Lost oil pressure
#1
Lost oil pressure
I was going down the highway running around 75 MPH and my friend was in his car beside me we decided to race, I have a 1991 Z28 305 and i lost power and oil pressure but i am not leaking oil and not burning any that we can tell.,...does anyone have any idseas on what i should replace? I usually run about 32 - 35 lbs oil pressure normally now its down to 18 when idling...will it be ok for me to go ahead and drive as well?
#2
Don't drive it untill you know whats wrong. How far did you drive with no pressure?
Its one of two things, you actually lost oil pressure, or your sending unit (or a connection) is bad.
I'm not sure how to determine which, I will leave that to someone else. If you drive with no oil pressure, its almost the same as driving with no oil in the car, its very very bad (unless you want your motor to seize for some reason).
Its one of two things, you actually lost oil pressure, or your sending unit (or a connection) is bad.
I'm not sure how to determine which, I will leave that to someone else. If you drive with no oil pressure, its almost the same as driving with no oil in the car, its very very bad (unless you want your motor to seize for some reason).
#3
Re: Lost oil pressure
Originally posted by RELLIK
I was going down the highway running around 75 MPH and my friend was in his car beside me we decided to race, I have a 1991 Z28 305 and i lost power and oil pressure but i am not leaking oil and not burning any that we can tell.,...does anyone have any idseas on what i should replace? I usually run about 32 - 35 lbs oil pressure normally now its down to 18 when idling...will it be ok for me to go ahead and drive as well?
I was going down the highway running around 75 MPH and my friend was in his car beside me we decided to race, I have a 1991 Z28 305 and i lost power and oil pressure but i am not leaking oil and not burning any that we can tell.,...does anyone have any idseas on what i should replace? I usually run about 32 - 35 lbs oil pressure normally now its down to 18 when idling...will it be ok for me to go ahead and drive as well?
How is the oil pressure when cold? If it is fine cold but drops when the oil warms up, the pickup may have shifted towards the bottom of the pan and the suction, when applied to warm oil can pull it into vapor (it "boils" under the heat and vacuum) and that would be another possiblity.
However, I am guessing that it is more likley that the pickup fell off than the chance that it simply fell down. They are in there pretty tight.
Or, dirt stuck the bypass valve in the oil pump in a slightly released position.
There are many reasons, those are a few of them. I'm sure there will be others.
I'd make sure it is full of oil and that there is no oil in the coolant and no coolant in the oil and go from there.
Good luck!
#8
revs...
when its cold i hold normal pressure when it warms up now im losing pressure....it is full on oil and when it warms up the pressure will raise with a few revs to about 20 - 25 tops driving at 40 MPH it stays at about 20 PSI unitl i stop then it drops back to around 18 or a little lower ... it is a tuned port injected 305
#11
I agree that a mechanical gauge will verify the actual oil pressure and eliminate a bad sending unit or faulty gauge. However, he didn't say 0 oil pressure, he said it is lower than it used to be.
Stick a mechanical gauge on it and see what it reads and we'll go from there.
Stick a mechanical gauge on it and see what it reads and we'll go from there.
#12
My bad. Get a gauge on it anyways. That way you know for certain if it is low or not. If your pump has to be removed, tack weld the pickup tube onto it so you know it will not fall of again.
18 psi is really low. Mine idles at 30 psi. If it was truely that low, either the pump is faulty or the bearings might be shot.
18 psi is really low. Mine idles at 30 psi. If it was truely that low, either the pump is faulty or the bearings might be shot.
#13
The 1991 and 1992 models ran a standard pressure/standard volume pump, normal is only 32@2000+, while earlier models like mine ran 55psi@2000+, if you end up replacing the pump get one for a pre-'91 "Z28"...
Things that can lower oil pressure:
1)high volume filter..like Duetch(sp?)
2)engine wear...if with new oil it drops off badly after warm up.
3)cheap oil or dirty worn out oil.
4)worn oil pump, large clearances..
*Remember tho, it only requires 10psi/ 1,000 rpm to survive..and some say only 30psi max is enough for a daily, but for abusive driving I prefer a "pre-1991 Z28 oil pump"...
Things that can lower oil pressure:
1)high volume filter..like Duetch(sp?)
2)engine wear...if with new oil it drops off badly after warm up.
3)cheap oil or dirty worn out oil.
4)worn oil pump, large clearances..
*Remember tho, it only requires 10psi/ 1,000 rpm to survive..and some say only 30psi max is enough for a daily, but for abusive driving I prefer a "pre-1991 Z28 oil pump"...
Last edited by 90rocz; 04-25-2004 at 10:44 AM.
#15
i have aftermarket mechanical guages mountes to my dash, I did however replace my oil with cheaper oil this last oil change but I will be sure to check my pick up tube and replace the oil with some that is better can anyone suggest a better oil then Penzoil 10 W30?