Dead at 100K ????

[Ecomike]

Almost forgot, after extensive reading research I am now running nothing but K & N oil filters on all my vehicles. My back up choice would be Mobil 1 and maybe Wix, and maybe if am real desperate a Purolator. All the others are private labeled something else, so they are like a box of chocalates, never know for sure what your gonna get!:roflmao:

 

[FG Jeep]

Last time I checked the minimum hot oil pressure at idle for 4.0s was 13 psi!

What was, or is the oil pressure at 2000 rpm?

If it truely is internal wear I would either trade it in for an older, very well kept model with low mileage since the heads on the 2000 year are know for cracking, and get a 99 or earlier model. The other option is to drop a heavier weight oil in it (40 weight or 20W50), but I would like to know what the oil pressure at 2000 psi is and what oil it has in it currently before recomending a heavier oil. If it is 15 psi cold at start up and 2000 psi, then there is something seriously wrong, if, and I mean if the gauge and oil pressure sensor are working correctly. I would at least drive it somewhere else for a second opinion.

I wonder if this another fram oil filter casualty?

if you at the minum spec that is bad. anyway you slice it. you shouldn't be all the way to one spectrium on oil presure. warmed up and idling on healthy motor should be about 30psi. 13psi is barely enough to get oil up the pushrods. The truck i had with 13psi also would intermitently flick on the low oil pressure warning light if the ac was on in gear at a stop light. Upon measureing the clearances on the rod bearings they were way out of spec. All the engines i've built for my race car projects have all idled well above 40 psi. and these motors used stock oil pumps(ls1 and l67 gm motors). When it comes to 13psi of oil pressure any engine will be quite unhappy because its starving.

did the dealer tell you what off idle oil pressures were that would tell a lot. if they are like 30ish at like 4000 rpm's then you got oil hemoraging somewhere. I'm not saying the dealer is right or wrong. All i'm saying is that i've seen it before and when it comes down to all a car is is 10,000 or so moving parts all made by the lowest bidder. If it weren't for that fact i wouldn't have a job.

 

[Blaine B.]

I've been using STP or ACDelco filters without any problems.

 

[stanislaussteve]

The mechanical gage reads 13 at idle and ~19 at 2K rpm. I drained it tonight, put in almost a full quart of the Lucas stabilizer and the rest with straight 40 weight. Was astonished to see record high pressure at idle. Like 55 psi on the dash gage. Rev'd the snot out of it and it held. The real test though will be the 28 mile ride to work in the morning. Will post when I get into the office.
Question...... If it holds pressure for a week, am I safe to leave town with it? I am supposed to go 200 miles on the the 6/3 on a trip to the Sierras. I suppose the money I spent on AAA Plus might pay off....... Ha! -SF

 

[FG Jeep]

see what the oil pressure is at after its up to operating temp and running for a while. You can also try keeping some thicker weight oil with you as well if it gets worse. I know of people with some gm 4.3's in astros and blazers who have had a bearing dump out and have run as high as 80 or 90 wieght oil to keep the car on the road for another few weeks. A 200 mile trip however is a risky endevor with questionable oil pressure. You may go just fine you you may not. See what it does just driving it around a bit and go from there.

 

[1985xjlaredo]

The mechanical gage reads 13 at idle and ~19 at 2K rpm. I drained it tonight, put in almost a full quart of the Lucas stabilizer and the rest with straight 40 weight. Was astonished to see record high pressure at idle. Like 55 psi on the dash gage. Rev'd the snot out of it and it held. The real test though will be the 28 mile ride to work in the morning. Will post when I get into the office.
Question...... If it holds pressure for a week, am I safe to leave town with it? I am supposed to go 200 miles on the the 6/3 on a trip to the Sierras. I suppose the money I spent on AAA Plus might pay off....... Ha! -SF

was that 55 psi hot or cold? And did you measure it with the manual gage after the 40w oil was in?

 

[gary69]

one of my freinds bought a 95 grand chero for $1000 with 89K miles on it because it had very low oil pressure and the owner thought the motor was shot and just dumped it for what he could get for it....my friend having all intentions of rebuilding the motor found out all that was wrong was the FRAM oil filter colapsed in on itself and that was the problem.....new wix filter and he is still running it to this day at somewhere in the 150K mile range i believe....

 

[XJroll]

I just got a rod knock at 110k. But it was completely my fault.

 

[stanislaussteve]

It was reading 55 "cold" on the dash gage. This morning I drove to work (1 hour) and it never got below 45 except at idle where it registered 25. Since I changed 3 items at once, (40wt oil, Lucas additive, and new filter) I don't know which one was the solution. I still have the old filter. Can I cut it open and tell if it had failed?

 

[88XJSport]

Since I changed 3 items at once, (40wt oil, Lucas additive, and new filter) I don't know which one was the solution.

What brand filter did you replace your fram with??

 

[Blaine B.]

Well hay, looks like you fixed your problem. At least you have an alternative, if worst comes to worst.

Maybe next oil change you can just do the filter (another non-fram filter) and normal oil (10w30 or so)......see how that goes then.

 

[Ecomike]

It was reading 55 "cold" on the dash gage. This morning I drove to work (1 hour) and it never got below 45 except at idle where it registered 25. Since I changed 3 items at once, (40wt oil, Lucas additive, and new filter) I don't know which one was the solution. I still have the old filter. Can I cut it open and tell if it had failed?

Sounds like your good to go for that long out of town trip. It's been a year since I had the same low oil pressure problem you described, except I was already over 200,000 miles. You are getting the same oil pressures I have been running with for over a year now, using roughly the same mix of thicker oil and Lucas, so I would say you are good to go for now.

If you are ambicious you might plan and scedule droping the oil pan, replacing the oil pump with a new hi flow pump, replace the front and rear oil seals, replace the main and rod bearings, put the pan back on, add fresh oil and filter and run it till it dies. You might get several more years out of it.

 

[stanislaussteve]

I went to Pep Boys. All they had were FRAM and Purolator. I went with the Purolator. Put 80 miles on it today. Hot idle is 30+, 2000 RPM gets me to a steady 55psi.
THANKS TO EVERYBODY ! -SF

 

[Blaine B.]

Why can't fram fix their filters?

I mean they've been around long enough.

 

[x99j]

i use purolator and i've got the same pressure at hot idle (25-30). along with wix, purolator is suppose to be one of the best. mike

 

[Ecomike]

I went to Pep Boys. All they had were FRAM and Purolator. I went with the Purolator. Put 80 miles on it today. Hot idle is 30+, 2000 RPM gets me to a steady 55psi.
THANKS TO EVERYBODY ! -SF

In that case I would'nt even bother droping the oil pan yet. Still no scarry engine noises either?