Question on my oil pressure

HooliganSKATE

New Member
So my car is a 98 Integra turbo, with roughly 131,xxx miles on it. Stock motor is still in the car as well.

I've got a glowshift oil pressure gauge installed in my car, and from what I can tell my oil pressure is fine when cruising, but when the car gets warmed up after driving on the highway back from college usually the oil pressure drops to around 15 psi or so at idle. That was my normal low end point I would notice, but today after getting off the highway I noticed that the oil pressure dropped to around 10 psi.

I'm just not sure what acceptable oil pressures should be with a setup like mine?? Is my oil pressure too low? If so where should I start checking? I think I may have a bad oil pressure sensor that the gauge uses (issuing a line off the sandwich plate) because even just at idle sometimes the gauge will bounce around and stuff. I know glowshift isn't the greatest brand, so if all I need to do is get a nicer gauge I can do that!

Thanks for any help!
Evan




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Muckman

Not a M0derator
The hotter the oil gets the lower the pressure will be. This concern is common among new oil pressure gauge users.

10psi at full operating temp is minimum (in my opinion that means full oil temp, not coolant temp).
I like to see 15psi or I get uncomfortable.

At full operating temp, what is the peak oil pressure? Thats really the important part.
What weight oil are you running?
 

96LSteg

Jemel
Muckman said:
The hotter the oil gets the lower the pressure will be. This concern is common among new oil pressure gauge users.
Click to expand...
Is this because the viscosity (may be the wrong term) changes as the temps rise?
 


HooliganSKATE

New Member
Muckman said:
The hotter the oil gets the lower the pressure will be. This concern is common among new oil pressure gauge users.

10psi at full operating temp is minimum (in my opinion that means full oil temp, not coolant temp).
I like to see 15psi or I get uncomfortable.

At full operating temp, what is the peak oil pressure? Thats really the important part.
What weight oil are you running?
Click to expand...

I'm running 5w-30 full synthetic. I'm not sure what the peak oil pressure is, but I'll check that and post back!


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Muckman

Not a M0derator
Do you run a magnetic drain plug? If you dont, get one. Its the quick and easy way to tell if you have bearing material in your oil pan. If you can rule that out as cause/effect of low oil pressure then we can move on to try a thicker oil, oil cooler etc. Alternative is to drop the oil pan and check the bottom for metal debris.
 

HooliganSKATE

New Member
I do have a magnetic oil drain plug, and last two times I've changed the oil I haven't seen any metal or material on it. There has been some really really weird like silver goop that seems like gasket maker type feeling stuff on the drain plug, but not a lot of it at all. It's squishy and does not in any way feel like metal shavings. I need to change my oil pan gasket out which I will actually be going back to the stock pan due to the moroso pan leaking slightly no matter what I do.. I'll check in the bottom of the pan. As of last time I did the pan ( a month and a half ago) there was no material in the bottom


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Muckman

Not a M0derator
The really fine powder that you are describing is the bearing as they break in. Its normal. I worry when there are metal shavings stuck to it.
 

Nick_C78

New Member
Bearing material won't stick to the magnetic drain plug. It isn't magnetic. Only cylinder walls and rings are magnetic. Bearing material generally just gets sucked up in to the oil pick up and plugs it. That psi is the bare minimum. Over time as bearings wear oil pressure drops. What is the psi at 6k rpm? Should be around 70-80ish
 

Nick_C78

New Member
Sorcery. What about the other side... lol the copper isn't at least. Idk what that back layer is made out of.
 

Muckman

Not a M0derator
This is an ACL bearing. Ive never seen a break down of OEM Honda bearings but I assume they are similar


Lead, tin, copper are not magnetic. Nickel is slightly magnetic. Steel of course is very magnetic.
The top layer is very soft. Usually if you have any oiling issues the top layer is sacrificed and you are down to the lower layers (steel).
 

Nick_C78

New Member
Interesting. Forgot they had steel layer...my bad. Lol

Edit: Btw if you are wearing down to the steel backing, you have a huge problem
 
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