Does extremely high oil pressure mean trouble?
07-15-06, 04:23 PM
#1
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Does extremely high oil pressure mean trouble?
The title speaks for itself, but lately i've noticed my stock oil pressure guage to be almost maxed out, when at cruising speeds. I think it may just be because of the hot weather and i'm running 10w30.. But does anything bad come of high oil pressure?
I plan on using a thinner oil when i change it next, maybe 5w30.
Any thoughts appreciated,
Nigel
I plan on using a thinner oil when i change it next, maybe 5w30.
Any thoughts appreciated,
Nigel
My old engine would push 80 or so psi. dont worry.
07-15-06, 07:01 PM
#3
Now im speaking from what i've been taught with piston engines so I don't know if this will apply to you... When the oil pressure becomes excessive (usually caused from a stuck PCV valve) oil is forced out through engine seals and you end up losing alot of oil. Over time you need to replace your rubber seals.
I dunno if this helps you at all, but I just thought id share a little knowledge...
I dunno if this helps you at all, but I just thought id share a little knowledge...
07-15-06, 09:49 PM
#4
True.
Very well could be a bad gauge. Even sometimes when I changed my oil in my old engine I got variations in pressure. Sometimes high(almost third gen readings) and sometimes a little low. I guess you can do a mechanical reading with another gauge to see if the pressure is in fact high.
How many miles on your car? Dan coud be correct. If you want to do a little project drop your oil pan and remove your front housing and check your Pressure Control Valve. Heck, do a general look over of oil components, you might find something and in the end better familiarize yourself with your rotary. Factory Service manual highly recommended.
Very well could be a bad gauge. Even sometimes when I changed my oil in my old engine I got variations in pressure. Sometimes high(almost third gen readings) and sometimes a little low. I guess you can do a mechanical reading with another gauge to see if the pressure is in fact high.
How many miles on your car? Dan coud be correct. If you want to do a little project drop your oil pan and remove your front housing and check your Pressure Control Valve. Heck, do a general look over of oil components, you might find something and in the end better familiarize yourself with your rotary. Factory Service manual highly recommended.
07-15-06, 10:05 PM
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My brand new rebuild was reading off the gauge too (+110 psi). I got a mechanical pressure gauge ($14.95 at Advanceauto) and checked. It really is about 80 psi. So, I will get a new sender unit sometime.
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07-16-06, 03:10 AM
#9
Originally Posted by Dan_s_young
Now im speaking from what i've been taught with piston engines so I don't know if this will apply to you... When the oil pressure becomes excessive (usually caused from a stuck PCV valve) oil is forced out through engine seals and you end up losing alot of oil. Over time you need to replace your rubber seals.
I dunno if this helps you at all, but I just thought id share a little knowledge...
I dunno if this helps you at all, but I just thought id share a little knowledge...
uhhhhhhhhh no - you dont know anything about piston engines and have been taught wrong.
07-16-06, 03:30 AM
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A completely stuck PCV won't vent blowby out of the crankcase, thus pressurizing the oil system slightly because the blowby has no where to go. In severe situations with extremely high amounts of blowby and a completely stuck PCV valve, it will blow out the oil pan gasket.
On a side note, the PCV valve can also get stuck open and that causes extremely rough idle. But it doesn't really matter because most PCV valves are only a couple of dollars.
On a side note, the PCV valve can also get stuck open and that causes extremely rough idle. But it doesn't really matter because most PCV valves are only a couple of dollars.
Once again Mr. Duff, do explain.
07-16-06, 09:50 AM
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The oiling system in the rotary is very different from a piston engine.
You're not going to force oil past any seals due to high pressure with the exception of the front cover o-ring. But if the o-ring is proper for your engine then that is unlikely.
Even in a piston engine, high oil pressure isn't going to cause blowby since there really aren't generally any seals that a are sealing off full oil pressure.
As mentioned, the stock gauge sendor or the wiring to it is flaking out.
You're not going to force oil past any seals due to high pressure with the exception of the front cover o-ring. But if the o-ring is proper for your engine then that is unlikely.
Even in a piston engine, high oil pressure isn't going to cause blowby since there really aren't generally any seals that a are sealing off full oil pressure.
As mentioned, the stock gauge sendor or the wiring to it is flaking out.
07-16-06, 01:16 PM
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I noticed back in April when I went to 20w50 for the summer using a mazda filter mine went up quite a bit from the 10w30 using a "whatever" filter. Worried me at first that it might be too high. Did it on both cars, same results, no problems.
07-16-06, 01:59 PM
#15
Originally Posted by Aaron Cake
The oiling system in the rotary is very different from a piston engine.
You're not going to force oil past any seals due to high pressure with the exception of the front cover o-ring. But if the o-ring is proper for your engine then that is unlikely.
Even in a piston engine, high oil pressure isn't going to cause blowby since there really aren't generally any seals that a are sealing off full oil pressure.
As mentioned, the stock gauge sendor or the wiring to it is flaking out.
You're not going to force oil past any seals due to high pressure with the exception of the front cover o-ring. But if the o-ring is proper for your engine then that is unlikely.
Even in a piston engine, high oil pressure isn't going to cause blowby since there really aren't generally any seals that a are sealing off full oil pressure.
As mentioned, the stock gauge sendor or the wiring to it is flaking out.
on a second note to the poster 5W-30 is too thin, double check your pressure with a mechanical gauge to be sure your pressure is in fact high.
and as i have said in the past, people around here force it down other people's throats that higher oil pressure is better, i have seen no facts that this is true and i have run a rotary engine with a blown front cover seal which was seeing 10psi at idle and 35 at high RPMs, i even raced it like that and eventually tore the engine down after 15k miles and it had no visible wear from the oil pressure. i believe what i see and that is excessively low oil pressure is bad as well as extremely high oil pressure as i have seen the extensive damage that no oil pressure caused as well as the damage high oil pressure caused the turbo on a different car.
Last edited by RotaryEvolution; 07-16-06 at 02:01 PM.
07-16-06, 06:53 PM
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your gauge might be wrong, mine consistently reads 160 psi, which is well off the chart
i highly doubt thats my oil pressure, especially considering i dont burn a whole lot of oil
i highly doubt thats my oil pressure, especially considering i dont burn a whole lot of oil
07-16-06, 10:59 PM
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I ran the 'vert around today watching the stock gauge. With the Mazda filter and 20W50 I was getting around 60 normal driving, hitting 80 when pushing it, idle was around 30. I want to check my Turbo and see what it's doing, got me concerned with too much oil pressure on it now. Seems like it was running higher, don't drive it a lot so I don't remember for sure what it was at at the 3 driving situations.
07-17-06, 09:07 AM
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Originally Posted by Karack
not true, it is very bad for the turbo unless you have taken the proper steps to bring the oil pressure that the turbo sees down. anything much over 60psi at the turbo will cause blown turbo oil seals in a hurry and is only curable by rebuilding the turbo.
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