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Low oil pressure after oil cooler installed?

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Old Feb 7, 2013 | 10:18 AM
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From: palmyra pa
Low oil pressure after oil cooler installed?

I just installed a larger single oil cooler, 30 row i think with -10 lines. I started my car it had decent oil pressure at first, i was watching the oil pressure gauge and noticed it start to drop, then it really dropped when the car got a little warm. So i turned it off to check the oil level( i did add some oil to account for the oil that drained out and for the larger oil cooler) wasnt really sure how much more i should add since the oil level on the dip stick seemed alright. Then i fired it back up after and it barely had any oil pressure at idle! Shut it off right away.


And thats what brings me here. I double checked everything i have no leaks everything is tight, the oil cooler even got warm. I dont want to blow up the motor so anyone want to clue me in? should i just re install oem oil cooler? I should also say oil pressure did increase with rpms,
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Old Feb 7, 2013 | 10:33 AM
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Did you check the connection at the sending unit to make sure it's seated securely?
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Old Feb 7, 2013 | 10:41 AM
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Originally Posted by Hossler
I just installed a larger single oil cooler, 30 row i think with -10 lines. I started my car it had decent oil pressure at first, i was watching the oil pressure gauge and noticed it start to drop, then it really dropped when the car got a little warm. So i turned it off to check the oil level( i did add some oil to account for the oil that drained out and for the larger oil cooler) wasnt really sure how much more i should add since the oil level on the dip stick seemed alright. Then i fired it back up after and it barely had any oil pressure at idle! Shut it off right away.


And thats what brings me here. I double checked everything i have no leaks everything is tight, the oil cooler even got warm. I dont want to blow up the motor so anyone want to clue me in? should i just re install oem oil cooler? I should also say oil pressure did increase with rpms,
your oil pressure sensor may be on the way out , but it strange that it happened all of a sudden .
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Old Feb 7, 2013 | 10:41 AM
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Did you install an oil thermostat? If it is the Mocal there is a specific orientation. Check the manufacturer of the cooler, they should be able to tell you the exact fluid capacity, there is no need to guess.

Do not fill the oil past the full mark on the dipstick.
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Old Feb 7, 2013 | 11:04 AM
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From: palmyra pa
the connection seems fine

the cooler is a ebay one I think, oil lever seems fine though, i removed the one line to make sure the cooler was filled with oil which it was..

i started the car back up, oil pressure seemed fine at start up again then it droped to 10-15(guessing) at idle as the car got warmer. i read on here that at 3k rpm it should be at 50, so i let it warm up to about 170 and rev'd it up to 3k which it did get to right under 60 on the gauge

the car is going in for a tune at the end of the month and im trying to button up everything
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Old Feb 7, 2013 | 11:15 AM
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pistonsr4pussies
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From: palmyra pa
oil thermostat is that what was on the factory oem oil cooler? well no I didn't install it
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Old Feb 7, 2013 | 11:48 AM
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From: palmyra pa
and that's probably it! I swear im not really that retarded I gotta research **** more thanks guys please delete this thread mods...
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Old Feb 7, 2013 | 03:51 PM
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Makes no sense deleting the thread, other members may have the same issue
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Old Feb 8, 2013 | 10:37 PM
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From: palmyra pa
well heres the strange thing, i wanted to drive my car so i swap back in the stock oil cooler, and now the gauge appears to be throwing some off numbers at me, i think the sending unit might be on its way out, because its only at idle where it says low oil pressure(and thats only sometimes) as soon as it under throttle it jumps to the right spot well alteast 50-70 if not higher at 3k-4k rpms, its always something ya know

it does appear the previous owner messed with the sending unit or atleast the wire going to it it has different clip
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Old Feb 11, 2013 | 10:43 PM
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From: palmyra pa
So i take it since the cars running great and has plenty of pressure when under throttle, n doesnt smoke its the pressure senor or gauge and not the motor?
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Old Jun 15, 2021 | 10:17 PM
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A cleaner (to my mind) alternative is the FEED oil temperature/pressure adapter:

https://www.rhdjapan.com/feed-oil-pr...fc3s-fd3s.html

[Dang - did not intend to bump this ancient thread. Thought I was responding to another thread.]

Last edited by moconnor; Jun 16, 2021 at 09:32 PM.
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Old Jun 16, 2021 | 09:45 AM
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Originally Posted by Tem120
your oil pressure sensor may be on the way out , but it strange that it happened all of a sudden .
Lots of threads on oil pressure sensor - it will read low/erratically if the tiny inlet orifice gets blocked. I've cleaned mine several times with carb cleaner, sometimes aided by a very fine wire, and have had good success getting it to work properly. Of course, it can fail irreparably, but I've not had that.
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Old Jun 16, 2021 | 09:51 AM
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Why was this thread bumped back from 2013?
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