Oil pressure low at idle when warm

[Schurkey]

Question, would changing the oil pressure spring to a high pressure spring solve the issue?

Almost certainly not. The pressure relief valve isn't open at idle, a stiffer spring keeping it even more firmly closed doesn't change anything.

The only way you'd gain is if you took the pressure relief valve apart, and found it was sticking in the bore so that it couldn't close. But that's not a matter of a stiffer spring, it's a matter of a sticky valve that should move butter-smooth.

 

[Andyvinn1]

Is your distributor oem?

Yes, yes it is. Crab style cap.

 

[SUBURBAN5]

Yes, yes it is. Crab style cap.

Ok if its ac delco then nevermind. I was gonna say from my experience I paid for an aftermarket billet distributor. Everything was fine but when at operating temp the oil dropped to the red on the guage. Never thought anything of it until I replaced my engine recently. I compared both distributors side by side. One oem and the other aftermarket.. they were slightly different and if you didnt know what you were looking for it's easy to not catch it. I feel like that distributor caused me to have low oil pressure. Maybe I'm wrong but I rather be safe then sorry. If yours is not aftermarket then its probably not your issue.

 

[someotherguy]

Yes, yes it is. Crab style cap.

What he's asking is it the original distributor from when the truck was new, or is it an aftermarket replacement? Even if it's a "rebuild" that would be good info.

Richard

 

[Andyvinn1]

What he's asking is it the original distributor from when the truck was new, or is it an aftermarket replacement? Even if it's a "rebuild" that would be good info.

Richard

The distributor is not the original OEM one, but it is a OEM replacement, not a rebuilt. I've been stranded due to a MSD distributor. My replacement is a Delphi distributor "OEM". It is however the same one I've been using.

 

[Manimal]

Did you verify the oil pick up tube to pan clearance? I've seen high volume pumps suck the pick up to the bottom of the pan and cause low oil presure. To prevent that, I would tack weld a nut to the bottom of the pick up tube, set the pan on without a gasket bolt it down with 4 bolts, then pull oil pan and weld the pick up to the pump body. But before you do any welding on the oil pump, strip it so the spring does not lose tension. Check the body for any warpage then reassemble. You dont have to get crazy with the weld either, a few GOOD tacks and youre done.

 

[Andyvinn1]

Yes i verified the pickup tube is at the right height. And did tack weld it. The welder did say that cast iron and stainless don't weld together. He put a bead on it but he said it won't do anything if it gets knocked around. But i did press that pickup tube all the way in and it fought all the way.

 

[Frank Enstein]

Question, would changing the oil pressure spring to a high pressure spring solve the issue?

Nope. But a high volume pump would help.

 

[Erik the Awful]

Did you verify the oil pick up tube to pan clearance? I've seen high volume pumps suck the pick up to the bottom of the pan and cause low oil presure.

I think if that were the case, his oil pressure would rise as the engine warms up, and it would lose pressure with rpm, not gain.

 

[Andyvinn1]

Update on my engine. Took it out, tore it apart, sent it to a machine shop. Looks like it might of spun a bearing but they just gave it a quick look. They're going to go over everything and free reassemble it. The block and the heads. Removing the pushed in rocker studs and getting threaded in studs. They're going to take apart the heads and give everything a once over.