what is normal oil pressure?

[78Chief]

When I crank my beast up the oil pressure usually goes up near the 80 mark and within a minute or so is around 40. Driving on the highway it always stays at 40. When I am driving around town it will go between 20 and 40 but a stoplights i notice it creeping down near the red zone. it never goes into it but gets right on the border. What is normal? I hope this is but I haven't found anyone to tell me for sure.

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78 Chief
401 (The Beast)
33" BFG a/t
Hey It's Big and Green!

Screw Al Gore!

[MonsterMash]

40 psi is normal. With a heavy weight oil the pressure will be elevated. The low oil pressure may be a bad pump or a cracked/warped timing chain cover. There is a pressure relief valve on you oil pump that can be removed and cleaned. This may account for the high pressure reading or maybe even the variable pressure readings. On your oil pump near the filter is a hex nut. If you remove that there is a spring (not under lots of tension) and a plunger. You can try cleaning that.

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" I'm not going to make policy based on guilt."
--Gov. George "Dubya" Bush

"The internal combustion engine is the single greatest threat to life on this planet."
--Vice Pres. Al Gore
(I guess he walks to work?)

'84GW360--"Spinner"
Sir Gary Boyd's Ford truck ignition upgrade
Electric fuel pump
9.50x30x15 Dirt-Diggers
No emmissions crap (musta' been the previous owner, officer)
Missing interior & exterior pieces
Chipped windshield
Otherwise stock
(soon to be 4v--I'll blame that on the previous owner as well)

[Coley]

I was wondering too..

Haynes says the oil pressure at idle should be abt. 13 psi and 37-75 psi at 1600 rpm for 304, 360, and 401's.



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84 GW
360 727 NP229
Totally stock
"You're obsessed with that thing!"

[MonsterMash]

13 psi would be in the red zone on my gauge. I personally like having higher than normal oil pressure. Mine is always 60+ psi. Just lost about 10 psi switching from 20w50 to 10w30 for winter use.

------------------
" I'm not going to make policy based on guilt."
--Gov. George "Dubya" Bush

"The internal combustion engine is the single greatest threat to life on this planet."
--Vice Pres. Al Gore
(I guess he walks to work?)

'84GW360--"Spinner"
Sir Gary Boyd's Ford truck ignition upgrade
Electric fuel pump
9.50x30x15 Dirt-Diggers
No emmissions crap (musta' been the previous owner, officer)
Missing interior & exterior pieces
Chipped windshield
Otherwise stock
(soon to be 4v--I'll blame that on the previous owner as well)

[YaZahX]

i use mobil1 10-40 oil, when its been doing normal driving and i stop at a red light, its pressure will drop very low, and it will spudder i have to throw it in park and give it alittle gas to keep it from stalling...

[jhkelly]

That is that lovely AMC design. Alum. housing. http://www.ifsja.org/ubb/mad.gif