High oil pressure

[blindeyed]

Alright. About a week ago, I changed my oil and added some Seafoam along with it. Ran fine, but I noticed my oil pressure climbed up somewhat. It went from 40 to about 50-60. It was my first time trying out Seafoam, so I assumed it would be a normal affect. So, I drove it like that for about 500 somewhat miles, then changed my oil (to get all the grime and filth out of the engine that seafoam is supposed to clean out). But this time I used synthetic. My engine just hit a little over 100K miles, so I'm wanting to really take good care of it and make sure she runs good for the time being until I get done rebuilding my other engine. So, thinking nothing of it, and assuming my oil pressure would drop back down, I went ahead and used it. Only this time, my oil pressure sky rocketed up to about 75. So, I again assumed this would be normal from switching to synthetic, and have been driving it like that for about 60 or so miles now. Occasionally when I come to a stop, it will settle down to 40, but goes no lower as it used to before I ever added the Seafoam to my last oil change. Before, when I'd come to a stop, the oil pressure would drop to about 30ish and would pick right back up after I gave it some gas. But now, I'll be lucky if it settles back down to 40.

So my question is.. Is this normal? Should I keep running it and let the synthetic settle and work it's way in, and then expect the oil pressure to start to go back down to normal? Or, what I'm thinking the problem may be, is maybe my oil pump coincidently started to go out right after I added the Seafoam? I've already purchased a new oil pump (needed it for my other engine I'm rebuilding). So if that's the problem, then I can go ahead and replace that. But, I'm hoping that's not the problem because I really don't wan't to have to drain the $30 of oil I just put in to get my oil pan off, so I can get to my oil pump. Has anyone else run into anything of this sort?


Synopsis:
~ Changed oil, car ran a normal 40 psi oil pressure
~ Added Seafoam, oil pressure climbed to around 50-60
~ Changed oil after 500 miles, added synthetic, now oil pressue if nearly topping out at 80 psi

Question:
~ Is this normal? Or is has my oil pump gone bad?

And one more detail I forgot to mention. I use 5W-30 oil (as directed). So I know the oil thickness isn't the issue here.

[666_speed]

i dont know if this is the same problem but my oil pressure is around 80 and wont budge off of it no matter what and if i get out and drive it a few minutes it will drop to like 15-20...it ended up being the oil sending unit i think sensor....its on the right side under the exhaust manifold on my 3.8, $30 bucks for the part and it fixed it.

[blindeyed]

Originally Posted by 666_speed

i dont know if this is the same problem but my oil pressure is around 80 and wont budge off of it no matter what and if i get out and drive it a few minutes it will drop to like 15-20...it ended up being the oil sending unit i think sensor....its on the right side under the exhaust manifold on my 3.8, $30 bucks for the part and it fixed it.

Eh, forgot to mention the sending unit is brand new. The last one I had accidently broke off when I was installing my headers. So I ended replacing that soon afterwards. When it was broken, my oil pressure read at 0 and my "check gauges" light was on. So I'm pretty sure that's not what's causing it.

It's pretty weird though. After I drive around for a little bit, the oil pressure drops to around 60, and when I come to a stop it falls to around 40. And it used to do the same thing before when it read at 40 constantly, and would drop to around 20ish. So I'm starting to think maybe my gauge is messed up (reading 20 over), but on the other hand, I can't see that being the problem since the oil pressure sending unit is brand new.

[Jcrane88]

im having a high oil pressure problem also............i replaced my 2.8 with one out of a 89 firebird ....and now when i start it ( oil pressure gauge goes to 60) the needle on the gauge goes up against the side of the gauge....80 maybe?...............my dad has been kinda helping every now and then and he says he has never seen a " too much oil pressure problem" the problems are usually not enough pressure i use 10-30 Halvoline

[supervisor1886]

for your car normal oil pressure should be around 60psi ( I would say that normal oil pressure would be somewhere between 30psi to like 70psi (acceptable) )It also depeds on the outside temperature.

