0 oil psi at idle
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 42
Likes: 0
From: Wilmington NC
0 oil psi at idle ive got about 1000 miles on my stroker motor, and i was running non synthetic 20w-50 for break in, and i think from the back pressure and the infamous intake manifold leak it kept blowing out the rear seal on the manifold so im using 5w-30 and not having any oil leak problems now.
anyway, now that i switched my oil, when hot my oil psi eventually drops to 0 psi ( where as on 20w-50 it would get down to around 10) and makes my check gauge light come on. when i start my car is have 70-75psi oil pressure and it slowly drops when it warms up at idle. still very high psi anything above idle when the engine is warm but i just wanted some opinions about if i should worry that my gauge is reading 0psi. it kills me looking at it, i hate getting stuck at a stoplight.. and it makes it difficult to hear if there is anything damaging going on because of my cam and exhaust setup, but personally i dont think its hurting anything
on a side note i have heard the factory setup isnt very accurate. and im not using the factory pigtail i have a brass female 90 that threads onto the stem sticking out of the back of the block on one side and the sensor threads onto the other side. thoughts?
anyway, now that i switched my oil, when hot my oil psi eventually drops to 0 psi ( where as on 20w-50 it would get down to around 10) and makes my check gauge light come on. when i start my car is have 70-75psi oil pressure and it slowly drops when it warms up at idle. still very high psi anything above idle when the engine is warm but i just wanted some opinions about if i should worry that my gauge is reading 0psi. it kills me looking at it, i hate getting stuck at a stoplight.. and it makes it difficult to hear if there is anything damaging going on because of my cam and exhaust setup, but personally i dont think its hurting anything
on a side note i have heard the factory setup isnt very accurate. and im not using the factory pigtail i have a brass female 90 that threads onto the stem sticking out of the back of the block on one side and the sensor threads onto the other side. thoughts?
Are you using the OEM gauge on the dashboard? I would pick up a mechanical gauge and verify the readings you're getting on the dash using the auxiliary oil port above the oil filter.
No wonder you are having problems with blowing the Seals out..did you build a Diesel..lol?
IMO that's some pretty damn thick Oil..expecially to use when the tolerances in the Engine are at their tightest.
Last edited by the_merv; Feb 22, 2010 at 11:31 AM.
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There is nothing wrong with using 20W-50 as this is exactly what I used on my motor for years (suggested by my builder) and I now use Synth 15Wx50. The only thing I can think would be a problem is the colder climate in NC as that 20W-50 during the winter would be think as hell. Not a problem for me down here in Houston.
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Teching In
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 42
Likes: 0
From: Wilmington NC
i was having electrical issues and my fans wern't coming on at all, and the 20w-50 seem to help everything run a little cooler. And i have 12.6:1 compression, it just seemed to like it better than the 5w-30. A local guy in my area that runs high 9s in his 383lt1 also reccommended it to me so i listened to him haha
thanks for info guys im gonna get a mechanical gauge soon
thanks for info guys im gonna get a mechanical gauge soon
I agree there is nothing wrong with 20w50. Ask Larry at speed inc. thats what he recomends for all stroker ltx builds... Op put a mechanical guage on it, pretty common for the dash guage to not read right.
