..Strange Oil pressure problem.

9400RPMS · Post by **9400RPMS** » Mon Jul 05, 2010 6:36 pm

I don't wanna jump to conclusions so i'll just get some different inputs. I'm running a fully built b20vtec, but that shouldn't be of really any concerned, most people ask what motor so i'll just tell you.. Its got a new ITR oil pump / water pump.. about 9 months old or so.. Anyway. I have a GE sandwich plate i'm running my vtec line off of and my oil pressure gauge off of. There are no kinks in my line, as its a SS braided line to my oil psi gauge. Its a mech gauge, autometer. When the car is cold, and warming up, if i do slight revs, it'll quickly shoot to 80-90psi.. driving for alittle it'll hold 30+psi at crusing around 3-5k rpms.. After its fully warmed up, sometimes i'll see 10psi or less..or not even seen any until the car starts to move, from there, it'll only go to mid to high 20psi at cruising and at WOT to 9k it'll only go to 55-60psi.. I ended up hooking up the stock oil psi meter in the wiring harness, when the car was fully warmed up, the gauge sat on 0psi.. the oil light in the car however, did go off, so the car has oil, it doesn't knock btw neither at idle or anywhere.. vtec kicks in fine. I dont know if its because of the big vtec oil line, that the gauge is being starved?? It wasn't doing this before , the last time i changed my oil, i drained it into a coffee filter , and no metal shavings.. i'm running 10w-30 mobil1, however i dunno if its because its so hot out, i mean , i live in louisiana.. it does get almost 100+outside everyday.. any ideas??

JaredKaragen · Post by **JaredKaragen** » Mon Jul 05, 2010 7:04 pm

First suspect is the used oil pump... Unless you opened it and inspected the pump gears it is up in the air. The gauge; that's hard to say anything about without seeing it in person. On some old motors it wasn't uncommon to see ~10psi when hot and idling. Maybe the relief is opening early... But I don't see line size being an issue considering how big the ports in the head are.

9400RPMS · Post by **9400RPMS** » Mon Jul 05, 2010 7:46 pm

donf and I built this motor, its been together for about 9 months, the oil pump was new when i bought it, i was giving the age of the motor.. / pump.. i never use anything \"used\" like a oil or water pump when it comes to a 7k motor build.. sorry lol..if its misunderstood. brand new oil pump str8 from honda..

9400RPMS · Post by **9400RPMS** » Mon Jul 05, 2010 8:03 pm

JaredKaragen wrote:First suspect is the used oil pump... Unless you opened it and inspected the pump gears it is up in the air. The gauge; that's hard to say anything about without seeing it in person. On some old motors it wasn't uncommon to see ~10psi when hot and idling. Maybe the relief is opening early... But I don't see line size being an issue considering how big the ports in the head are.

i also think your missing completely about what i'm saying..

Maddog20 · Post by **Maddog20** » Mon Jul 05, 2010 9:59 pm

did this issue just happen or has this been the norm since the motor was built? is the gauge old?

9400RPMS · Post by **9400RPMS** » Mon Jul 05, 2010 11:03 pm

Maddog20 wrote:did this issue just happen or has this been the norm since the motor was built? is the gauge old?

Actually the gauge isn't that old, maybe 7 months , if that, it was bnib.. I did talk to donf about this,.. i was getting around 90psi at 9k and was getting a good amount of psi at idle around 15-25ish and cruising was about 40+.. with that said it has dwindled down a good bit.. to where i'm now worried.. i dunno if the relief valve is stuck open or what..like i said the car drives fine, its been like this for a few weeks now.. I think i'ma just buy a new pump and replace it and see if that helps, i'll be dropping the pan either tomorrow or what not to recheck..

JaredKaragen · Post by **JaredKaragen** » Mon Jul 05, 2010 11:56 pm

Well, if you can get at it, you can remove the relief valve with a strong magnet on a rod; to inspect it. I would recommend the gauge be hooked to the closest spot on the feed plumbing to where it branches off to all the subsystems. This being a sandwich plate, or next the port for the Ken pressure switch. It will be the best trusted reading. As far as psi going down over time it could be anything from bearing wear, to oil viscosity breakdown... During the normal oil change period do you have to feed it oil?

JaredKaragen · Post by **JaredKaragen** » Tue Jul 06, 2010 12:00 am

Second note: automater gauges, they can be inaccurate or become inaccurate. I have seen 5 off the shelf units hooked to the same source reading different values... When it came to being an automotive mechanic I only trusted my snapon oil pressure tester.... The gauge is more trustable IMHO. Btw: sorry for misunderstanding earlier

9400RPMS · Post by **9400RPMS** » Tue Jul 06, 2010 2:29 am

JaredKaragen wrote:Second note: automater gauges, they can be inaccurate or become inaccurate. I have seen 5 off the shelf units hooked to the same source reading different values... When it came to being an automotive mechanic I only trusted my snapon oil pressure tester.... The gauge is more trustable IMHO. Btw: sorry for misunderstanding earlier

It's no problem bro, the line is ran off the sandwich plate with the vtec line. It's good to hear that the autometer gauges go bad, how after driving tonight alittle after the car was warmed up and I came to a stop the oil light came on for a split second. I change my oil pretty religiously , usually every two months regardless of miles. I checked the bearings in febuary and they looked almost brand new. I'm going to drop the pan tomorrow and remove the pump if I see any shavings In the pan them I'll know the bearings were on their way out, it doesn't knock and on startup the oil psi is great. It'll shoot to 90psi with a blip of the gas.... I'll know more tomorrow

9400RPMS · Post by **9400RPMS** » Tue Jul 06, 2010 2:32 am

No leaks at all, I keep my bay clean, and I do add about a quart or less in between oil changes, which is pretty normal. If I don't beat on it , it requires no oil added.