I was wondering how i am supposed to read the oil pressure guage. What is a good range, it fluctuated a lot depending on how long it's been running and throttle. What should it be. A friend looking at another camaro told me the oil pressure wasn't as high as mine, i dont know how he knew this becaus e dont even pay much attention to it., basically is stays near the middle but fluctuates a lot. It doesnt burn or evaporate oil so im good there. I also change the oil and filter at a normal basis as needed.

 

I'm wondering this too, I changed my oil to synthetic and now at a cold idle it runs at 60-70 PSI, which I don't think is very good. I think I put too much (4 quarts) oil in, and the engine sounds like it is knocking when I get around 4k rpm. Probably the crank slapping the extra oil. It was my first time changing oil so sue me

 

Mine sits a little above 20 at idle (once warmed up) cold it's around 40-50. 4 Quarts of Oil is NOT ENOUGH . I think if you have a stock oil filter (non oversized) then you need 5 quarts. I put around 5.5 in mine because i have a oversized oil filter. You really need to put an extra quart in yours your probably damaging your engine that's why it sounds wierd at 4 thousand, you most defintly didn't overfill it.

 

If I need more oil would the oil pressure be higher or lower? I'm not good at reading the dipstick, should there be a thin film of oil past the operating range part and then I read where the thick part of oil stops? If so, it says I'm right in the middle of the range

I apologize in advance for being so dumb

 

If you only put 4 quarts in you defintly need to put more in. The stock oil pan holds 5 quarts. I don't know how more/less oil affects oil pressure i'm sure somone else can answer that but you defintly need more.

And don't apoligize for not knowing something, atleast now you won't run your car around anymore with not enough oil. That's what these forums are for, helping each other out and learning how to work on your car. If your ever doing maintenace on your car search around the forums and you'll find a lot of useful information and it'll keep you from messing up something or having to do something twice.

 

Fully warmed up im barely over the first notch on the oil gauge at idle. Id say 21 PSI. Never goes below that for me. If its cold and i goose the throttle a lil ive seen as high as 70-75 Im hoping the 21PSI at idle means i have descent bearings still as i would like a huge lumpy cam installed this summer. 113K and running strong with good oil press and NO oil being burnt. God i love LT1's!

 

My car warmed up runs between 25 and 22 psi. When i driven normally I'm between 70-50 psi. Flooring it i'm at approx. 75 psi. My car has 156,XXX miles.

 

It sounds like mine is fairly normal, like most of yours. So a lot lower than 20 at idle or a lot higher than 70 wot are probably bad.

 

Mine is 18-20 psi at warm idle, 40 at cold idle and 45-50 at WOT. It has 83,000 miles those numbers are with 10w-40.