LT1-LT4 Modifications 1993-97 Gen II Small Block V8

oil pressure slowly dropping??

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Old Feb 13, 2008 | 11:49 PM
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Default oil pressure slowly dropping??

Last summer I installed a LT4 hot cam in my 94 Z which at that time it had 50 psi of oil pres. while running down the highway. After the install my oil pres. is going south. Not fast but it's going. I run a mechanical gauge and the car has 162k miles on it but doesn't feel like it. Right now highway speeds my pres. is around 28 but at idle it drops to around 12-14 psi. Big difference from 50 psi. I have been reading alot of topics and I'm wondering if I could get away putting in a new oil pump (Melling Select) with a white spring? I don't have cash for a rebuild right now so I'm very concerned.........
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Old Feb 14, 2008 | 12:41 AM
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Any ideas?? I've wrote about this a couple of times and for some reason no one responsed?????
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Old Feb 14, 2008 | 01:22 AM
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Well the oil pressure is going south probably due to sloppy tolerances in your engine and a high pressure pump and thicker oil well help but its really like putting a band-aid on a broken leg.
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Old Feb 14, 2008 | 03:24 AM
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I have the same problem but the difference is when i slow down after idle the pressure drops to the bottom stays for 2 seconds then gets back up
i have the cc305 cam.but the car feels strong at full throtle.
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Old Feb 14, 2008 | 04:20 AM
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I am going to say this and it might come off like a dick head thing to say but I think it has to be said . If you have over a 100k on a stock engine and your throwing speed parts in it and beating the hell out of your car then it is going to have problems like low oil pressure at idle or whatever because you are putting a lot of strain on old worn out bearings and internal parts . But with that said I dont know these cars first hand or there drivers and these are just IMO so take it as that.
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Old Feb 14, 2008 | 01:45 PM
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Originally Posted by mtperformance
I am going to say this and it might come off like a dick head thing to say but I think it has to be said . If you have over a 100k on a stock engine and your throwing speed parts in it and beating the hell out of your car then it is going to have problems like low oil pressure at idle or whatever because you are putting a lot of strain on old worn out bearings and internal parts . But with that said I dont know these cars first hand or there drivers and these are just IMO so take it as that.
Hey appreciate it that's why I come here. I will tell you that before I decided to install a cam I read alot of testimonies where these LT1s can go over 200k so I did a compression test which was perfect and at the time my oil pres. was like I said hovering around 50 or so. I'm 40 yrs old and don't race the car or do I beat on it, I'm actually easy on it I just love the way it sounds. Don't get me wrong I do get on it from time to time but I'm not taking it up to 6500 rpm either. I'm just very concerned about how low it's going and don't want to spin a bearing.
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Old Feb 14, 2008 | 04:20 PM
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u might want o change to a higher flow filter next oil change, k&n, mobil 1, amsoil, or ac delco. might help, ive heard issues with fram and other aftermarket companies.
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Old Feb 14, 2008 | 05:14 PM
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did you do the install, or someone else. kinda bugs me being that it is losing oil psi... did you install new cam bearings or anything else? just wondering if they got knicked or something
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Old Feb 14, 2008 | 08:59 PM
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Originally Posted by SLawson86
did you do the install, or someone else. kinda bugs me being that it is losing oil psi... did you install new cam bearings or anything else? just wondering if they got knicked or something
No I did the install and a bitch it was. I installed it from underneath because I did not want to break the condenser lines loose so I did kinda bounced around around getting it in. I was told that cam bearings (if nicked) could cause you to loose pressure. Don't know if it is true or not. Can you even change cam bearing with the engine in the car?? Never done it and don't know how???
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Old Feb 14, 2008 | 09:06 PM
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yeah it can cause low oil psi, if the bearing is dented or knicked it acts like it opens tolerance more. but i mean, it has to be gouged pretty bad, one scratch wouldnt cause low psi. where is your gauge hooked in, and have you verified it is a good gauge?
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Old Feb 15, 2008 | 12:32 AM
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The gauge is good it's a Auto Meter Phantom II mechanical and it's tapped directly above the oil filter. I do know whenever I change my oil the pressure is back up where it should be but this time it dropped shortly after I changed it and I still have 1000 miles to go before it's changed again.

Like I said I bounced around pretty good getting the cam in, laying upside down to install a cam through off my coridnation. I wished I now would have just broke the ac lines loose and installed it the right way.

What do you think I can do to get away with for awhile? Or do you think it's just a matter of time???
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Old Feb 15, 2008 | 05:07 PM
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i really couldnt tell ya, my current engine is losing psi also, but i am gathering parts and in process of building a new one now, my suggestion is do the same. patchwork is NOT the way to go, ends up wasting money and time.
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