Oil pressure when cold.

[sireland67]

It is really get getting cold down here around 12F this morning.
It snowed about 6 inches and the wife wanted to use my jeep so I fired the old power wagon up to take it to work.
The old gal cranked right up first try, but I looked at the oil pressure gauge (factory electric).
It read a little bit over 0 psi. Let it warm up until it was melting the snow on the windshield.
It read about 5 psi. :wack:
On a warm day the old truck starts and goes to 40 and idles hot at 20.
The old gal has 10w-40 in it but it is way to heavy for the temps we are seeing.

Tonight it is supposed to be around 1F, I put a magnetic heater on the oil pan to help it out in the morning.

There was no ticking in the top end, just want you guys to know to let you old cars/trucks warm up before you run them.

 

[dano]

I've always seen the pressure be higher than normal in colder temps when the engine is dead cold, If the pump can move the oil.

 

[diymirage]

I've always seen the pressure be higher than normal in colder temps when the engine is dead cold, If the pump can move the oil.

that would be logical, and consistent with his statement that the truck normally runs at 40 when cold, 20 once warm

if it were my truck I would get a basic oil pressure gauge, pop the hood and see if I couldn't hook it up in the engine bay for checking purposes
just to verify if the reading on the stock gauge is correct or not

 

[RedFish]

I have to think those numbers are coming from aftermarket live line / mechanical gauge.

 

[sireland67]

An update from this morning.
Used the magnetic heater all night on the oil pan.
Started up this morning, the temp was 1 degree, fired right up, oil pressure slowly went to about 30 psi.
Let the truck warm up for about 10 minutes, oil pressure was at about normal 20 psi for the motor temp, drove the truck to work.

After work started the truck up, it was 8 deg out, same crap low oil pressure.
I guess 10w-40 is way to heavy for temps below 10 degrees.

here is the heater I used.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BOABS6/?tag=joeychgo-20

 

[pishta]

5W-30 is good from -20 to 60F. 5 when cold and thickens to 30 at 100C. try it.

 

[moper]

When I was driving them daily I never changed the oil I used but I had some tricks... I'd park it close to whatever structure I could to limit the wind, and hang an old style incandescent trouble light under the hood if it was below 10° overnight. I also had a peice of black cardboard that I'd tuck in front of 1/2 the radiator to keep the temps up when buzzing down the highway like the heavy trucks do. It made the heater work a lot better too.