So there is around 3 to 4k on the new short block. I got sick and tired of the reading on the stock gague so i put in a automoter nexus gauge. Here are the readings.


Idle 1000rpms (having some idle issues that im trying to work out) 20psi
2100 rpms 30 psi
2800 rpms 50 psi
4200 rpms 80 psi

didnt want to take it past that since the gauge was already near pegging at 100 psi at that point. I know if i dropped the idle down to normal at 700 it would be close to the minimum at 15-13 psi. So to me it seems like it was too low at idle and way to high at upper rpms. Im running 10w-30 a this point. Before my idle got messed up it was around 2-3 ticks from the bottom on the stock gauge. I did notice a dramatic drop in the stock gauge since the new short block went in...but not really sure what the heck is going on. Any insight into this would be much appreciated. Oh and btw, the stock gauge sucks. It hardly moved most of the time but with the nexus gauge in there is moves all over the place. Even at idle you can see it jump around.

Looks normal to me... Little high, but once the oil really gets warmed up (in the summer months), you'll find it'll be a little lower.

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06 Blue EVO 9

welcome to the "people who actually know what their engine is doing club."

with 10w30 that seems almost completely normal.

on my greddy gauge with 15w50 on a block with 115k on it I see about the same readings. 14ish psi at idle. I can't say I remember what it jumps up to at speed, but I know that it follows the rpms like a second tachometer.

you should really be only looking for about 15~20 psi at idle on almost any engine. When I first got my gauge, and was suprised at what an unadultered peice of $h1t the stock gauge was the first thing I did was stop out by my uncle (builds race engines for a living) and confirmed what I was seeing.

As you get up in RPMs there should be a pressure by-pass that will open and only alow so much pressure, but it's WAY up there.

That's why the guys running ball bearing turbos put filters in the turbo oil line. they need to drop that pressure or the bearings will blow out.

You'll know when your going to spin a bearing 'cause your gauge will go to zero. then you have a very short amount af time before the bearing actually spins and causes mucho damage. But with an aftermarket gauge it is possible to save the engine before catastrophic damage.

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Bad decisions make good stories.
Look at it! LOOK AT MY @SS AND TELL ME IT'S PRETTY!

It still seems low at idle for being a brand new engine and dropped a lot (on the stock gauge) before I put in the new gauge. I do have a pretty large oil cooler and its mounted on the passenger front of the car. Maybe if I put it back to the stock location, that is if it fits, maybe i'll see some better pressure at idle. I think at idle it doesnt have enough pressure to push through all of the lines and throught the big cooler.

I completely disagree. Putting it back in the stock location will only make matters worse as it won't cool the oil as effectively.

Hotter oil = thinner oil = less pressure

Bigger lines/cooler only means you must run more oil. That's all.

^^ I concur.

about the best thing to do would be get a blueprinted oil pump. something where you know the clearances. that would probably raise the pressure.

other than that, what where the bearing clearances when you put the motor together.

were all the squirters in the block, that point at the piston ok. that can lower oil pressure also.


EDIT:

also you could try a thicker engine oil, such as a 15w40, or something. probably not what you want to hear.

I like to run a thicker oil in my engine, but most 3/S owners look at me funny. I always assumed it was my face...

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Bad decisions make good stories.
Look at it! LOOK AT MY @SS AND TELL ME IT'S PRETTY!

I too have found mine seems to run better on 15W50.

Just my 2 hp.

Best,

SJ

Also, your post on 3si, about the pressure jumping around at idle, I also notice that on mine.

WAY more-so when I fried my sending unit wires on my downpipe, and had to re-wire with unsheilded wires.

make sure that you don't have any extra length of wire looped around itself, as that will cause major jumpage in the signal to the gauge. It all needs to be relatively straight.

any electronic interference will cause a bit of "jumpyness" too.

_________________
Bad decisions make good stories.
Look at it! LOOK AT MY @SS AND TELL ME IT'S PRETTY!

My car has never idled steady, but i dont think any do. The rpms always jump around 75rpms or so on the datalogger. Was just say that I could see the needle wiggle around....something you would never see on the stock gauge. Also, it seems like it hits the pressure reliefe on my at 80psi or so. Funny thing is, 80psi on my stock gauge is just above the first big tick.

Says something doesn't it?

I also run 15w50 in my car. This is just reassurance that when the oil is cooking from running 22psi of boost, it's still thick enough to keep its viscosity.

Ha Ha Ha Ha.

Your a funny guy. PSI on the stock gauge. who knows what that thing was reading. Next time your in GB, I'll show you what the inside of that guage looks like, and the power running to it. eek. There is more than one reason that our stock gauges lick ... popsicles ... yeah. big, pink, flacid popsicles.

my idle also varies on the logger. by about that much.

The stock gauge is so slow to react that it would never pick that up. why do you think it's to slow to react to save cranks and pistons?

_________________
Bad decisions make good stories.
Look at it! LOOK AT MY @SS AND TELL ME IT'S PRETTY!

I dont know if I'm comfortable running 15-50 on my new motor though. Since I do like to drive it in the winter on nicer days, it dont want the oil to be sludge. Im still having problems with the oil turning dark rather quickly through - when I put the gauge in yesterday I took a sample of oil that I'll be sending off to blackstone labs for testing.

I also think its funny that my oil pressure at idle was one or two ticks from the bottom on the stock gauge. That is enough to freak a guy out who spent 4k on a new motor Throw in a autometer nexus gauge and bam, normal readings. Oh and forgot to mention I got a killer deal on the gauge. When my new motor first went in I purchased the nexus control unit and an EGT gauge (that one was kinda stupid for me to get in retrospect) for like $350ish or so. Then I did an ebay search for them the other day. Autometer has an artificial price floor on these gauges and will get ebay to cancel auctions if the price is below that. Well this guy already had his auctions shut down once so I just offered him $130 shipped for the oil pressure gauge and he took it. If I would have had some extra cash on me I would have bought all 7 gauges that he was selling.

That's steadier than my car which bounces around as much as 150 rpms!

With the stock MAS and SAFR, it bounced up and down about 75 rpms too.