Toast....

[MyFirstSHO]

Yea so I was stuck in traffic yesterday with the SHO for the first time in semi-hot weather. (because of the I-95 shutdown)

So Im sitting there temp gauge is perfect, never got higher than the M.

Cars start to move so I let the clutch out but hardly give it gas (I dont like to ride my STOCK clutch).

RPM drops to 500-600 as clutch fully engages and the RED OIL LIGHT STARTS TO FLICKER. It goes out as soon as rpm hits 700.

The oil was Castrol High mileage 5w-30, was last changed 2/21/04 and only had 350 miles on it. And Yes the oil level was full.

Is this normal for 115K? Rod bearings fukked? Main bearings? Oil pump? Or am I ******* a brick for nothing?

Motor is still so quiet, I cant even tell its running when its idleing.

 

[masho95]

Yeah, you are ******** a brick for nothing... the red oil light while come on whenever the rpm's drop that low. It's the oil pressure light, and as the rpm's go that low then the oil pressure also gets low enough to come on for a second. So nothing to worry about, keep driving her!!

 

[Bizzy]

Ditto that, there's nothing wrong. As long as it doesn't flicker on or stay on when at normal idle or above RPM's you're fine.

 

[MyFirstSHO]

Thanks guys! I tend to over-react at the drop of a hat.

And I was all ready to drop the oil pan....

Oh well.... oh

 

[masho95]

No problem... just out of curiousity where in CT are you from?

 

[AutoSHO]

If you can get the red oil pressure light to come on without nearly stalling the engine (400 RPMs or less) then, in my experience, you've got some rod bearing wear going on. Probably not going to be fatal for a while, but I would plan on replacing them this year.

Good oil choice, however. I run the same and have had great oil pressures across the board. Its more like a 5w35 with the pressures it runs compared to regular 5w30s.

 

[masho95]

AutoSHO:
If you can get the red oil pressure light to come on without nearly stalling the engine (400 RPMs or less) then, in my experience, you've got some rod bearing wear going on. Probably not going to be fatal for a while, but I would plan on replacing them this year.

His rpm's were dropping low causing the oil pressure light to come on, not because of rod bearing failure. They don't always have to drop to 400 rpms to get the light to flicker. I don't know exactly what rpm's the light will flicker at but ut's not that low. With my 8-lb FW pushing in the clutch while coming to a stop will sometimes cause the oil pressure light to come on. It's not due to worn rod bearings but due to the engine trying to compensate for the lighter flywheel as it's rotating mass slows.

 

[AutoSHO]

masho95:

AutoSHO:
If you can get the red oil pressure light to come on without nearly stalling the engine (400 RPMs or less) then, in my experience, you've got some rod bearing wear going on. Probably not going to be fatal for a while, but I would plan on replacing them this year.

His rpm's were dropping low causing the oil pressure light to come on, not because of rod bearing failure. They don't always have to drop to 400 rpms to get the light to flicker. I don't know exactly what rpm's the light will flicker at but ut's not that low. With my 8-lb FW pushing in the clutch while coming to a stop will sometimes cause the oil pressure light to come on. It's not due to worn rod bearings but due to the engine trying to compensate for the lighter flywheel as it's rotating mass slows.

The light flickers when you have less than 6 psi of oil pressure. My car (which runs 9-11 psi hot with 5w30 oil) will not turn on the light unless the car is almost stalled. My previous car, admittedly beat on, ran more like 7-8 psi, and the light would come on around 600-650 RPMs. This is why I'm saying that if you can turn the light on without going very low in the RPMs, you've probably got some rod bearing wear going on, lowering your idle oil pressure. At 115k miles on MyFirstSHOs car, I would look into replacing them along with the rest of the 120k service. I will be doing mine this spring in my car, even though it already runs good oil pressure, just because I do not want to lose the engine to something so silly as a bad rod bearing.

 

[masho95]

AutoSHO:
just because I do not want to lose the engine to something so silly as a bad rod bearing.

Yeah that does suck... I have personal experience with that one, but thank god not on my car.

 

[MyFirstSHO]

Yea thats what I thought AutoSHO (Chris)

RPM was no lower than 500. But oil light didnt come full on, just "flicker"

The motors toast I know it is. It knocks at idle, after an oil change, after Its been running 43 seconds, the following day. <----if you followed that than eek!

It echos off parked cars, when im parked. I touch the gas, the knock dissappears. I drive, the knock dissappears. I redline it cuz I dont give a *** anymore, and it dissappears. Once its warm its so QUIET I cant even tell its running. I am not hallucinating This "knock" is so light you have to be under the car whiles its parked or parked next to something for it to echo off of.

Just to clarify: I can change the oil and start it up and it will sound fine and DRIVE all THAT DAY. Then, the next day when everything is COLD ill start it up with no noise, then about 30-40 seconds later the noise will appear at idle. Then, after that 2nd day, its fine, ill start it and idle it forever and it will be fine.

So I am going to be ripping out the rod bearings soon. Should I do the mains while im there? Should I replace the oil pump?

If I can get the y pipe off without snapping any bolts than its a go, if I start snapping **** this car is DONE!

Thanks guys

Edit: this noise always happened ever since the day I first changed the oil. $1700 later and its still there after I change the oil, the next day.

<small>[ March 28, 2004, 08:18 AM: Message edited by: MyFirstSHO ]</small>

 

[autobahnsho]

The front main is more like ripping all the belts and crankshaft damper off.

The rear is accessible only by removing the tranny.

Hopefully you're not doing all this just for the rod bearings, but I'd check and maybe replace the seals if you're taking all the other stuff off anyways.

If that knock doesn't go away w/ the rod bearings, maybe the valve lash needs to be checked??

Good luck with it all-