| T O P I C R E V I E W |
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Posted - May 12 2004 : 6:06:21 PM
Should I be concerned about oil pressure around 10 PSI at idle, 45 PSI at around 2700 RPM and 50 PSI at around 4000 RPM? Normally on the freeway it runs around 30-40 PSI.
This is on an 88 conv.
My rebuilt 87 has 70+ PSI at 3500+ RPM. Both run Castrol 20-50.
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| 3 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Aaron Cake |
Posted - Jun 07 2004 : 09:24:15 AM
This is also a sure sign of a front cover o-ring failure. It should be fixed ASAP because at some point, the o-ring will completely blow out and you will be left with almost zero oil pressure no matter what RPM.
A failed eccentric oil thermostat will cause damage to the oil o-rings on the rotors over the long term. How long depends on how hard you drive your car, what oil you use, etc.
Since to fix either problem the front cover must come off, both problems should be addressed at the same time. An oil pellett should always be installed to replace the stock thermostat.
Of course, verifying the problem with a mechanical gauge is always the first step.
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Posted - Jun 05 2004 : 6:02:23 PM
quote:
Yes, you should be concerned. This is a major problem. I've seen engines starved for oil...That last one we had to disassemble with a torch. 
This can be caused by two problems:
1. Front cover o-ring. It has failed, and oil pressure is leaking from between the front cover and front iron. Requires a front cover job to repair.
2. The oil thermo pellet has failed in the open position. This pellet is designed to cut oil flow to the rotors when the engine is cool. This speeds up warm up. Unfortunately, sometimes they fail open witch means that the rotors to not receive cooling oil, and your oil pressure bleeds off through the front of the eccentric shaft.
Both these problems are not very common, but not unheard of. They require a front cover job to fix, which if done improperly, could seriously damage the engine.
Of course, before deciding that you have an oil pressure problem, you should verify with a mechanical gauge.
Hello guys. First off I'd like to tip my hat to you Aaron for a awesome site. Well I have a 87 GXL with the same issue. Around idle it drops to zero. Around 3k it reaches 45. And at 5k it's at around 55. I know about what you explained here.. but my question is.. if the front seal or pellet have failed or locked in place, wouldn't engine damage be almost guaranteed? My gxl has been like this for more than a year and she still runs like the day I got her. No overheating, no dirty oil.. I mean I would expect some damage within a few months or so if the engine was being starved of oil very slowly. I am constantly on top of the fluids in this car and have not noticed anything that would normally tell me there is something going on. Could one other cause of this gauge fluctuation be the oil pressure unit? I have not gone into changing mine, a fellow down here in florida almost assured me it was the oil pressure unit. This engine has about 40k on it and I would hate to be starving her of her much needed oil. |
| Aaron Cake |
Posted - May 14 2004 : 10:38:10 AM
Yes, you should be concerned. This is a major problem. I've seen engines starved for oil...That last one we had to disassemble with a torch.
This can be caused by two problems:
1. Front cover o-ring. It has failed, and oil pressure is leaking from between the front cover and front iron. Requires a front cover job to repair.
2. The oil thermo pellet has failed in the open position. This pellet is designed to cut oil flow to the rotors when the engine is cool. This speeds up warm up. Unfortunately, sometimes they fail open witch means that the rotors to not receive cooling oil, and your oil pressure bleeds off through the front of the eccentric shaft.
Both these problems are not very common, but not unheard of. They require a front cover job to fix, which if done improperly, could seriously damage the engine.
Of course, before deciding that you have an oil pressure problem, you should verify with a mechanical gauge.
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