I have a 96 camaro 3.8 with around 180000 miles, but thats not all on this engine. Before I got it the engine was changed.

When I change oil (Valvoline MaxLife 5W-30 High Mileage Synthetic Blend) and filter (Fram then purolator) twice since owning it for a year and half. The oil pressure is above half a bit at idle and with driving its 3/4 on the gauge and doesn't move off 3/4 at idle or with rpm's till it warms up. Once warm it a little below half then it goes up to half or more when driving. Oil gauge is very responsive with rpm's too.

After it been driven a few days not even a 100 miles on new oil, oil pressure is half way when cold start Idle and with rpm's very little movement on gauge. Once warmed up it a little under 1/4 at idle and a bit under half when driving. This is how it stays till next oil change.

Is this normal for new oil and filter on this engine?

 

Iv'e read from numerous people that the oil pump (It's a gear under the timing cover) gets weak. Maybe its the spring for the oil pressure relief valve going bad? Who knows. All I know is that my car after I changed out the oil gear with the new pressure relief valve and spring the pressure is constant. I am at 3/4 most of the time while driving. After driving a lot I am Never below 1/2 while driving. At Idle I am a hair under half and never anything under that. I use Valvoline High Mileage 10-30. I did notice that before I did the work on the car *when I first bought it* that it was running some pretty weak oil pressure. It was OK, but not up to my standards. I guess I would suggest replacing the oil pressure sensor first *Very easy fix. It is the sensor right by the oil filter - About 30 bucks*. And if that fails, change the oil pump. Be advised, that doing this requires new Timing cover gaskets and water pump gaskets (and possibly new heater hose elbow fittings **Get the aluminum ones!**. It's about a 4 hour job if you do it right. You may have to take a wire wheel to the old gasket area. My timing cover gaskets were baked on severely. But once I cleaned it up the new gaskets sealed great.

Some links:

Timing Gasket/Water Pump Gasket: http://www.partsgeek.com/catalog/199...asket_set.html

Elbow fitting (you only need one of them but it comes in a 2 pack): http://www.ebay.com/itm/CAMARO-FIREB...347a1b&vxp=mtr

This is the kit I bought: http://www.partsgeek.com/catalog/199...epair_kit.html

Oil Pressure switch: http://www.partsgeek.com/catalog/199...re_sender.html

OR: http://www.partsgeek.com/catalog/199...ith_gauge.html

 

Thanks. That's what im going to try first is the sensor, then I have a spare oil relief value that im going to try. The oil pump gear be the last thing, since in there might as well do the timing chain too, but that wont be till tax time in cause something goes or found wrong and got the money to fix it.

 

Never tear into any engine based on what a factory gage says. There is a 90%chance the issue is the gage. The factory gage is only slightly better then a dumby lite. I would never put either of those filters on a car unless I needed something on there to keep the oil in while the scrapper hauled it away. I have fixed too many “oil pressure” issues by throwing away orange filters.

I run Bocsh, Mobil one, Royle purple. They seem picey but you can get good deals when you buy the oil and filter together.

FYI if your car was brand new and you took it in with this complaint the dealer would hook up a manual gage verify you had 10 PSI per 1000 RPM and give the car back and tell you it was normal. Assuming you have no other noises. To get their attention would would need to say "Low oil pressure and ticking noise" or "Low pressure and a slight knock".

 

sounds like a normal 180k engine to me. should get another 50-100k out of it if you continue proper maintenance.

 

Ya there are 3.4 guys out there that would kill for a 1/4 oil pressure at idle. I have seen cars drop below 10 PSI at idle and run like that for years.

 

I did a mechanical gauge and cold was 40psi and operating temp was about 15psi and at 2000rpm its about 40psi.

My main question was if new oil and filter would give a higher pressure for the first couple of miles till breaks in. I never see that before maybe a little improvement but that's it, it sorta double idle, cold start and 2000 rpms.

 

switch to 10w40. should bring it up to 20-50.

 

Filters do not break in. Consider it screen on the window. The only way you get more oil pressure is if the new filter flows better then the old one. I have gotten better oil pressure numerous times after replacing cheap filters with good one. Also if the oil is old fresh oil would give you a slight increase. Why that increase would go away I have no clue unless there was so much crude in the motor the new filter has already begun to plug up.

 

I did valve cover gaskets and it looks of a sludge coating couldnt really see metal surfaces . I did an oil pan gasket to and pan had sludge in bottom, nothing stuck in pick up but clean it to. I did cut the oil filter from my first change and it was thick coat of sludge on filter. This was months ago.

I was thinking of changing filter to see if pressure comes back, so i would know if it was oil or filter that gave me higher pressure back.

If i got clog filter, wouldn't the oil relief valve open and get higher pressure again?