Stock Oil Pressure Gauge Reading

[tsunari]

Now I realize the stock Boost/Temp/Oil pressure gauges are pretty much useless for any accurate kind of reading, but just the same, I'm wondering what all of your stock oil pressure gauges read

1) At Idle
2) Cruising around 3.5-4k RPMS

Now on the gauge counting from the bottom to the top, there are 4 'marks'. I have the balance shafts removed from my engine and when I'm all warm and at Idle, I'm just a little below mark #2. While Cruising at 3.5k-4k it's a little below mark #3. To me that seems a bit high and am kind of wondering if I should be concerned.

Any ideas?

 

[Defiant]

1.) About one needle-width above nothing.

2.) About 2 NW above the middle hashmark.

A recent swap from mineral to synthetic made no difference.

 

[Tarantula]

Now I realize the stock Boost/Temp/Oil pressure gauges are pretty much useless for any accurate kind of reading, but just the same, I'm wondering what all of your stock oil pressure gauges read

1) At Idle
2) Cruising around 3.5-4k RPMS

Now on the gauge counting from the bottom to the top, there are 4 'marks'. I have the balance shafts removed from my engine and when I'm all warm and at Idle, I'm just a little below mark #2. While Cruising at 3.5k-4k it's a little below mark #3. To me that seems a bit high and am kind of wondering if I should be concerned.

Any ideas?

I have the same oil pressure as you described and my car is almost 123,000 miles old I use full synthetic wih one qt of Lucas oil stabalizer every 2000 miles.

 

[tsunari]

Really?? Okay . . . mine is at 162k and I use fully synthetic Mobil1 . . . you notice any differenct using the Lucas stabalizer? I've kind of been thinking about trying it, but wasn't sure if it was worth it . . .
Thanks for the replys- keep em comin'!

I have the same oil pressure as you described and my car is almost 123,000 miles old I use full synthetic wih one qt of Lucas oil stabalizer every 2000 miles.

 

[Tarantula]

I have been using the lucas stuff since the car had about 50,000 miles. (Bought it when it had 38,000) I started using it because I liked how the oil coats everything. This gives me piece of mind in concerns to crankwalk. (Though no real answer as to what or why it happens) As a bonus I feel it does a good job in lubing everything up. LAst time I checked my compression I was at 175 across 1 + 2 and 180 across 3+4. Standard is 178. Aside to 3 and 4 being 2psi over (Maybe carbon deposits) 3psi of wear on an engine having 122,000 miles (When I checked it) is pretty good.
I also use it in my transmission. 1 qt lucas and 1.3 qts of Pennzoil synchromesh.

 

[crotchkiller]

Compression has no relation to oil pressure. The best thing to do is get a manual gauge and check your oil pressure that way. Oil pressure at idle, at operating temperature, is 11.4 psi or more.

 

[Esibnitsud]

my oil pressure guage sits at nothing. the sensors wire fell of and i havnt got around to fixing it yet.

 

[tsunari]

Looked into it some more, and the oil pressure sits almost perfectly horizontal while cruising. After driving for about 10 minutes, that's when it starts to climb . . . it just doesn't make sense. I would expect the oil pressure to drop as things warmed up, not the opposite

 

[tsunari]

What about those of you with aftermarket pressure gauges, what kind of readings are you getting at idle and cruise?

 

[BOBS90TURBO]

Mine sits at the 4th mark (high) most of the time, it can go down to the 3rd at idle when it is cold somtimes, but mostly at high, It runs great though, and just started doing this about two weeks ago, before it was normal all the time.

 

[atc250r]

What about those of you with aftermarket pressure gauges, what kind of readings are you getting at idle and cruise?

I have a fresh 6 bolt and at a hot (after 20-30 miles on the highway in hot weather) idle pressure on my Autometer mechanical gauge drops no lower that 20psi at idle and is around 80psi cruising 3500-4500 rpm. The senders on the factory electric gauges can vary widely from one car to another and also change over time. A good mechanical gauge is pretty cheap insurance and well worth the $30-$40.

