Wednesday, November 24, 2010

How can I improve my oil pressure without replacing oil pump?

This is a 1995 Silverado 5.7 4x4 1500. It seems to me that the 113,000 original miles on it are too low of miles to have caused a drop in oil pressure but maybe it has something to do with the vehicle setting up for 5 years or because I used SeaFoam and didn't change the oil after I added it and it caused my oil to thin out. When I start the truck, I have good oil pressure. I'm running right at about 50 psi. When the truck get's warmed up though, it drops down to about 20-25 psi at about 1500 RPM. I didn't think anything of it until I saw a friend's oil pressure gauge and his dropped to about 20psi if he didn't have his foot on the gas, but as soon as he put his foot on the gas it would jump back up to 40psi.How can I improve my oil pressure without replacing oil pump?
Did you ever change the oil and filter after putting the SeaFoam in? That's where you should probably start. Once you get the proper viscosity oil and new filter, your oil pressure may improve.How can I improve my oil pressure without replacing oil pump?
Are you still running with that crap Sea Foam in the engine. If yes change your oil and stop messing up you engine, it won't last long if you keep putting that crap in there and not take it out.How can I improve my oil pressure without replacing oil pump?
If you haven't changed the oil after the SeaFoam yet, what are you waiting for. If you did, try a slightly higher viscosity oil. If you have been using 10W-30, try 10W-40, or 20W50 and see if that has any effect.How can I improve my oil pressure without replacing oil pump?
It's been my experience that your oil pressure that you describe in your question is normal for these engines.

It's been my experience that replacing the oil pump will not improve this pressure to any significant amount. You can disassemble the engine and tighten up all of the bearing clearances - but this is simply a case where the expense and time won't nearly justify the end.

Change the oil and filter - perhaps a slightly heavier oil - and simply drive it.How can I improve my oil pressure without replacing oil pump?
Your oil pump is acting perfectly normal in your Chevrolet. The only barn yard cheap way to increase oil pressure is by installing a higher pressure relief spring in the oil pump or bolting on a Melling high volume pump. High pressure and high volume oil pumps rob you of horsepower.



Stop dumping trick additives in the oil pan. Read the handbook in your glove compartment in the oil section. If you don't have time to read it I'll tell you what says: GM does not recommend adding additives to the crankcase! Stick with the factory recommended 5W-30 motor oil. Valvoline, Havoline, Mobil 7000, Brad Penn and Kendall have above average derergent packages. If you feel you need slightly more oil pressure at low RPM do not go any higher in viscosity grade than 10W-30.



There is a delusional person who answers questions here who claims to work for a Chevrolet dealership. His claim to fame is advising people to use non energy conserving 10W-40 when the odometer reaches 75,000 miles and (get this) 20W-50 when the odometer reaches 100,000 miles. He goes on to say: That's what our dealership does. There's not a car or truck company in America that recommends 10W-40 or 20W-50 in the factory hand book.How can I improve my oil pressure without replacing oil pump?
I agree with LeAnne and Country Boy - that is normal. If the pressure reads below 10 psi at idle you should get it checked, but most engines are fine with as little as 4-6 psi at idle.



Please resist the temptation to use higher viscosity oil, though. The old mantra was %26quot;more pressure%26quot; but the modern mantra is %26quot;more flow.%26quot; It is not the trivial pressure of the oil that keeps the metal separated, it is the film strength. That means the crucial part is getting oil reliably into even the closest tolerances in the engine and in that way doubling the viscosity produces the same flow as cutting the pressure in half. Of course there is a limit, but if you use the viscosity the owner's manual calls for (regardless of the engine's age) you won't go wrong.



Oil has to be one of the most controversial subjects in car care (please don't get the whole synthetic vs dino oil debate stirred up again!) but the sources provide what I think is a good balance of basic info.
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