Question on my oil pressure readings-happy father's day

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MoparMark91

MoparMark91

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Hey guys I know I have went over this in the past but I wanted to touch base and get some opinions. So if u don't already know I have a brand new built 340 to 373 stroker. Bearings across the board were .0025. I currently run 10w40 lucat hot rod oil. Engine now has hit the 6000 mile mark. When hot idling at a light 850rpm I'm seeing 20-22 psi. Is this normal and also if not should I go to a 20w50? I live in CA so we have warmer weather as well. Car temp usually sits at 185-190 fully warmed up. I'm just concerned on the oil pressure. Please let me know what u guys think? Also happy father's day
 
If yo are using rocker arms with needle bearings on the shaft you are probably ok. If they are bushed you need more volume up there. That’s why I always use a HV pump. You need more oil there sooner. You can switch to a 20w50 oil, but that won’t put any more oil up there.
 
yellow rose said:
If yo are using rocker arms with needle bearings on the shaft you are probably ok. If they are bushed you need more volume up there. That’s why I always use a HV pump. You need more oil there sooner. You can switch to a 20w50 oil, but that won’t put any more oil up there.
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So I have a hv pump and comp roller rockers? Not sure if they are needle bearings
 
These are what I have

Screenshot_20210620-144218.png
 
MoparMark91 said:
Hey guys I know I have went over this in the past but I wanted to touch base and get some opinions. So if u don't already know I have a brand new built 340 to 373 stroker. Bearings across the board were .0025. I currently run 10w40 lucat hot rod oil. Engine now has hit the 6000 mile mark. When hot idling at a light 850rpm I'm seeing 20-22 psi. Is this normal and also if not should I go to a 20w50? I live in CA so we have warmer weather as well. Car temp usually sits at 185-190 fully warmed up. I'm just concerned on the oil pressure. Please let me know what u guys think? Also happy father's day
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Are you reading that oil pressure with a mechanical gauge or the dash gauge? Though not horrible, that low pressure seems unusual for a "fresh" engine. Did it always have this pressure level? Did you build it, or did you have it built? Were all the bearing replaced (mains, cam, rod)? KrazyKuda has an article on building engines and mentioned how he had low oil pressure and found the shop did not replace the cam galley plugs.
 
Ricks70Duster340 said:
Are you reading that oil pressure with a mechanical gauge or the dash gauge? Though not horrible, that low pressure seems unusual for a "fresh" engine. Did it always have this pressure level? Did you build it, or did you have it built? Were all the bearing replaced (mains, cam, rod)? KrazyKuda has an article on building engines and mentioned how he had low oil pressure and found the shop did not replace the cam galley plugs.
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Everything was new and I replaced everything is was my first performance build. Would putting 20w50 be bad? It's a mechanical Stewart warner guage. If I barely tap the throttle it will go up. When its cold start it sits at 60 and when fully warmed up at idle it will sit at 20-22 but will jump up as soon as throttle goes up or when I'm cruising it does just fine
 
MoparMark91 said:
Everything was new and I replaced everything is was my first performance build. Would putting 20w50 be bad? It's a mechanical Stewart warner guage. If I barely tap the throttle it will go up. When its cold start it sits at 60 and when fully warmed up at idle it will sit at 20-22 but will jump up as soon as throttle goes up or when I'm cruising it does just fine
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If it were mine, I would use 20W50 because that is what I use in my car. Certainly would not hurt!
 
That oil pressure is fine. Zero need to use another oil looking for more pressure. That's absolute nonsense. What's the pressure at say 2000 RPM? That's where most factory service manuals give the spec.
 
RustyRatRod said:
That oil pressure is fine. Zero need to use another oil looking for more pressure. That's absolute nonsense. What's the pressure at say 2000 RPM? That's where most factory service manuals give the spec.
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2000 rpm is 50psi
 
I just want to make sure everything is alright and not a red flag I have a bunch of vr1 20w50 and one 10w40 Lucas hot rod oil. Should I just stick with the 10w40 or try out the 20w50?
 
RustyRatRod said:
No it's fine. I thought we'd been over this before a while back.
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Yeah just worried it would get worse in time or something, just was worries since this my first performance engine I built by myself
 
MoparMark91 said:
2000 rpm is 50psi
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You have no problems with your oil pressure. If it had 6000 miles on it now, change the oil and filter. That's actually how I tell the oil needs changing in my 75 F250. When it doesn't quite have as high a pressure as it did on the fresh oil change, it's time. I run the 10/30 Lucas oil in both of mine.
 
MoparMark91 said:
Yeah just worried it would get worse in time or something, just was worries since this my first performance engine I built by myself
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Keep an eye on it....but I'm sure it's fine.
 
