ok, resurrecting an old topic...

Been so busy just got around to working on the car. OK, I hooked up a manual oil pressure guage and it reads exactly the same as the one in the car, so I assume this means the sending unit and the oil guage are working fine. I pulled my driver side valve cover to see if oil was actually flowing. It is, however, I can't remember how much should be flowing out of the oil passages... right now it is pooling up right around the locking nut area where the depression is. But it's not shooting up and over the entire rocker. Should it be flowing more at idle? I'll wiat for some responses before assuming i just need to get to work on the oil pump itself. Any links for a good write-up on the oil pump process? I read somewhere i have to drop the whole front suspension???

 

Sorry, I didn't re read all the previous posts, but what did your manual guage read? But if you say you have good oil pressure, then I would think your oil pump is fine. The only way I know to verify your pump besides the manual guage is to inspect the pump. PIA.

With the manual guage on it, if you rev the rpms up a bit, maybee 2500-3000 rpm's, does your gauge needle cavitate or flutter, like it wants to go higher, but is stuck, but flutters back n forth? Mine did this, and I hadn't spun a main bearing, but my #4 main, all the babbit was missing out of the middle of the lower half of the bearing. My oil had a pretty good gold film on the top of it when I changed it.

Those were my symptoms, hope it helps a bit.

ZMAN

 

the manual guage reads the same as the one in the car. When i start it up cold it goes up to about 40, if i run it a bit it will come down some. The real problem comes in when i run it for a while or drive around a bit. At idle it drops to just above the red on the guage so i'd say 10 or less. If i get the revs up it will get close to 40, but not quite (35-38ish).

I'm guessing my only real option is to get into the oil pan and do the pump?
Vid of rockers http://home.alltel.net/jkrys/vids/PDRM0002.AVI

 

How many miles are on the car? Mine had 107,000 on my rebuild. When I tore it down (first rebuild), the bearings were worn pretty good. It wouldn't have been long before a spun bearing. 800 miles after the 1st rebuild I had to rebuild again due to my oil pressure symptoms similar to yours. My oil pressure was maximum 30-33. But as I drove it and it got warm, the pressure would drop to almost touching the red at idle, and then after giving some rpm's it would climb back to 20. Which is all within limits. The car wasn't making any knocking sounds what so ever. It was them middle lower half of #4 main was taken out (no bearings spun). It also took out my crank. I didn't know this till after I pulled my oil pan inspect my bearings.

Z

 

the car has 77K on it. Thanks for all the help, I'll ge to work on the oil pump. Any suggestions on a repacement pump? If i notice anything funny while the pan is off, i'll have to work on the rebuild...

 

Please let me know how this works out for you as mine does the exact same thing, I have the same game plan as you, dropping the pan and peek at the brearings and everything, maybe even a little plastigauge. If all looks good I will be installing a complete moroso oil pan, pump, crankscraper, windage tray and pan baffle. I have 88k on mine with a GM847 for the last 10k. When I changed my oil I have never gotten any metalic junk so hopefully its just a pump or guage issue.

 

I would recommend getting a factory replacement pump. With the high volume pump, I have heard you can get oil starvation in the upper rpms with the stock oil pan. If you are going to pull the pan, you might want to think about inspecting and replacing your bearings also. 77k miles isn't a lot, and I have heard F-body's going over 150k miles. Wouldn't hurt to ask some opinions on the board. Just a thought. But then again there is the if it aint broke, don't fix it philosophy also. Food for thought. Any more cliche's.

GL:

ZMAN