oil pressure gauge sputtering/low at idle?

[pualrevere]

well i change my own oil, and its always perfectly full but lately at idle the guage has been sputtering and showing low when the engine is hot at idle? normal?

[camaro_speedemon]

You're oil might be low, check your level.

[chas]

what you do mean by low? less than 1/3 of full scale reading?

the gauge isnt very accurate. i get some flutter on the gauge too when my engine is hot and engine is nose down. its normal apparently for that gauge.

[pualrevere]

it reads about 1/4 and it just kinda sputters a little but then when i hit the gas it goes back to normal. whats normal oil pressure for 3.8s?

[awesomeame]

if it's only fluctuating like that when the engine is hot, then you might need to up the viscosity of the oil a bit. liek 15w40 for instance.

i had this with my old plymoth-the main journal bearings were worn, and when the oil got hot (and thinner) (with 10w30) the oil would just pour through the bearings & fluctuate the gage. i upped it to 20w40, and i had no probs until the bearings got worse, then i went to straight 50, :D again no probs until the bearings were gone. then i changed the bearings & went back to 10w30, no probs

--matt