it turned out to be a broken flexplate. So I replaced it and figured since the car had sat for at least two years before I bought it, I decided to replace all the fluids except the brake fluid. I also replaced the thermostat while I was changing the antifreeze and a new tranny filter while I had the tranny down.
Now on to the fun...
I finally started the car a few nights ago and it had some random misfire codes "P0300" and the SES light started flashing and the "check gauges" light came on. I looked at the gauges and it was reading 0 oil pressure. I turned the car off and found the oil pressure sending unit was broken and replaced it last night. I let it idle on the driveway for a good 5 minutes prior to attempting to drive it and I was surprised that it shifts fine. But It still has the misfire codes and feels like it's running on 6 cylinders. Plus my oil pressure is only reading 10 psi or so until you rev it up to 1800 rpm's and then it's only 20 or so but the check gauges light goes back out. he car has 86k on it and has the original plugs and wires on it so I'm thinking about starting there and trying to siphon out the 3/4 tank of OLD gas and put some fresh in it. But I'm at a loss as to why the oil pressure is so low. Is it from the misfires and not running on all 8? Any advice? I'm used to LS1's and poking in the dark.
TECH Addict
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 2,012
Likes: 0
From: Tulsa, OK
Sounds like it's time for rings and bearings at a minimum. That engine is pretty beat up. Low oil pressure comes from excessive bearing clearances. The fact that it's missing has no effect on oil pressure at all.
Could the pickup tube have come off? The car went into the ditch hard enough to break the front wheel and move the front A-arm all the way back in the adjustment holes but was running fine before the impact and had great oil pressure. I"m sure bearings and rings could help, but I wouldn't think they would go bad from sitting for years would they?
