archertp

Just picked up a 2002 Camaro SS with low miles (18k). This is our first 4th gen Camaro (my wife had a 3rd gen before). We drove it on Saturday for the first time and I noticed that the oil pressure was just shy of the 60psi hash on the gauge. It gradually went up from there based on the rpms and speed. It eventually got up to 80psi but that was when we were moving pretty fast (roughly 3000rpm in 5th gear.

I am a Cummins diesel guy...I don't know squat about these LS1 engines. The car drove awesome and sounds awesome (it has a 6-speed manual and the 335hp SLP exhaust). These oil pressures seem high to me but coming on this forum to see what y'all have to say.

I will say that the car did come from up north so maybe there is different oil in it then what we use in Texas, and the car did not get driven a whole lot so maybe it needs a new oil filter. Again, just looking to get some feedback.

Thanks in advance.

Finkledbody

Welcome to the forum!

Sounds like you got a nice low mile fbody. 80psi @ 3000rpms sounds a little high but the gauge might be off. You can check that with most OBD2 readers.

Got any pics?

archertp

10-4, I'll check it out. Car drove great, just made me nervous being that the gauge goes to 80 and it got up to that.

Car has the 335hp dual dual exhaust and the Bilstein suspension. First Camaro, heck, first sports car I've ever owned so it's all new to me.

What oil do you recommend for it being in Texas with low miles?

'02 Camaro Z28 SS

01CamaroSSTx

iTrader: (3)

80 psi would be alarming to me and give me the impression of possibly too tight of a clearance but the first question that comes to mind is what weight oil and filter are you running?

Run full synthetic 5W30 with a WIX or K&N and see what happens.

383z

iTrader: (2)

Nice car!!
Yes, that's high.
Change your oil and filter as suggested.
What part of Texas are you from? I'm in Houston.

archertp

Thanks. I will change them asap. Hope that fixes it. We live near Katy, where you at?

01CamaroSSTx

iTrader: (3)

Very clean car indeed!

I really like the C5 wheels on these cars but my favorite so far has been the Bogart D10's

Finkledbody

I'd change it out with 5w-30 Mobil 1, Pennzoil, or Amsoil. Any of the major oil companies will work.
I only buy Napa Platinum filters because of availability. They are made by Wix which is well known for being the best.

archertp

Been looking for a low-mile red SS with tan leather interior for awhile. This is first one that I found that had the ZR1 wheels factory option from SLP (on the door jamb sticker). I love the clean look of them. Heck that probably was the tipping point of the deal.

383z

iTrader: (2)

Every car guy lives out in Katy, Conroe, or the Woodlands that's in the Greater Houston area. Lol I'm all the way down here in Clear Lake.

01CamaroSSTx is out in that area too. I was talking to him about buy a pair of his heads before we realized they wouldn't fit my LS3. He seems like a cool guy.

Have you changed your oil yet?
I would suggest full synthetic Mobil 1 oil, because it's great stuff and you can find it anywhere. If it's good enough for high end Mercedes-Benz cars and other high end cars from the factory it's good enough for our F-bodies. If your going to race and beat on your car go with Amsoil that was suggest. It's better, but a little bit more challenging to get.

I would also suggest the K&N oil filter which is the Mobil 1 oil filter rebranded, BUT the K&N oil filter has a 1inch nut on the bottom of the filter which makes changing out your filter yourself A LOT easier.

ffjosh

FWIW my friends 5.3 had the same issue so we put a new oil sender in it and it fixed his issue.

I'd put a ob2 scanner on it and check.

5.7stroker

iTrader: (36)

Mobil 1 synthetic from walmart with Wix filter from NAPA is excellent advice. Sometimes I do that, sometimes I do amsoil. All depends on how lazy I am at the time.

RevGTO

iTrader: (12)

If you're going to go with Mobil 1, use the 0W-40 Eurospec oil. This has been shown to be superior to the 5W-30 for our LS1's throughout the years.

archertp

Anyone use Royal Purple oil on theirs? That's all I use on my Ram Cummins and on my Expedition hunting truck. Just curious.

Figure we'll do oil, oil filter, coolant, brake fluid, power steering fluid, rear diff oil, and change air filter just to have a clean start. Is that $70 K&N air filter worth the extra money?

01CamaroSSTx

iTrader: (3)

The K&N will allow for better air flow so yes. I've ran Mobile 1 and Royal Purple in the 5.7 until it finally threw a rod trashing my block. It wasn't the oil that failed it was my lack of funds and neglect. The clutch went out and the car sat for a few years outside in the elements without ever being started. Take it from me don't ever do that! When I tore the engine apart the No.6 rod was broke in half and the piston was stuck on the hole. I'm thinking the cylinder sleeve and piston rings had gotten really rusted and when I finally got it back up and running it was stressing the rod to move the piston up and down in the cylinder and as a result the rod finally gave. When it comes to oils I think Amsoil and Redline are probably some of the best oils out there but high zinc oils are not recommended for use on cars with a catalyst.

383z I still have those TSP PRC heads. Someone I trusted to work on the heads had taken the Manley LS7 titanium intake valves and replaced them with some hollow stem LS3 valves causing those guides to fail. I didn't trust any of the valves that SOB put in there and have since replaced all of them. I have them posted on Craigslist in Houston and I don't really want to sell them but I'm trying to get some funds together for a MWC FAB 9 that's going in my 99 Camaro strip car that I was hoping to be drag racing by this summer. Not gonna happen!

ghardester

I ran K&N air filters for years but went back to paper. Your choice, but unless you have had experience with oiled cotton filters there is a tendency to over-oil them after cleaning, and this can cause oil to be pulled from the filter and onto the MAF sensor. When you first take a K&N filter out of the box new, it has a nice even orange color to it. The little amount of oil applied at the factory has had time to migrate throughout the filter. The first time that you wash and clean the filter you can have a tendency to spray too much oil on so be careful. Don't just spray the **** out of the filter to get that nice even orange.

01CamaroSSTx

iTrader: (3)

I've never sprayed oil on the K&N filter. I just keep it cleaned with compressed air and occasionally use MAF cleaner to keep the MAf cleaned.

Finkledbody

Royal Purple is good too.

I use to run the K&N air filter but now I run paper filters. The K&N might make 1-2hp but will allow more particulates into the engine and oiling from the filter tends to be a problem.

Coolant flush can be good, just don't use Dexcool

People tend to forgot brake fluid flushes. I'm a firm believer, do it.

Rear diff never hurts.

Power steering, does it smell burned? its probably fine.

archertp

Don't use Dexcool coolant flush or Dexcool coolant?

For the rear diff...the codes on the door are GU6 and G80...axle ratio of 3.42 with positraction, limited slip. I called SLP and had them run the VIN; they told me that the car has the Torsen or Torsion rear axle...not sure what that means and no explanation given...she just said "its not the Auburn"...??? I was originally just going to put Royal Purple MAXGEAR 75W-90 in the rear diff, but after some reading I am seriously confused. Guys talking about synthetics vs conventional plus an additive...any help here would be greatly appreciated.

RevGTO

iTrader: (12)

The Auburn rear was an option on the SLP modified cars. The carrier has clutches, so the additive is used to control chattering when cornering. You have the standard Torsen which doesn't require the additive. So use anything that meets factory spec, 75-90 synthetic.