Freeway driving = Oil pressure light to come on

[Nofear20]

So yesterday I took about an hour and a half round trip on the freeway. I noticed my stock temp gauge was a little bit above halfway. I figured this was just becuase of hot weather and my front mouth blocking some airflow to the radiator so i ignored it. I got back into town and my stock oil light was on. I looked at my aftermarket oil PSI gauge and it was at like 4 psi. I pulled over and the oil level was fine. What i figured was the motor got so hot that it thinned my oil out to the point where the oil pressure dropped low enough to flip on the oil pressure light. Is this correct? Can the thin oil damage my motor? How can I fix the problem?

Thanks.

 

[PieEyedPiper]

Your problem is not "oil got thin from being hot".
First check your sending units, the stock and aftermarket for your guage(s).
Then if its not a simple electrical hookup causing this then it means you really do have a problem and it is likely to be a toasted oil pump. don't drive it until you get this figured out. 4 Psi of oil pressure probably isn't even enough to idle it.

 

[Nofear20]

So your saying that the engine heating problem and the oil pressure problem are completely unrelated? If so then how come this only happened after freeway driving? The oil pressure never drops that low when city driving. The sending units are fine.

Also please keep in mind that I have a 6 bolt with the balance shaft elemination, so the pressure is going to be a little lower.

 

[SpiralOut]

Also please keep in mind that I have a 6 bolt with the balance shaft elemination, so the pressure is going to be a little lower.

I might be mistaken but i thought that removing your balance increases oil pressure?

 

[Nofear20]

Is that true? I always thought it would lower it.

 

[snowborder714]

If you do a BSE, your oil pressure will rise. This is why people usually port the oil relief valve to lower the oil pressure.

 

[Nofear20]

Then I dont know what is wrong with this POS. The oil pressure has always been lower since I had the 6 bolt swap done.

 

[SpiralOut]

What oil do you use?

 

[Nofear20]

castrol gtx 10w30

 

[SpiralOut]

Do you burn oil? Maybe a HG, could explain those symptoms. Maybe. Try using 20W50 and some lucas.

 

[Nofear20]

New headgasket. I got it put on when the 6 bolt swap was done as well as arp head studs.

 

[droppinbottom]

castrol gtx 10w30

Not that this will fix your problem but that oil is just too thin for summer time driving. I run 20-50 in summer and 10-40 in winter.

If both your guages are reading that low then I would say it is not a sending unit problem and would start looking at your oil pump. Have you started the car after letting it cool down and looked at what the pressure was?

 

[lo_boost]

i know this is going to sound very retarded but when i first bought mine it did the same thing. were you also running your a/c? and did it surge at idle? if so check the leads to your battery. like i said that sounds stupid but thats what happend to me....

 

[asexton6969]

Not that this will fix your problem but that oil is just too thin for summer time driving. I run 20-50 in summer and 10-40 in winter.

If both your guages are reading that low then I would say it is not a sending unit problem and would start looking at your oil pump. Have you started the car after letting it cool down and looked at what the pressure was?

Just for reference.

To the OP, where did you get the motor from, was the oil pump relief valve ported at all? Could you hear the lifters knocking? Where is your aftermarket oil pressure sending unit installed at?

 

[95CarbonEclipse]

Justin, you should check with Lucas to see if he already ported the oil relief valve when he did the swap. It's possible that he already ported it and that's why you've always seen a lower oil pressure ever since you got the swap done.

 

[Nofear20]

Not that this will fix your problem but that oil is just too thin for summer time driving. I run 20-50 in summer and 10-40 in winter.

If both your guages are reading that low then I would say it is not a sending unit problem and would start looking at your oil pump. Have you started the car after letting it cool down and looked at what the pressure was?

Yes, I start the car after letting it cool down, and the pressure is normal, around 11 psi.

Just for reference.

To the OP, where did you get the motor from, was the oil pump relief valve ported at all? Could you hear the lifters knocking? Where is your aftermarket oil pressure sending unit installed at?

I got the motor from English Racing. I'm not sure if the oil pump relief valve was ported. The lifters are no so no I can't really hear any ticking. The oil pressure unit is installed where the stock one was.