John

 

[ADrewzki]

Isn't that a little high? I swapped in a 1g block in mine with the bs eliminated and just at 2k rpm, it's sitting a little more than halfway. I take it to 3k and it's a needlewidth below the second to top mark. It started pulling funny so I took a look under the hood and there was oil seeping out from my valve cover. I'm not 100% sure it's from the oil pressure but it's a likely candidate, right? Just out of curiosity, where is oil pressure taken? The doohickey on the filter housing? I was too scared to take it above 3k on the way home while numerous honduh passed me :thumbdown

 

[tsunari]

I have a 'stock' 2G with ~160k on her and I have the same readings you just described. I've even gone as far as to replace the oil pressure sending unit and bought a new spring & plunger for the oil bypass valve on the oil filter bracket. None of which changed the oil pressure. My '98 Factory Service Manual makes it look like there's another relief valve on the head somewhere . . . but I can not seem to locate it. So I'm pretty much at a loss and frustrated as to why I'm getting these high oil pressures :-(

Isn't that a little high? I swapped in a 1g block in mine with the bs eliminated and just at 2k rpm, it's sitting a little more than halfway. I take it to 3k and it's a needlewidth below the second to top mark. It started pulling funny so I took a look under the hood and there was oil seeping out from my valve cover. I'm not 100% sure it's from the oil pressure but it's a likely candidate, right? Just out of curiosity, where is oil pressure taken? The doohickey on the filter housing? I was too scared to take it above 3k on the way home while numerous honduh passed me :thumbdown

 

[ADrewzki]

I have a 'stock' 2G with ~160k on her and I have the same readings you just described. I've even gone as far as to replace the oil pressure sending unit and bought a new spring & plunger for the oil bypass valve on the oil filter bracket. None of which changed the oil pressure. My '98 Factory Service Manual makes it look like there's another relief valve on the head somewhere . . . but I can not seem to locate it. So I'm pretty much at a loss and frustrated as to why I'm getting these high oil pressures :-(

I think the pressure is taken at the oil filter housing bracket. There is a oil connection that comes off there to the turbo that does have a reducer in it so maybe super high oil pressure at the oil filter housing does not necessarily mean that there's high pressure everywhere in the engine. In any case, I did order an electrical autometer oil pressure gauge for $60

 

[HondaStalker]

my buddies 90, with a fresh rebuild- like when hes driving it will be normal then all of a sudden it will make this loud rattling noise from the motor and the oil pressure will drop, then some times it will go back up to normal.

 

[thenewguy]

Sorry to jump in the middle of the thread with my question but...ive been having troubles with getting oil pressure readings on my 90 talon. The guage in the cluster is not reading anything (I know that the sender is missing) so i put on an aftermarket guage...its a manual guage that you just run a tube up to the back of the guage....im thinking that something is wrong with the guage because at idle ( up to temp ) the guage barely reads anything and when im cruising it reads between 50 and 60 psi. The weirdest part is when i run the car hard... it almost gets to 100. I mounted the "sender" tube where the switch for the dummy light goes. i was wondering if that isnt a good place to mount it? help me out.

 

[spendone]

Sorry to jump in the middle of the thread with my question but...ive been having troubles with getting oil pressure readings on my 90 talon. The guage in the cluster is not reading anything (I know that the sender is missing) so i put on an aftermarket guage...its a manual guage that you just run a tube up to the back of the guage....im thinking that something is wrong with the guage because at idle ( up to temp ) the guage barely reads anything and when im cruising it reads between 50 and 60 psi. The weirdest part is when i run the car hard... it almost gets to 100. I mounted the "sender" tube where the switch for the dummy light goes. i was wondering if that isnt a good place to mount it? help me out.

Getting no oil pressure at idle is not a good sign, but it should not affect too much as long as u are getting some kind of pressure. The statement of your cruise PSI doesnt seem bad. As Defiant always mentioned "A good rule of thumb is 10 PSI per every 1k RPM's." Ive been basing my oil pressure reading against that but I have seem to some how fixed my issue though. So good luck with your situation....

If you are curious on what i did, here are a couple things:
1. Changed out my oil pump and gears (whole front case) while timing was done.
2. 1/2 quart of Lucas Stabilizer and my usual synthetic.
3. Checked my relief valve.