What's your normal oil pressure?

[BigBadWag]

I was just looking to get some input on this. I know AMC engines are notorious for low oil pressure, but how low is "normal"? My engine is old and runs pretty rough, and it idles at about 22 lbs (psi or whatever the unit is). The engine is strong enough to haul around the 36's with relative ease though. Anyway, what does YOUR oil pressure gauge read? -Zach

[ArtsiFrtsi]

:D You think AMC's have low oil pressure, you should see what a chebby has... I run about 30 at highway speeds, and around 10 at idle! :D

[kyjman]

My 82.....258 with 154,000 on it holds about 2 or 3 lbs at idle, and about 8 lbs at highway speeds. Of course when its first started its alot higher....its like a Timex.....takes a licing but keeps on ticking.....and ticking is what I mean....those lifters, cam or whatever are so worn, its like a thrashing machine is running. It gets me there and back reliabialy.....

[64Trvlr]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by archiele:
You think AMC's have low oil pressure, you should see what a chebby has... <hr></blockquote>

Mine has 55-60 PSI hot idle and 60-65 PSI on the highway.
:cool:

[BOONIERAT]

With the original dash gauge it was reading 40 nornal, 30 at idle. With the new mech gauge it 70 at startup (cold), 40 at idle and 55-60 while driving. The thing I really like about the mech gauge is it's very responsive to engine RPM, where the electrical gauge would move even when you reved the engine up past 2000 RPM.

[xj2fsj]

mine pretty much stays around 20 psi regardless of rpm or load. I posted a question similar to this one a while back and I gotno solid leads as to whether mine was to low. I am amazed at the variance in pressures in these trucks, shouldn't there be a standard? what was factory psi? anyone know this? chrysler sure as hell doesn't. BTW my engine runs real smooth with only the occasional miss.

[arter]

Trusty Chilton's says 50 psi for the 258 @ 2000 rpm and 40 psi for the 350,360,401 @ 2000 rpm.
Trusty Hayne's says 13 psi @ idle & 37 to 75 @ 1600 rpm for the V8 and 30 to 70 psi above 2000 rpm for the 258. I'm getting 25 at hot idle with the mech gauge (rebuilt 401), haven't had it out on the highway yet, maybe this weekend. :D

[Lugnut]

If you're showing 22 lbs. at idle and more than that on the highway then you shouldn't have any concerns. I would consider 25 lbs. at hot idle to be reasonable on an AMC engine. Newer engines will sometimes show 40 lbs./hot idle.
I would be much more concerned with low oil pressure at highway speeds. If you have 30 or more on the highway I wouldn't be all that concerned.
But, with any "high" mileage engine you should keep a watchful eye at the oil pressure gauge if you're pulling a pretty heavy load. If you're not pulling a heavy load and the gauge stays steady at say 30 or more then you should not have any real concerns.

[thos]

Does the TFI affect pressure? I ask b/c before I did the upgrade my highway reading was 55-60. Since the upgrade I've been running 65-70 on the highway and seems to be 5-10lbs higher all around. Is this normal?

[Michael]

45-50 crusing around. 10-15 at idle.

As far as cheby every sbc I have built ran 80psi of pressure at full trottle (but that was 7,000 rpms :eek:

[Bombadier]

Mine's at 40 even, under load, and no more, no less. Idle, and it drops down to about 10.....Very hot days and it's lower, or idling for a while.

[ArtsiFrtsi]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by 64Trvlr:


Mine has 55-60 PSI hot idle and 60-65 PSI on the highway.
:cool: <hr></blockquote>

WOW! I've never seen a chebby that high! :D

[bob13]

When I got my GW it was at 30psi at idle warmed up and about 40psi at hwy speeds.

Changed the oil with 10w30 thinking it would go down but got better with 40psi at idle and 50psi on hwy. :D

bob

[shadowfax101]

Around 40 at hot idel and around 55 on the highway

[ironroad29]

mine is 25-30 idle hot and 50 on the road someone was saying there was a post about oil filters and how purolators brought the pressure up about 10 # across the range.

[Waggie82lim]

mine is at about 45 psi idle, and 65 -70 highwayt speed

[Lugnut]

I guess I should clarify my response about oil pressures. My response was for the AMC V8's. The "sixes" are notorious for low oil pressure although they seem to run forever with low oil pressure. Seems the V8's have to have a little more that "low" to survive for any length of time.
The thing to remember is that unless you have a mechanical gauge hooked up to your engine, what you're seeing on your electrical gauge is an estimate, at best. I don't think any two electrical gauges will show the same reading for a particular pressure. They just kinda let you know you have "some" oil pressure; they ain't "gospel".

[Joe's 89]

Mine does about 30 at idle when hot, and about 55-60 at about 2500 rpm hot. When it's cold, it does 75 psi at all speeds until the old gets hot.

[desert_freak]

KYJMAN my J10 with the 258 isn't far off from yours for both noise and pressure :D But it just takes a lickin... I really notice when the oil is low on my pressure guage (I use a fair amount of oil).

I will have to hook up my autometer mech. guage and see what it says.

P.J.