MoparMark91 said:
Hey guys I know I have went over this in the past but I wanted to touch base and get some opinions. So if u don't already know I have a brand new built 340 to 373 stroker. Bearings across the board were .0025. I currently run 10w40 lucat hot rod oil. Engine now has hit the 6000 mile mark. When hot idling at a light 850rpm I'm seeing 20-22 psi. Is this normal and also if not should I go to a 20w50? I live in CA so we have warmer weather as well. Car temp usually sits at 185-190 fully warmed up. I'm just concerned on the oil pressure. Please let me know what u guys think? Also happy father's day
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10 pounds per 1000 rpm is adequate , most people want/like more , I wouldnt worry about it ---------
 
MoparMark91 said:
Okay but is 20psi at hot idle 850rpm necessarily bad?
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Those are bushed rockers. When the pressure at the pressure port is 20 you most likely have about 5 at the rockers. Maybe 0. You must have Grand Canyon wide bearing clearances to have that low of idle pressure with a 10w40 oil.

I don’t believe the 10 psi for 1000 RPM either. With some of this modern stuff or high end engines they might only have 40 psi at 8000 RPM. I used to run 100-110 at 8500 but I was running well over 300 pound springs on the seat. If I didn’t have 50 psi at idle, the bushed rockers would grab the shaft.

I have a full set of PRW stainless bushed rockers because the dude who had them was running 20 psi at idle and it was leaving some bushing on the shafts.

Oil today is thinner, better and everything else than it ever has been. .0025 on the rods and mains are loose today. I run .002 on the rods and .0022 on the mains and that’s a bit loose. Using yesteryear’s standards on today’s engines is bad policy.
 
yellow rose said:
Those are bushed rockers. When the pressure at the pressure port is 20 you most likely have about 5 at the rockers. Maybe 0. You must have Grand Canyon wide bearing clearances to have that low of idle pressure with a 10w40 oil.

I don’t believe the 10 psi for 1000 RPM either. With some of this modern stuff or high end engines they might only have 40 psi at 8000 RPM. I used to run 100-110 at 8500 but I was running well over 300 pound springs on the seat. If I didn’t have 50 psi at idle, the bushed rockers would grab the shaft.

I have a full set of PRW stainless bushed rockers because the dude who had them was running 20 psi at idle and it was leaving some bushing on the shafts.

Oil today is thinner, better and everything else than it ever has been. .0025 on the rods and mains are loose today. I run .002 on the rods and .0022 on the mains and that’s a bit loose. Using yesteryear’s standards on today’s engines is bad policy.
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I have .0022-.0025 all the way thru , no problems , but have full time oiling to the top end .
 
RustyRatRod said:
No it's fine. I thought we'd been over this before a while back.
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yup
and we will go over it again next week

im not sure if you and Kitty have kids, but if you dont, consider this your fathers day present
now you know how it feels
 
yellow rose said:
That’s with big block main and rod bearing sizes.
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If he's not getting oil to the top, but I bet he is, he needs more volume, not pressure. You said so yourself. He already has a high volume oil pump. Nobody makes an "extra high volume".
 
RustyRatRod said:
If he's not getting oil to the top, but I bet he is, he needs more volume, not pressure. You said so yourself. He already has a high volume oil pump. Nobody makes an "extra high volume".
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I agree. I can’t figger out where the oil is going. He certainly needs more volume. If he already has the HV pump it’s got oil going somewhere else.
 
Just found something after I got home....popped the hood and my new mopar performance valve covers aren't sitting all the way down because of my intake runners...so it's running everywhere all over and being thrown everywhere....complete mess...then my oil pressure line that goes to my guage somehow came loose and I had my gf give it gas while I watched it and it leaks out at high pressure. Would that be what's causing all my issues cause I was wondering why I went from 25-27 psi to 20-22psi hot idle. Also I can't tell yet but looks like my oil filter has oil all over it but could be from the valve covers. So I'll fix the pressure gauge line and guess I'll have to notch my new covers then
 
MoparMark91 said:
Just found something after I got home....popped the hood and my new mopar performance valve covers aren't sitting all the way down because of my intake runners...so it's running everywhere all over and being thrown everywhere....complete mess...then my oil pressure line that goes to my guage somehow came loose and I had my gf give it gas while I watched it and it leaks out at high pressure. Would that be what's causing all my issues cause I was wondering why I went from 25-27 psi to 20-22psi hot idle. Also I can't tell yet but looks like my oil filter has oil all over it but could be from the valve covers. So I'll fix the pressure gauge line and guess I'll have to notch my new covers then
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Well yeah. lol Make sure it's full of oil when you get done with your fixes.
 
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