Low Oil Pressure??

[z28cwby]

I have a small problem with my oil pressure. It seems to drop really low while in gear. When I first start it for the day or after it has set a bit the pressure reads 60lbs. I'll start driving it and it slowly comes down after a couple minutes. It stays around 30lbs while driving at a normal speed but when I come to a stoplight or whatever, the pressure drops to less than 5lbs. I know I have enough oil in it. I just put seven quarts in it two days ago and it doesn't leak or smoke. It has a Summit seven quart pan on it so don't be alarmed. The guage is good since I just put in a new mechanical Autometer last week. Could it be the pump going out or does this sound more like someone didn't install the correct lenght pickup when they installed the oil pan? This is on my Chevelle I just bought a month ago so I don't know if it has the right pickup or not. Anyone seen this before, or have an idea of what it is? I don't want to pull the motor and change something just to find it didn't work and then have to pull it again.

[LL6]

It didn't do this before the pan swap?

[Pantera61]

My guess would be the length of the pick-up, but I am kind of lost. I never changed to a larger pan to see this problem. Sorry.

[Jaysz28]

always go back to what you changed for the answer. If it didn't do this with the old pan, than the new pan might be the problem. Probably need a different style pickup. But if it did this with the stock oil pan, you may have a oil pump problem.

Of course you probably already figured this out.

[Chvywolf]

Could it be a baffling problem? I mean when on the breaks coming to a stop all the oil goes forward, away from the pickup.

[WS6 VERT]

Steve, I have seen that before, but only on cars with low oil. However, if you have a pan that is deeper and did not get a longer pickup tube, then it will act just like its low on oil.

[z28cwby]

I don't know what it did with the before the pan deep sump pan was installed. I just bought this car the weekend I got off the boat last month. I saw a high volume pump in Summit for this pan with the correct lenght pickup for $55. I think I will try that when I take my leave in a couple weeks. This way I can kill two birds with one stone.

[WS6 VERT]

Sounds like a plan :D

Maybe thats why it was sold, the owner realized he didn't get the right pump and was damned if he was going to pull the pan back off... tongue.gif

[z28cwby]

Yeah, that sounds just about right. "Let this schmuck deal with it." That's alright, she's worth pulling the motor and pan to replace the pump to me. I'll have pictures from the Cruise Night tomorrow of both hot rods to post this weekend.

[ragtop88]

Speaking of Cruise Night Cowboy, the Lowcountry F-bodies have 2 cruises a month and meet down at the Autozone on SC170 (or maybe the advance), anyways down accross from the Ferd Dealer...its the 2nd and 4th saturdays, so this saturday they'll be there around 5:00 pm in case you're interested....I'll be out of town this weekend so I won't be able to make it. Maybe I'll catch you there one of these weekends.

[z28cwby]

Thanks for the heads up Tom. I'll see if I can't hit it up tonight. Right now, I'm stranded. My wife took the boy to a birthday party and has my car keys in her purse. Damn that devil woman.