Oil Pressure? 95 S-10, 2.2, 5spd ~125k

[n2dsky]

Ideas? Idle oil pressure is very low when hot. Cold ~80, Cruise ~45+, Idle ~10 to 15. Has been sounding like a diesel at idle for some time (only when hot). Regularly change oil (GTX 5w-30) going to 10w-30 at next change. Replaced head recently (another story - crack, coolant leak). Pulled lifters and checked them out - all looked ok. Theory on noise is from lifters - make the diesel noise when the pressure is below ~25, rev up a little, oil pressure goes up a little, noies goes away.

Is there an easy adjustment to increase idle oil pressure? If not, how hard is it to replace the pump? Need to pull the head again due to leak (stinking EGR valve casting!). Might dig deeper and work on the oil pressure while there.

Thanks in advance for the help.

[Mikado14]

All the fleets that we work on don't have any of the 2.2's. However, the oil pump can be accessed after removal of the oil pan.

If the pan can come off, you should be able to replace the pump.

You might want to try Lucas Oil Treatment. I have seen it do wonders.

[BlazerLT]

Originally Posted by n2dsky

Ideas? Idle oil pressure is very low when hot. Cold ~80, Cruise ~45+, Idle ~10 to 15. Has been sounding like a diesel at idle for some time (only when hot). Regularly change oil (GTX 5w-30) going to 10w-30 at next change. Replaced head recently (another story - crack, coolant leak). Pulled lifters and checked them out - all looked ok. Theory on noise is from lifters - make the diesel noise when the pressure is below ~25, rev up a little, oil pressure goes up a little, noies goes away.

Is there an easy adjustment to increase idle oil pressure? If not, how hard is it to replace the pump? Need to pull the head again due to leak (stinking EGR valve casting!). Might dig deeper and work on the oil pressure while there.

Thanks in advance for the help.

You oil pressure is completely fine.

Sounds like your hydraulic lifters are not building up pressure. BTW, what oil filter are you using?

Is you engine timed properly?

[kennyp1971]

i have a 1995 GMC and i had the same diesel sound that your talking about and it was the timeing chain tencer

[crs50dad]

My s10 oil pressure is fine at cold start 40-50 psi, but after it warms up the gauge drops below 20.

[kennyp1971]

I just got my 2.2 back together a couple weeks ago. And my oil pressure was doing the same thing but when I got the motor back together I had put a new oil pump in it but I broke my new oil sending unit got to put a new one in now. But anyway the lifters in them motors are roller lifters I know for a fact and the 1998 motor has roller lifters and roller rockers . Mine was making a noise like a diesel and finally the timeing chain tensoiner broke and warped all of the valves and I had to rebuild the head $262.00 is what it costed me so replace that thing before it costs you thanks for reading my post