Low To No Oil Pressure When Engines Warm! Help!
 

Hey guys. Im having problems with my oil pressure.

What happens:
I start the car, runs a bit rough, oil pressure at 3/4 on the gauge. Then once it warms up runs at 1/4 on the gauge while driving. When I come to a stand still like a street light or shifting to reverse (auto) the car immediately drops into the red and says check gauges! I have to put it into neutral and give it gas so the rpm's will bring the oil pressure back up just over red line. I think it may have made a knock sound once but caught me off guard so Im not sure what the sound was.

Also the oil pressure goes up and down with the rpms when running warm. Runs warm around 1/8 to 1/4 over red line when driving

What the mechanics have mentioned:

One mechanic said that it was my oil pump... going. He told me to replace with a high volume pump. Another said it could be your bearings, common as well in camaro's.

How do I fix this before I blow my engine? Is there any advice on what the problem may be? How can I trouble shoot myself? I have the OBD1 &2 scan tool but pulls no codes.

1996 LT1 Z28 5.7

Oil sending unit was replaced and did nothing. Oil sending unit wire was damaged and was replaced but still nothing. Engine runs around 12psi when warm but not in red at that point in time.

wow you sound exactly like my friends 96 ws6. almost the same exact thing. id like to know whats up to so i could help him out. anyone know what could cause this.
i bet your Z just came out of storage too.

haha no it didnt go into storage but its about to if things get worse. I have posted on many websites. Here is what I am getting...


(POSTED ON ANOTHER SITE)
Update: Changed oil sending unit and still reading the same. How do I get to the bottom bearings? Are they located via the oil pan?

I have been researching a million threads. So far they list as:

1. Use thicker oil (didnt help)
2. Gauge the engine oil pressure (in the process of doing this)
3. Change oil sending unit (did, didnt help)
4. Oil Pump (apparently doesnt go that way, when it goes it goes dead, fast)

Now the nasty
5. Bottom Bearings
6. Cam Bearings

What do you guys think it could be? I dont want to start throwing a lot of money at it which I dont have lol. Going for gauge testing now...

Oxy

first verify with a real gauge, second how many miles on the engine? If you need to do an oil pump and have a ton of miles do a basic rebuild (also gets those bearings)

Mine did the same thing before the new engine... We took the old one apart and the bearings were definitely shot. Hope this helps, and sorry if this is what it is because that is a nasty fix.

Check your oil pressure as Arch said, see when the fluxuation happens. When you changed your oil, did you check for any metal shards in the oil? Sounds like you killed a bearing. If you have time, take off the oil pump and see if you have any shards clogged inside it also.

I have done a couple of oil changes and there seems to be no metal fillings in the oil. Does the oil plug have a magnet on the end of it like some cars have?

The engine has 165k on it, not that much for all the problems its giving me.

Does anyone have a picture of where the engine mounts are on the car to make my life easier? lol And are the bottom bearings and oil pump both directly above the oil pan?

Oxy

my oil pressure was always between 0 and the first line.. Next thing I know my bearings are torn up in the bottom of my oil pan. My suggestion is to stop driving it! Get a pressure gauge hooked up then go from there. More than likely its either your bearings/clearance or oil pump!

I wasent sure if it would go like that, I think I will take your advice. Its been about 3/4 of a year now and still driving it ... not good!

Im going to gauge it in about a hour, then if its bad Im going for a oil pump, then the bearings.

2 questions

1. Can you get to the bottom bearings from in the oil pan.
2. What does chevy call for in oil PSI? I think the garage called chev and said it was 8 very minimum. They said I was at 12psi but I dont think it was red line-ing then.

lt1s love low oil pressure someone on here said to change something awhile ago. does the car shut off?

No it doesn't shut off, seems to run fine with it in the red.
If I give it gas and let off quick on a hill while in gear it almost wants to stall for a second. (thats at a roll up the hill when Im turning around to park) rmp's drop and bounce back up but thats the only weird thing it does.

I would say that bottom end bearings are gone, esp if you are getting a knock.

Don't get a high volume pump without a bigger oil pan. That pump will pump your pan dry before the oil can drain back down and you'll have a lot more problems. If anything go with a higher pressure pump to get more oil thru-out the motor.

Your motor mount bolts are really easy to find, but not easy to get to with everything still in there. A pair of open-ends should do the trick, will take a while but do-able. You will prol have to lower the k-member while keeping the motor suspended as high as it will go to get the pan off.

Thats what I hear. Apparently 3 inches off the mounts?
I havent actually gotten a knock yet (not that I have heard for sure and if it did it only happend once in almost a year having this problem) , it just wants to die down a bit when I give it gas at a roll when going up an incline.