Oil pressure

[waffles]

Hello everyone! I'm in a bit of a pickle. So I did a 3.2 swap. The motor had everything replaced from the piston rings down to the rod bearings (no main bearings). Everything was in a good clearance range as indicated by my plastiguage. It started just fine and once I fixed a fuel leak and DIS ground, it ran. Now I am having the red oil light flicker at idle AFTER it warms up. Sometimes it flickers, sometimes it's solid. I will also have the idle fluctuate and almost stall some of the time (intermittently). What could my issue be? The crankshaft journals did have 2 little scratches on each journal, but passed the penny test. Are those my issue? I'm thinking I need to pull the bottom end apart and head in with some emery cloth. I just want this thing to not die on me after so much work (story of every sho owners life I know) Any help is appreciated fellas!

Oh and you might be able to make out what I'm talking about by this pic, but it's a pretty crappy pic and I hadn't cleaned the crankshaft yet. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...1954062067885.55429.1732680692&type=3&theater

 

[pjtoledo]

First, have you put a gauge on it to get actual pressure?

One of the "old school" tests for oil leaks is to attach a pressurized container of oil to the block, and litterally look for leaks. Oil pan removed of course.
While you're down there, maybe attach a dial indicator and see how much the rods can be moved.

And what is this "warmed up" situation you mentioned??

 

[rubydist]

Start with replacing the oil pressure sending unit. Several guys have had issues with the sending unit flickering the light when they should not have.

Also, what weight of oil did you put in it?

Idle surging is almost always related to the iac. Some of them are sticky and need replaced. Others just require pcm adjustment a lot from the default, so it takes a long time for the idle to settle down after the pcm power has been disconnected. I once had one that I had to drive daily for a couple weeks before the idle would settle down, every time that the battery was disconnected.

 

[waffles]

I put a gauge on, the gauge had a rang from 10-300psi so it really wasn't a low pressure gauge, but at idle it was just over 10psi. I've replaced the pressure switch and it still occurs. And when I say warmed up I mean that the car is in closed loop mode (lower idle) and the water temp is just entering the "normal" range. I am probably around 3500miles in I did change the oil at 500 miles. I haven't lost any oil at all (Pretty sure the rings were seated around 500miles as I did have a light hone performed). I've also been having idle issues due to (I think) due to a bad throttle cable (the heater hose rubbed through the sheath), but I don't think that's related...

 

[waffles]

I am using 5w-30. It's pretty cold here in MN so I run 5w-30 in the winter. And I guess I have been having some low voltage issues recently, so I replaced my alternator and battery as they were bad. The idle has appeared to be calming over time, but will occasionally get shady. Maybe it is settling time will tell though.

 

[rubydist]

unfortunately, a 10-300 psi gauge will not have the precision or resolution you need for this task. iirc, the sender is set for 7 psi - below that it will turn on the light.

 

[waffles]

hmm, I could pick one up. But I think if the light is still flickering on a new unit, it probably has low pressure right? Thanks for your guys' help by the way.:thankyou:

 

[pjtoledo]

I put a gauge on, the gauge had a rang from 10-300psi so it really wasn't a low pressure gauge, but at idle it was just over 10psi. I've replaced the pressure switch and it still occurs. And when I say warmed up I mean that the car is in closed loop mode (lower idle) and the water temp is just entering the "normal" range. I am probably around 3500miles in I did change the oil at 500 miles. I haven't lost any oil at all (Pretty sure the rings were seated around 500miles as I did have a light hone performed). I've also been having idle issues due to (I think) due to a bad throttle cable (the heater hose rubbed through the sheath), but I don't think that's related...

when I asked about "warmed up", I was joking about a polar vortex


'twas serious about dropping the pan and looking for leaks or rod movement.

 

[waffles]

Thanks! I think the idle issue was a plugged vacuum line. The previous owner put silicone lines on, there was a portion where the new silicone lines connected to the old rubber ones, it was cracked right at that point. There was also a filter placed between the valve cover and the intake (the larger hose). Over the years it filled up with moisture and froze this winter, I tried to blow through it and it was completely blocked. I've since replaced everything with full silicone lines and she seems to idle like a champ. The oil light still does flicker from time to time though.

 

[jayro]

I know how you feel about all the work and making sure its okay. I built my 3.2 (first engine I ever built) and was worried I might have messed something up. Finally just as screw it and took it to the track. Beat the living crap out of it for about 300 track miles, a couple of auto-x and dyno runs. Figured if it survived that then it must be okay.

What is the idle when you get the oil flicker? If it is dropping too low when its surging it could just be due to the low rpms. Get a real oil pressure gauge to get the correct info. You can pick up one pretty cheap at any parts store.

 

[waffles]

It's around 800ish. The idle is pretty normal now, when I push the clutch in she drops a bit, but catches herself around 1500 then slowly trickles down to 800. I plan to get a real gauge when I start my new job (college kid), and have the money. The $10 spend on vacuum lines seems to be the best "upgrade" so far...

 

[Dirk37]

The $10 spend on vacuum lines seems to be the best "upgrade" so far...

Proper maintenance is the best performance modification you can do

 

[waffles]

Proper maintenance is the best performance modification you can do

Amen!

 

[waffles]

Ok question you guys I have a question. I've found a good gauge that provides a good resolution (max 60psi so I can really see where it's at when idling). The problem is I can't find a suitable hose with fittings for it. Any suggestions? Here is the gauge itself: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006JJ7BXU/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=AG3HM2L81RV9O