I have a 97 Camaro SS that I just bought, one of the bugs on it that I am trying to work out is, the oil pressure gauge giving me a low oil pressure reading. at idle it is at or just above 0psi when you are driving around you will see it get up to about 15psi. all this happened after the heads had work done to them and reinstalled. The oil pressure sensor has been replaced, and oil can be seen with the vale covers removed. So there is oil pressure. I have read the past post regarding spun and bad bearings I do not feel that is the case here the engine sounds smooth and strong, no knocks or strange noises. I plan on hooking up a gauge to the other port and seeing how it corresponds to the dash gauge.
Any idea as to what else I can try, or have a reason as to why I am getting the low reading.

Thanks
Nick Gill

 

The mechanical gauge you already plan on hooking up is your best bet right now to determine if there is any other issue.

 

remove the oil cooler 1st off..

 

I forgot to mention that the oil cooler IS NOT installed on the car.

 

What did you seal the sensor's threads with? A leaking sensor can cause a low reading. Feel back there with your finger and see if there's any fresh oil.

Thomas.

 

I just put a new one on Sat. with the white thread compound not the tape, that stuff will screw an engine up way to fast. No oil back there. keep the suggestions coming guys.

 

ok I got the gauge on 4psi at idle and 15-20psi at rpm so the gauge in the car is dead on thats not good. had the oil changed as well no metal there so that is good. I am thinking a clogged oil pump, bad oil pump, and choice number three which would not be good at all is bad bearings. where would you all go from here?

 

Pull the pan and see what ya find.

 

**** it! my car has 60psi when its cold but when it warms up its at like at 15-45 while driving around 155,000 miles stock motor and a 150 shot- still strong.

 

Mine has 20psi when its cold and goes down from there I cant leave it this way or something is bound to hit the fan. I am going to be driving it from Daytona back home to Atlanta on Friday and it will go in the shop on Monday.

Any tricks for pulling the pan?

 

Did you install an mechanical oil pressure guage and get that reading? Or are you readin off the stock needle in the cluster? If thats all your gettin try replacin the oil pump. How many miles on the motor? What weight oil you running? try some 20w-50

 

that is the reading off both the mechanical as well as the dash gauge. I had them change the oil there and put in 10W30 128k on motor. I don't wish to use a band aid fix to make it aper the problem is fixed.

May plan as of now is to get the car home on Friday and drop the pan and have a look as the mains replace to oil pump and hope for the best.

If the bearings look bad I will have to pull the motor and have it rebuilt. Anyone have some figure as to what that would run me. For just the lower end. I don't want anything crazy I just want it back stock.

 

how is your intake seal? i think thatsd where im loosing some pressure on both of my LT1's ive got a small leak on both of mine.

 

thats a though seeing as this showed up after the heads were replaced. How would one go about checking that other than replacing the seal? I don't know how that is related to oil pressure though.

 

check the back or front of your intake for oil. id just run your hand around where you cant see. if oil is leaking, wouldnt it cause a loss of pressure?