Just purchased a 95 z28. I noticed milky oil while checking the car and only purchased cause i got the car dirt cheap. I flushed engine oil and coolant system. I no longer have the milky oil and it doesn't seem to be mixing but now i have very low oil pressure. After warming up the oil pressure almost bottoms out in the red. Someone suggested i have a bearing problem. Is there any way to verify this or any other possible cause?

 

Verify that your low oil pressure is actually low oil pressure by using a mechanical gauge. However given your explanation of the condition of the oil I would lean more towards it being time for a rebuild.

Oil is a lubricant, coolant is not. Once coolant displaces the oil in the bearing surfaces you've got metal on metal contact. This will destroy the bearings in a hurry. Sounds like the car wasn't very well taken care of.

 

The real question is if it stays that low while under load. It should shoot up once revved up.

Mine sits just below the quarter mark when warm and idling, about half mark while driving.

 

What he said ^^^^^^^^ Hopefully all is well and its just a funky pressure sensor reading. Crap and gunk can build up on it if the veh was nvr maintained on time. How many miles are on it? If your getting no noises from the bottom end of the motor and its running well just drive it till it starts giving out. Like you said you got it dirt cheap. A rule of thumb is 10psi of pressure for every 1000rpms... A GM rep told me once a Lt1 can last just fine with half that. So that's 5 psi for every 1000rpms. Nvr seen a engine run that low even at idle. So if you got say 5psi at idle, thats within standards. Ppl tend to get crazy with oil psi and engine temps. Everybody forgets what normal operating levels are we focus on pure performace

 

Thanks for the help guys. Well I drove car today and after car warmed up oil pressure did drop again at idle, but it rose again after acceleration. Got a little frustrated and decided i was park the car and have a rebuild. I got a little throttle happy. Car has great power but now the car is making a ticking noise at higher rpms. It sounds like a lifter but louder. So I'm thinking just rebuild and be done with it and at least I'll know what I have.

 

Any suggesting on a driveable setup that gets great power but want have me dumping my pay check at the gas station for a little weekend fun.

 

got my fresh 355 in and love it. Very fun to drive

 

How much money do you plan on spending on the rebuild? Any room for mods? It would be a nice time to put a CC503 or LT4 Hot cam in it for some decent power gains. I recommend the CC503. However, it will need upgraded springs, rockers, and PCM reprogram too. To get full benefits of the cam, it will need headers too. I ran stock exhaust manifolds with the 503 for a while. The cam/roller rockers dropped my 1/8 times 0.3 tenths. Adding the Kooks long tubes got me another 0.4 tenths. The stock exhaust manifolds where choking things quite a bit.

What mods does the car already have? Create yourself a signature with some of the car's specs.