Thread: Turbo Oil Weight

make sure the connectors on the sender are tight. if they are tight then I would suspect the sender is going bad.

your sending unit and/or gauge is faulty. That, or your engine is about to explode. Anything less than 15psi or so at idle would be a problem unless it's a super hot 95F+ day. I think the lowest I've seen my oil pressure get at idle was 12, but that's when the car was starting to overheat so it was too hot anyways.

There are oil pressure specs in the FSM.

I use Rotella T6 5w-40. I used this on a track day with 90F+ heat and had no issues.

-G

I'm leaning toward the oil pressure gauge or the sending unit as well. I might order another one and try that with my next oil change. I haven't heard a single knock in the engine, and as hard as I run that car, I would expect to have heard something if the oil pressure were really that low. I'm wondering if the sensor is getting too hot and reading incorrectly, as it sits pretty close to the exhaust... I might try wrapping the exhaust through that section and see if taking some of the heat off of it helps any.

On another note, my dyno day was ruined by a leak that sprung from my coolant bypass hose. I had not one problem before they strapped her down. Thirty seconds before it would have been doing the first pull, my engine bay started steaming. The only thing worse than not being able to dyno because of it is, of course, all of the bullshit you have to go through just to get to the damned hose.

If the sender is being heat soaked it will read funny.

That's what I'm thinking. I'll try wrapping the exhaust.

You think wrapping the sensor would help too?

wrapping the exhaust will help. You would need to use a thermal reflectant on the sender. I have had this issue with a water temp sensor due its mounting location being hot and soaking the sensor. it would read high once the engine got hot and be off by 30 deg. it was most noticeable when sitting stopped. I checked the temps via my laptop and found they were not as high as what the gauge was reading.

I've had some problems with my Prosports so I'm leaning towards the sender being faulty. My coolant sensor sits next to a 6266 right above an unwrapped ss manifold and it has no issues reading correctly, but I have had problems with a faulty gauge and sender. You should be able to hold 11psi minimum (@850rpm) with a 5w30 on a <80° day at operating temp if your pump is good.

I have no problems with oil pressure using 5w20 in south Alabama where it is already reaching temps of 85°, but I plan on using Joe Gibbs Driven HR 10w40 for the summer. Anybody looking for an awesome oil should give it a look. Tons of phosphorous and low calcium at about $10 a quart. Joe Gibbs uses it in all of their 10k rpm, flat tappet, 800whp Nascar engines.

Just change to a mechanical gauge? With 5w30 synthetic I had 80psi on cold starts with the stock Avenir. I believe the FSM says 12-15psi at operating temp and 850 rpm. I'm running 20w50 VR1 synthetic now I see about 100+psi on cold start with my VE oil pump.

I have always liked using thicker oils in turbo vehicles. It helps protect the bearings night and day more from abuse. I usually ran mobil 1 15w50, the valvoline 20w50 vr1 race oil is also a great oil. Im currently using brad penn 20w50 partial synthetic race oil in my motor. Its good stuff.

Cold start this morning (about 60* outside), I was almost 60 psi. I'm thinking that I wound up using the stock DE oil pump. I have so many parts laying around my garage, it wouldn't surprise me if I grabbed the wrong one. I think I have the one from the DET sitting there too, so I might rebuild it (if possible) and use that.

I plan on getting the timing chain and guides replaced within the next few months. I have yet to see Zero oil pressure again, but it has gotten close. I don't think there's any way that should have happened switching to 20w50 unless the sending unit were crapping out on me when it gets hot. And I was seeing 60-70+ PSI on cold starts when I first installed the sending unit and gauge.

On the way to work, I was hovering around 50 @ a bit under 4000 rpm and it started falling off at the same RPMs but only by a few PSI... not terrible, but not what I would expect with 20w50 either.

I'll try wrapping the exhaust and see if it changes any, if so, I'll order a new gauge and sending unit.

What recommendations would you guys have? I don't want a mechanical gauge (except for testing). AEM the best way to go (despite the cost)?