Oil Pressure question
08-25-2003, 09:09 AM
#1
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Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Vernon, NJ
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Oil Pressure question
Had some problems with my engine.....and trying to determine the extent of everything... Right now i have terrible oil pressure.....according to the dash guage..when i drive it reads about half way up the guage but at idle its damn near flat lined.......want to check the oil pressure sending unit if LT1's have one and change it...and want to know how to run a mechanical oil presure guage.....if any one could help i would appreciate it....other wise i'll have to start the research on how the LT1 engine comes out.......
08-25-2003, 09:30 AM
#2
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Location: Hell was full so they sent me to NJ
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What year is your car... that determines where the stock oil pressure sending unit is, and where you can tap in for a mechanical gauge.
94-97 have the oil pressure sender on top of the block, behind the intake manifold, toward the drivers side. That leaves a port on the block, right above the oil filter as a good place to install a mechanical gauge. The 93's used that port for the sender though.
94-97 have the oil pressure sender on top of the block, behind the intake manifold, toward the drivers side. That leaves a port on the block, right above the oil filter as a good place to install a mechanical gauge. The 93's used that port for the sender though.
08-25-2003, 10:51 AM
#3
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Location: Tulsa
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18 to 22 PSI is normal idle pressure for an LT1 according to the factory guage...about middle while cruising sounds right. I'm usually around 36-40psi when cruising....how low is it at idle? You could have some bearings going bad.
08-25-2003, 11:06 AM
#4
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Location: Thousand Oaks
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I have the EXACT same problem. I took it into chevy and they said they had to pull the motor to figure out wtf was going on. They said it wasnt the sender or the sensor. I switched to Valvoline Synthetic 20/50 motor oil and that keeps my oil pressure at a reasonably safe level. I idle at 15 psi and when driving its around 30-40. Before it used to flat line and the check guages light would go on but now it doesn't.
08-26-2003, 08:02 AM
#6
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Location: Vernon, NJ
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Bearings???
See now that is what i'm afraid of because i had a some what substanial problem before.......i had a pushrod break and during the break left a lot of metal shavings from the rod and a tiny grove out of the sleeve they ride through on the head...after that i had the oil pan off changed the oil several times but still everytime i find traces of shavings.....not much but enough to make me wonder just how much got stuck in the motor.......i'm probably just avoiding the inevitable decision of pulling the motor.......
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