Is this oil pressure low enough to be concerned?

[jw_96]

When I start the truck cold it stays at 60 then goes down as the truck warms up. It will be at 40 eventually. But then goes below at idle. Here is a picture.

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[kennythewelder]

Thats normal. Anything at 20 or above at idle, with a warm engine is ok. When the oil is cold, and thicker, you will get more OP. As the engine warms up, the oil becomes thinner, and gives less OP. To a point anyway.

 

[racnredneck]

Kenny the welder is right on the money.... I agree....but oil pressure spec is 10 psi for every 1K rpms.... until pressure relief valve opens. @60-80 psi

 

[vic_v8]

Yup, for a SBC that is totally normal.

 

[michael hurd]

When I start the truck cold it stays at 60 then goes down as the truck warms up. It will be at 40 eventually. But then goes below at idle. Here is a picture.

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A mechanical gauge reading from an oil gallery will give you the most accurate reading, if you have any concerns. Liquid filled gauges are great for this purpose.

Given the fact that the needle can be removed from the gauge in the dash and re-positioned incorrectly, I could make a truck with 10 psi at idle read that it has 40 at idle and pegs the gauge cold.

 

[michael hurd]

More on oil 'pressure'.

Pressure and flow are two separate concepts, and some people mistake high pressure for high flow. This in not necessarily true.

Yes, a minimum of pressure is required in order to keep that hydrodynamic wedge action in the bearings.

To cool engine parts, especially valve springs, you need continuous flow to carry away the heat. ( a few sources have indicated 40% of the waste heat generated in an engine comes from the valvetrain )

In this .PDF by PAC springs, on pg 15, there are FLIR pictures of an engine that was being run for 3 hours continuously on a Spintron: IE, no combustion events. The oil pump in the engine provides lubrication as normal.

http://www.racingsprings.com/Multimedia/www.RacingSprings.com/Files/kb/kb513103.pdf

Also, of note, is the reduction in spring rate vs. temperature curve.

Picture of Spintron in the bottom of this article: ( good tech info as well )

http://www.chevyhardcore.com/tech-s...ech-overview-of-valve-spring-design-dynamics/