Low Oil pressure how bad?
 

i get 30 psi all the time even going 70 mph.... how bad is this?

is their anyway i could tell if the gauge is working or.. something might be wrong with the engine? i use 20W50 castrol gtx oil.

Its also a rebuild engone with 1600 miles.. the needle on the gauge is below zero before start up all the time. Im running on premix castrol outboard 2 cycle oil and i have teh atkins thermal pellet installed the gauge read 40-50 at one point while on teh rebuild
and it read once all the way to 110. the car seens fine and it strong. i have only shift under 4k but before i go any higher i wanna make sure this isnt a major problem.

yeah, seriously. i know how you feel. mine stays at 0 all the time:p:

I think I'd check the oil sender unit and make sure it's plugged in, but wouldn't run around with 0-30 psi displayed on the gauge.

It could be that when they rebuilt your motor, the teflon ring on the front cover wasn't installed. It happens, and it requires a tear-down of the front.

ZAchspazz could you be ali more specific? you mean the ring with a rubber part in the outside and a white plastic thingy around it?

lets take in count the needle appears at -15 when the car is off..

theres - numbers on the OP guage? hmm...well, id say its a guage problem most likely, maybe sending unit. Get an aftermarket guage and see what your pressure really is to be safe.

-Marc

Under the front cover, on the front side housing, there's a little port in which a rubber o-ring and a teflon support ring sit. Also, the front housing gasket has an "extension" that is for this port as well. Often, the teflon o-ring is forgotten during reassembly, and causes a low oil-pressure situation.

Mazdatrix explains it better than I can.

http://www.mazdatrix.com/faq/oring.htm

yeah i got that . i mean i install it so thats not teh problem. i installed it the way mazdatrix said to with the whit eplastic thingy

If you have the earlier front side housing style, assemble the front of the engine with the O-ring, no front cover gasket, (use silicone instead), and maybe a little Hylomar to hold the O-ring in place during assembly (and throw away the white teflon ring that comes in the gasket set). If you really WANT to use a gasket, then use the 79-85 one, which needs to be purchased separately.

okey umm i did everything except that i put the gasket that mae with the kit as well as the tylon and rubber o ring... fuck.. does this mean my engine might be fucked now?

Engine not fucked. Take the cover off. Remove the gasket on the cover. Throw it in the garbage can. Use regualr RTV or the Red RTV. Apply it on the mating surfaces. Take care to never get tooooo much around that approx 1/8th inch hole on the left side of the cover. That hole supplies oil to the omp. So don't apply too much in that area or it'll squeeze out and block that hole. Install the o'ring only. Bolt the cover on. Done. Except Mazdatrix said it better. Been there...done that. I have twenty five to thirty at idle with a HOT engine and sixty five plus at three grand tooling down the hwy. Engine not shot at all.

ok i just doubel checked i have about 25-32 at idle, then i have about 40-42 at 4k rpms i havent gone past 4k rpms. after it idles and i press on teh gas the oil presuure goes up to 35 oil presuure. so im thinking it should be fine i think it stayedat 32-38 when i was going 70-75 mph in 5th gear at 3500rpms... is that still low?

That's way low. Should be somewhere between 64-78 PSI at 3000 RPM. Did you verify with a different gauge, or are these readings that the stock gauge and sender are giving now?

What did you use to check the pressure?

James

the oil pressure gauge... also the needle is under the 0 mark when the car is off. ALso my oil level sensor is broken and the resistor under the slave master cylinder is broken as well maybe after i get those it might fix teh needle being under 0

I'm pretty sure it's surposed to be under 0 when off... any gauge is like that. it should go to 0 when you turn the keys on (but not start)

I would find another aftermarket gauge to check with. 38 is too low at 4000

so it should be at least 50 at 4k? remember this 4k is at idle...

The FSM says right there in black and white......3000 rpm the oil pressure should be 64-78psi.

That's with a fully warmed up engine. Don't play games with yourself and go out and start a cold engine and be pleased with that reading. It'll always be higher when cold. Get the thing hot then check.

Idle should be b/t 25 and 30 psi. IDLE is 750 rpm, not some rampaging 1100 rpm or such.

Also notice in the online manual (I know you'll read it), that they use a MECHANICAL gauge to read the pressure. They don't use the sender that is installed in your car. That says something. SunPro makes a cheap one that have adapters that will screw into where your sending unit is screwed in the housing. Get one.

P.S. I used a Fluke PV350 and a SunPro to check mine. Your engine is probably ok for now. Just take action to remedy the problem if your oil pressure checks out to be actually low.

Peruvianrx7

STOP POSTING.....until you get an aftermarket gauge. You are getting all worked up over something that might not be a problem.

If you are hurting for money. Go to home depot. Buy a pressure gauge (Water tank gague). Get some barbed connecters and a hose that will handle it and check it. This will cost about 15.

I am not trying to be rude. I am just saving you some worry.

James

That's a good point. Oil pressure gauge problems are more common than real oil pressure problems. The stock gauge is unreliable and not very accurate. An aftermarket gauge is a good investment. :)

thanx guys, and im seriously sorry for my incompetence. if thats the right word ill go check it out with a local mechanic tomorrow and post what happens

Good advice. We should really use this for other posters in this forum. ;)

I'll bet it's just your gauge.

Something I haven't seen mentioned yet is the thermo pellet in the e-shaft. It reduces oil pressure on startup when cold to make the engine warm up faster. Once it's warmed up, the thermo pellet should allow oil pressure to increase, but sometimes this part can fail. There is a bypass pellet at Atkins, or Mazdatrix, and many other places that is only about 10-20 bucks including shipping.

Installation is sometimes quick, but you have to know what you are doing by thoroughly reading the Mazdatrix FAQ on replacement so you don't damage the needle bearings in the front cover.

http://www.mazdatrix.com/faq/pulley.htm

yeah i got the thermal pellet from atkins the better one ..

hah, my gauge goes below zero, (my gauge sucks, need electric.)