I'm sad ): Low oil pressure

[MercuryZephyrZ7]

The stock gauge would read normal at idle until the engine got warm, when it would then drop to zero. After a week or so of this I bought both autometer oil pressure and volt meter gauges and installed them tonight only to verify the bad news.

At idle the Marauder has ~5 psi warm. When I started it it would go up to about 20 and then slowly drop. I run 5w30 synthetic and the engine is stock. Car has 155k, no noises at idle but I try to keep it from idling too much. I'll report in the morning with how much pressure it has when cold.

What are the things I can look for before doing an oil pump?

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[lifespeed]

You might confirm the oil pressure reading is valid, the pressure sender could fail and the stock unit may not be compatible with your gauge. Oil pressure that low would make the hydraulic lash adjusters and the timing chain tensioners not work, should be significant rattling noise.

[RubberCtyRauder]

There is no sender on the stock gauge and it can not read a real sending unit.

[MOTOWN]

That's why they call it a fake gauge, nothing to see here keep it moving!

[MercuryZephyrZ7]

If you read the whole post you'd see that I installed the REAL autometer gauge that everyone uses to replace the stock fake gauge.

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[MercuryZephyrZ7]

The autometer gauge came with its own sending unit that I installed with it

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[MercuryZephyrZ7]

Could the gasket behind the oil filter adapter be messing with my oil pressure readings? I figure if some oil is leaking from there it may show low pressure at the sender, which would be after the point of a leak. I haven't replaced that gasket which I've seen is a common leak spot. Could I be onto something?

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[cer0413]

I was told that 20psi is pressure. On start up it jumps (towards)100psi but once it warms up, I see 20psi. In traffic it drops below 20 but that's when the engine is warm. I have glowshift gauges.

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160223/293fe44d268a3203ea004fd941d303 4a.jpg
pic for reference....

[MOTOWN]

If you read the whole post you'd see that I installed the REAL autometer gauge that everyone uses to replace the stock fake gauge.

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Did you install the sending unit also? Because the gauge alone is nothing more than a paper weight.

[MercuryZephyrZ7]

Yes, I installed the gauge and sending unit together. I knew the stock gauge was nothing, and wanted to actually see what was happening. Now everything is installed and working (at WOT it goes up to about 80-85) but cruising around town it sits around 25 until I come to.a stop, where it looks to be somewhere between 5 and 10.

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[MOTOWN]

I'd be interested in seeing your oil pressure on a cold engine startup.

[MercuryZephyrZ7]

Ok, I'll post in the morning what it does on a cold start. Oil has about 1000 miles on it since I've changed it so we will see.

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[Logizyme]

Not likely to be an oil pump - generally don't fail and when they do they do not cause low oil pressure, they cause no oil pressure.

Whats more likely is a worn out engine, bearings, crank, cams, cam journals, tensioners - I would confirm the pressure with a mechanical gauge - then call the engine done.

PM me if you'd like to come see me in Bellevue sometime, I would be happy to take a look at it.

[MercuryZephyrZ7]

I can check it tomorrow with my mechanical gauge and see what it says but I'm not holding my breath. Not sure I can afford to freshen up the engine at the moment, we just had our 2nd baby so this is terrible timing.

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[camelgrundle]

Sorry about your car, but congrats on your newborn!

[MercuryZephyrZ7]

Thank you (:

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[Ourobos]

My 190k engine holds 60 psi cold. Once fully heated up, with my real autometer gauge I see right at 15 psi hot idle. I think 15-25 is the spec. If you're seeing 5-7 I agree it's sign of worn bearings. Your choices would be to pull the engine and refresh it, or if I the budget build a bullet and have there ready for when it starts to knock. I am doing just that just in case myself.

[MercuryZephyrZ7]

Yeah that's a good idea too. I'm already looking for wrecked aviators and stuff.

SO, just started the car and on cold start it went to about 87psi and staying steady above 75 for the following 5 or so minutes before steadily dropping. If I rev it up slowly to 3,000 rpms the pressure will rise to just under 100.

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[MercuryZephyrZ7]

43285

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[MOTOWN]

Looks normal to me.

[MercuryZephyrZ7]

Yes, when cold it looks fine. Seems to only be low once it gets warm. I think today I'll do an oil change with 10w30 and see if it makes a change. It will also give me a chance to check out the gasket that commonly fails behind the filter.

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[Ourobos]

I wouldn't. I'd stay with the synthetic 5w30. The 10w just will make your cold pressure higher if anything. If it doesn't make any noises, run it. It's borderline being in spec. Could live another 60k miles.

[Hadamustang1]

Not likely to be an oil pump - generally don't fail and when they do they do not cause low oil pressure, they cause no oil pressure.

Whats more likely is a worn out engine, bearings, crank, cams, cam journals, tensioners - I would confirm the pressure with a mechanical gauge - then call the engine done.

PM me if you'd like to come see me in Bellevue sometime, I would be happy to take a look at it.

Take this mans advise,, Let him take a look at it,, right down the road from you,

[ctrlraven]

For the last 3 years mine has been low. Reads 80/85 on startup, 20/25 at idle and under load it fluctuates between 25-35. Stock motor has 250k miles on it.

I thought it was the sender that was going bad, replaced the sender and results were the same.

[MercuryZephyrZ7]

Take this mans advise,, Let him take a look at it,, right down the road from you,
Yeah, I've been PMing him he is very good. I I'm going to make plans to meet him and have him take a look at it.

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[MercuryZephyrZ7]

I pulled my cam cover just to check out the wear on the cam as Logizyme suggested, the wear looked pretty normal to me, nothing really stood out. Here are a couple pics432864328743288

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[Logizyme]

Looks pretty rough based on those pictures. the lines going the direction of the spinning camshaft looks like scoring, but hard to tell based on pictures. Try feeling the inside of the cap caps with your fingernail, does it feel smooth and fully polished or does your fingernail get caught on those lines?

If its been running at 5psi for a while its likely to be worn out. Did you ever confirm the oil pressure with a mechanical gauge?

[MercuryZephyrZ7]

I couldn't feel the lines with my nail, it felt smooth. I forgot I had loaned out my mechanical gauge so I haven't checked it with that yet but I'll be getting it back from him tomorrow.

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[FordNut]

Check the cam chain tensioners.

[martyo]

Check the cam chain tensioners.

My money is on the fact that his tensioners are now disintegrated and sucked up into the oil pick up, creating low oil pressure.

I have $10 of the money I did not bet with Lowndex on that! :P

[MercuryZephyrZ7]

I replaced the tensioners and guides around 10,000 miles ago on this car, and with the cam cover off I peeked down and everything looked as I left it. I would love for it to be something like this though that I can fix.

It maybe worth it to pull the pan and see if anything is in there though.

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[DEFYANT]

Sound fine.


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[tbone]

That's why they call it a fake gauge, nothing to see here keep it moving!

The stock gauge reads either pressure or no pressure. So the OP's description was correct. It went from "pressure to zero" once warm. The gauge did its' job perfectly and alerted him to replace it with a "real" gauge, confirm there is indeed an issue and investigate further. That's a Win!

[MercuryZephyrZ7]

^ Hey, I like you.


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