oil pressure drop

[eazy_e6996]

Alright I've got a 96 3.8 5 speed camaro always has run great and always, ALWAYS held 70lbs of oil pressure never dropped in the slightest but it got a retirement recently due to 2 blown rear tires and sit for 2 months. the first night I got it back on the road the oil pressure dropped to 50 kinda worried me the next day though it kept easing down till it got to 35 and there it has stayed any ideas what could be causing this? Anybody wanna donate me some money for a span brankin new engine?

[Pathogen]

Re: oil pressure drop

Check the oil level... and condition... is it making any noises or leaking?

Is it dropping pressure only at idle, or all the time?

[eazy_e6996]

Re: oil pressure drop

Oil is at the tippy top it has several miles on the oil but it should suddenly drop like that after being parked and the drop began under acceleration while driving at highway speeds

[chevy the kid]

Re: oil pressure drop

Mine is 60 cold, 40 at idle when wot and 50-55 in acceleration.

With a fram filter the pressure was 40 all the time

[GinsuGuy585]

Re: oil pressure drop

My pressure gauge usually points straight up at idle, little higher when cold, and high rpm 65-70.

Rev the engine in neutral and see what the pressure gauge does. Oh and get an oil/filter change for the hell of it. ($20 why not)

Worst case: oil pump went bad.

No wait, worst case: your car blows up.

[CamaroJeff™]

Re: oil pressure drop

mine was slowly doing the same thing. cold idle was around 40-50psi, hot idle was 10psi at best. i thought my motor was giving up to the ghost (175K miles it wouldnt have surprised me) till i replaced the leaking oil pressure sending unit.

new sending unit that dosent leak= 80psi cold idle and 50-60psi hot idle :)
the 3 pin sending unit was $23, mine turned out to be a 2 pin and was $27. surprisingly it didnt even lose any oil when i changed it either.

[eazy_e6996]

Re: oil pressure drop

mine was always 70 never dropped at idle, during acceleration ,never moved i was questioned whether or not it worked but now I have my answer but i still dont understand why the day it was parked oil psi was fine the after its resurrection it pulls this **** it doesnt vary at idle or under acceleration but now stays at a constant 35 (warm)

[CamaroJeff™]

Re: oil pressure drop

that would be a little odd, if the pressure never changed. does it drop to zero when you first turn the key on, and then go to said pressure after starting the motor?
it should vary (at the very least) a little by rpm and temp.