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  • Help Diagnose: Oil Pressure Build Up

    3.8L 99 Camaro

    Okay, I had another thread here recently explaining that my oil pressure was jumping up and fluctuating quite a bit. It ended up jumping up so high that it blew off my oil filter. I assumed it was my oil pressure relief valve sticking (as that was the case about 8 years ago when the same thing happened). I went in and replaced that, and cleaned everything in there.

    The oil pressure is still jumping, now I'm all ears for guesses as to what the cause is, ways to diagnose it, or where to look.

    My thoughts:
    Worst case scenario, I spun a bearing and some metal is blocking the oil passageways. What would a spun bearing sound like or feel like? The car runs great, just the pressure is all over the place so I'm just waiting until the next spike big enough to cause problems.

    Or There's a blockage in one of the other oil passages.


    The next step I am thinking of taking is removing the timing chain cover and checking there for problems, but like I said, any guesses would be appreciated. I'm really just guessing here too. If worst comes to worst I'll just swap the motor (I'm saving for a house right now, and would rather not soak much more money into the car if I can help it, so I'd prefer not to do a swap).
    K&N air filter, Whisper air lid, magnaflow LT1 cat back, and magnaflow high flow cat, pacesetter headers, silverstars<br /><br />more to come soon<br />but for now im out of money

  • #2
    Re: Help Diagnose: Oil Pressure Build Up

    Considering how long the oil pressure fluctuation has existed, if you had spun a bearing, you'd have known it by now.

    Just curious...the pressure surge literally blew the oil filter off the engine?

    Have you removed and inspected the oil pump?

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Help Diagnose: Oil Pressure Build Up

      Yeah, once about 8 years ago, it happened after the car's first seafoam treatment (60k miles). That time it was a chunk of built up carbon wedged up against the pressure relief valve, so when the filter was clogged the oil didn't have any other place to go. After I fixed that, I didn't have any other pressure fluctuation until recently.

      The car sat for about a year. So I'm thinking its some built up gunk that came loose and clogged the oil galleries somewhere.

      The filter was literally blown off.. the threads on the oil filter are only aluminum, so they were shredded, and it was split along the bottom where the cylinder part is folded into the part that meets the engine.
      K&N air filter, Whisper air lid, magnaflow LT1 cat back, and magnaflow high flow cat, pacesetter headers, silverstars<br /><br />more to come soon<br />but for now im out of money

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Help Diagnose: Oil Pressure Build Up

        Well if it's losing pressure, its either not getting pumped right, or is leaking/being blocked somehow, I believe. I would drop the pan off, check the pick up tube, screen, and gasket where it mounts to the block. Also, I'd pull the front cover and check the oil pump. Clearances inside it especially. Other than those, it'd have to be in the filter adapter, or oil passages of the block..

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Help Diagnose: Oil Pressure Build Up

          Docta, it's not ever dropping below the normal 60psi though, just spiking above it. Usually when I let off the gas I notice a spike (up to about 90psi or so).

          Also, I've already pulled off the filter adapter, no luck there.
          K&N air filter, Whisper air lid, magnaflow LT1 cat back, and magnaflow high flow cat, pacesetter headers, silverstars<br /><br />more to come soon<br />but for now im out of money

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Help Diagnose: Oil Pressure Build Up

            Ah, I was thinking backwards. Have you tried a mechanical gauge?

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Help Diagnose: Oil Pressure Build Up

              I never heard of an oil filter with aluminum threads. Must be a really cheapo filter.

              Also, I'm not aware of anything that would cause oil pressure spikes on decel. The pump is a gerotor in the front cover. It runs at crank speed no mater what the throttle opening might be.

              Have you verified your oil pressure sensor is working properly?

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Help Diagnose: Oil Pressure Build Up

                Aren't all filters an aluminum alloy? anyway, it was a fram toughguard filter, but I don't think the type of filter really matters at the pressures we're talking about... all filters are made to hold a minimum of 180psi (1.5x safety factor on 120) whether it's a name brand or a "cheapo" filter.

                At decel, the oil pump is slowing down, while the momentum of the oil is remaining high, not saying that's enough to cause spikes, but it is a factor of how decel is not the same as idle/accel.

                Haven't verified the sensor yet, I have been assuming it's accurate enough... gauge showing pressure spikes, oil filter getting blown off the motor, it fits that the gauge is accurate.
                K&N air filter, Whisper air lid, magnaflow LT1 cat back, and magnaflow high flow cat, pacesetter headers, silverstars<br /><br />more to come soon<br />but for now im out of money

                Comment


                • #9
                  Mine has been doing the same but still has not blown off such as yours.

                  Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Help Diagnose: Oil Pressure Build Up

                    When I spun a bearing it was very noticeable because it was soooo loud, and I had the power of a lawnmower.

                    Comment

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