what is normal oil pressure

[AlaskanZ71]

Ok normally with my 2000 Z71 silverado I see about 40lbs oil pressure, and with in the past two weeks it has been stable around 50-60. I think the gauge goes to 80 so that would be my best guess, but the only time it goes down to 40 is when it has been running for a while (over 30min) and i am say at a light. It seems to abnormaly raise quickly when i accelerate, I have owned the truck since it was new and I know what it used to do the engine still has the same power but this is bothering me. I changed my oil and still, i replaced the air filter, and still this is bothering the heck out of me????????

any anwswers??/ thanks

2000 chevy silverado Z71 5.3 vortech X-cab

[jeverett]

Seems like what it's doing is normal. Mine does the same thing..always has. WHen you first start the engine, the oil is cold and thicker, and therefore has more pressure. After the truck warms up, the oil heats up and thins out some..there's the loss in pressure. As for the gauge, after its warm, and your sitting still, then you accelerate, or rev up the engine, the oil pump is pumping harder and raises the pressure. BTW..Gm says that their engines only need 5 psi of oil pressure to properly lubricate, so your in the safe.

[MikeTN]

Mine is a little different. '01 Silverado idles rough and oil pressure gauge flutters b/t 40-50. Would adjusting idle correct this?

[AlaskanZ71]

Ok well this was seriously bothering me due to the fact that i take my Z71 off the beaten path ALOT i need to know what the oil is doing so i had the local dealer, (not the one i bought it from) and they told me that the sensor for the oil pressure was not operating correctly. So ok I ask what do we do and they proceed to tell me that i would have to replace it. Well after i had compleatly lost faith in my local chevrolet dealership I told them to shove the idea that i was paying over 200 bucks for them to steal my truck from me for a day and replace a part that they could not gaurentie was the actuall fix. So i take it to the Unit on Post (Im in the Army) that is home to all the mechanics for vehicles. One guy tells me that he works at Sams and that the computer on " those trucks " Sucks and just "burps" out the wrong settings and codes sometimes so he pluged his little thing he had and ran the codes and did something and know the thing works just like it used too 40lbs all the time and at accerleration in settles like it used to. Yea I wanna go back to the dealership and just explode with the free coffee machine flying across the room.

[GMMerlin]

Lubrication System

Oil Capacity (without Oil Filter Change)
4.73 Liters
5.0 Quarts

Oil Capacity (with Oil Filter Change)
5.68 Liters
6.0 Quarts

Oil Pressure (Minimum--Hot)
41 kPa at 1,000 engine RPM

124 kPa at 2,000 engine RPM

165 kPa at 4,000 engine RPM
6 psig at 1,000 engine RPM

18 psig at 2,000 engine RPM

24 psig at 4,000 engine RPM

Oil Type
5W-30

The oil pump in your engine is driven off the camshaft via the distributor gear..the oil pump speed changes with engine speed..so the faster the engine turns, the faster the pump gears turn and the oil pressure will rise (or fall if the engine is turning at idle speed)
As far as the "computer on " those trucks " Sucks and just "burps" out the wrong settings and codes sometimes ", I haven't seen any problems with the computers on those truck causing false oil pressure readings because the oil pressure sender is a direct input to the gauge.
But then again, I guess a guy who works at Sams is a factory trained specialist on GM vehicles

[bmfzo6]

im with the ase guy dont be afraid to diagnose something first, an oil pressure guage is easy to install and use. but it is not as accurate as the guy from sams with him magic box.

[coachmill]

My oil pressure goes all over the place when driving. Along with what a previous poster said- when I accelerate my oil press. goes way up. when I let off the gas, it shoots back down. do i have a serious problem?

[broughy84]

if it's above 6psi at 1000rpm, i wouldn't worry.

[AlaskanZ71]

Sounds good to me either way, all i know is that now the gauge is more like it used to be. Whatever he did it worked so cool beans and thats some impresive info, that GM says that you only need like 6lbs to lubricate the motor. Cool thanks

[desertmike1]

GMMerlin,
The 5.3 ltr oil pump in 99 & up silverado's, is driven off of the Crank!

The oil pump mounts behind the timing sprocket, and is a spline driven rotor style pump.

-Mike

[GMMerlin]

Originally Posted by desertmike1

GMMerlin,
The 5.3 ltr oil pump in 99 & up silverado's, is driven off of the Crank!

The oil pump mounts behind the timing sprocket, and is a spline driven rotor style pump.

-Mike

Yep,you are absolutely correct.

That being said, the pump still turns in relation to engine speed