My oil pressure is going away.....

superdart said

I played around with the car tonight and never did hear that noise...maybe I am just losing my mind?

But, after driving it around a bunch on the streets and highway (10 miles?) The car was running about 190-200 degrees sitting at a traffic light (still no fan shroud, working on that) and my oil pressure at 650 rpm is 25-30 psi.

At 2,000 rpms I'm showing about 55-60 psi...I'm thinking I have a standard oil pump, because even cold it has NEVER gotten over 60-65 psi.

It seems fine I guess, but if I ever need to get into the engine for anything, I'm putting an HV pump in it.:read2:

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Of course I don't know what a Texan considers "cold" but 25-30 psi at 650 is fine with 10W-40 at 100F ambient. If it drops below 20 psi when hot at idle in those temps I'd start getting worried.

Keep in mind that if it was built with large tolerances (over .002) on the crank and rods and was NOT fitted with a HV pump, oil pressure will be on the low side. Tolerances less than .002 with a HV pump will give a usual 70 psi cold and 35+ hot on a relatively new engine with 65-70 psi around 2500 rpm (where oil pressure is measured on a stock engine). Chrysler says 40 psi at 2500 rpm is just fine...... for a stock engine and they'll live for 100K+ mi. like that.

Here is the exception to that rule:

If you had the engine rebuilt and you are now 20 psi below what you had previously above 2500 rpm, there is a problem.

Not knowing the builder, the clearances, the pump type, etc. I can't tell you if you are having bearing issues due to cam lobe destruction or whatever. I can say that it's a change in oil pressure that you have to look out for given the same viscosity, brand of oil, oil filter, ambient temp, ect.

I hope this helps. :read2: