BlackZenki82

like the title says, I'm having some oil PSI reading probs... so let's start from the beginning shall we??

okay, so when i first got my motor, a S13 SR20DET blacktop, i had put in my autometer Cobalt Oil PSI gauge, as well as a few others... either, way, just letting you know what i have. i've noticed over the past few days of driving 50 miles a day while moving to and from my new place that my oil psi seems to be dropping... at first on the interstate, it usually read around 50-55PSI cruising @ around 75mph. Yesterday, i noticed it on my return trip dropping to about 45-50 cruising... now this monring, on the way here, i dropped all the way to 40psi @ 3.25k rpm/75mph... and another weird thing is the oil pressure DROPS when under boost, or acceleration, but goes back up to 40psi once cruising... also, i've noticed a bit of oil on the back of my car, bumper, tail lights, back of trunk lid. i do have 3 oil leaks, all minor, one is on the NPT fitting for the gauge, one is the rear of my oilpan (bolts stripped in upper pan, already have another pan to replace), and the third is on my oil feed for my turbo... now these are all "light" leaks, overnight, i'm left with a spot about the size of a dollar bill, some of which is my PS fluid (to me that's not that bad hahahah)....

as a side note, i'm running Rotella 15w40 oil (recently recommended to replace my Mobil1 10w30 to help clean engine and raise PSI)

so to recap, for those who don't like to read...

oil pressure getting lower and lower every day, 40psi on highway
oil pressure drops when under boost, raises back up when cruising
3 minor oil leaks
oil/misc wetness on back of car
oil pressure @ 15psi at idle (been like that for a while, was usually at 20psi till i ran it at the track one night)

so, as we stand, my theories are that it's either-

A-oil pump is giving out
B-Rings are going out, yet i have ZERO smoke out of my exhaust, i mean NONE
C-leaks are worse under load, and need to be repaired ASAP

i'm getting a new S14 on monday, and will be swapping the SR out of my current S14 into the new car, so as i have the motor out, it will provide easier access to repair, replace, rebuild if needed...

just looking for opinions from you guys as to what it might be, i do all work on my car, and pride myself on it, and very rarely ask for help.... later today, i'll do a comp test if i feel safe enough after going over it as soon as it cools down enough to fix a couple of the leaks.

thanks guys!!!

jramosthe1st!

iTrader: (1)

to check your oil pressure rev the engine to 3k rpms under no load. i don't remember the specifics for the sr so you'll need a fsm to be sure. also something that you need to keep in mind is that as the temperature of the oil rises it becomes less viscus. this means that at different temperatures you'll get different psi readings.

at this point in time it seems to be too soon to worry about the rings and pump.
the first thing i'd do is fix the oil leaks regardless of size, then get a fsm and look into the proper testing procedure.

BlackZenki82

true true.... but i'm worried about PSI dropping while boosting....

BlackZenki82

god i feel like such a n00b for not doing work before i post.... see what being lazy does?

either way, i got it figured out... the crush sleeve in the NPT fitting didn't seat right when i first installed the oil PSI gauge... it seated crooked actually, causeing a hole in the oil line... here's the pic...

bad sleeve/section of line that was leaking on the left, new 1/8 crush sleeve on the right


SO, i figured out why my oil pressure was dropping too... since i was spewing so much oil out of this line, it actually drained 90% of my Rotella... i pulled the dipstick, and just the very tip tip tip had a dab of oil on it... and that was probably from sliding down the tube.. so what I'm going to do is nurse the car to wal-mart (it's right across the street), get some more Rotella, top it off, and go for a test drive to make sure that's what was up with my lack of pressure/excessive leaking...this is the Second time my oil pressure gauge has saved my motor.....

i'll let ya guys know what's up....

BlackZenki82

that crush sleeve was the problem... oil PSI is up to normal, idle, cruise, and interstate speed

jramosthe1st!

iTrader: (1)

at least you got it figured out.

BlackZenki82

yeah, kind of a worthless post... glad it wasn't something ore serious...

JapanS15

maybe worthless to you, but this thread may help someone else down the road. Just glad you figured it out and wasn't expensive to fix.

Evans1109

As long as the person SEARCHES!

Biggamehit

iTrader: (2)

i don't like those things at all even when they function right. good job on finding the issue though.

BlackZenki82

thanks biggame, that means a lot coming from you, and i'll eventually be getting elec gauges, but that's at the bottom of my list...

ya know guys, most of you remember when i first got on here, a total n00b with that stock black zenki i had, watched me build it, commented how i needed to get rid of honda wheels and get coils... remember guys? i just want to say i've spent A LOT of time on the misc 240 forums, and from doing my own work, and being a info *****, i've gaines a **** load of knowledge... i think i should hang around here more often, to contribute more, as this was the first forum i joined after getting my 240, and 90% have been nothing but helpful... i think it's time i returned the favor... prepare for an increased post count!!!

Biggamehit

iTrader: (2)

no problem man.... look at my first couple threads ever posted back in 2004..... they were noobish questions also.. now i am where i am....

im a sex godess..... i mean god yea ...........

BlackZenki82

lol


any luck with added shims in the diff? been a while since i talked to you about that, wondering if you know of any RELIABLE set ups..