I say that 60 psi is what you want. Running at 40 would be sorta low. I am running my 305 at 40 cold to 35 warm (My maximum oil pressure can be 60 thats what my gage reads). My other 3.8 firebird runs at 60 all the time and thats an almost new car as well.

Before that I had a 350 iroc that was running at almost 60 when cold but eventually would go down to
30psi. It all depends on your oil and wear that the engine has head over the years.Besides this my pressure would go up quite significantly every time I pushed gas half way. (35-45) Usually it goes up just a bit in most engines.

About the sending units. Get a mechanical oil pressure gage and connect it to where the sending unit goes through a coupler. See what ir reads.

Also since you used Seafoam your oil presure should climb up. Because 20 psi is low for this engine

Too much oil pressure is bad too. Consumtion of oil will increase and all the o ring seals will fail over time.

[blindeyed]

Originally Posted by supervisor1886

for your car normal oil pressure should be around 60psi ( I would say that normal oil pressure would be somewhere between 30psi to like 70psi (acceptable) )It also depeds on the outside temperature.

I say that 60 psi is what you want. Running at 40 would be sorta low. I am running my 305 at 40 cold to 35 warm (My maximum oil pressure can be 60 thats what my gage reads). My other 3.8 firebird runs at 60 all the time and thats an almost new car as well.

Before that I had a 350 iroc that was running at almost 60 when cold but eventually would go down to
30psi. It all depends on your oil and wear that the engine has head over the years.Besides this my pressure would go up quite significantly every time I pushed gas half way. (35-45) Usually it goes up just a bit in most engines.

Well before I ever used seafoam, the psi would rest at 40. Even if I gave it some gas it wouldn't raise. But when I came to a stop, it would slightly fall somewhat, then pick back up. So I just always assumed that 40 psi is normal since it had run that that for over a year, despite all the oil changes.

Originally Posted by supervisor1886

Too much oil pressure is bad too. Consumtion of oil will increase and all the o ring seals will fail over time.

Yeah, that's exactly why I'm hessitant of driving it right now. I'm just worried I might end up blowing some gaskets. I talked to the guy at Advance Discount about it, and he said he's never heard of anything like oil pressure going up after using seafoam. So he then recommended I changed the oil pump, which I guess wouldn't be a bad thing, since it it 10 years old with over 100K miles. I just don't understand why after using seafoam my oil pressure would go up. I've never heard of it happening to anyone else.

[supervisor1886]

I would not bother. You pressure is normal in any case. All I would do is to get a mechanical gage and see what really is going. Also the part you replaced might be only one of them sending units. (I dont if there is two (one for ECU and another one for the gage. So check the manual. Also if that sending unit leacks a bit it will result in false reading)
Any way you drove it when it would drop to 20-its pretty low for any engine.

Dont replace anything because pumps dont fail that easily on fairely low mlg cars. Its very expensive to replace, unless you do it yourself. What you should be affraid of is low oil prssure.

[ct91rs]

That's a brain teaser blindxeyed. Maybe there was some crap around the tip of the sending unit that gave it a false reading (I doubt it). I think a Chilton or Haynes repair manuals list the normal oil pressure. I'd try doing as super suggested and hook up another gauge to see what it reads.

[blindeyed]

Originally Posted by supervisor1886

I would not bother. You pressure is normal in any case. All I would do is to get a mechanical gage and see what really is going. Also the part you replaced might be only one of them sending units. (I dont if there is two (one for ECU and another one for the gage. So check the manual. Also if that sending unit leacks a bit it will result in false reading)
Any way you drove it when it would drop to 20-its pretty low for any engine.

Dont replace anything because pumps dont fail that easily on fairely low mlg cars. Its very expensive to replace, unless you do it yourself. What you should be affraid of is low oil prssure.

Hmm, wow, you're right. I checked here at FirebirdV6.com http://engine.firebirdv6.com/ and looked at there reference sheet. Says I'm supposed to be running between 50-65 psi. Which is exactly what it's running right now. At first crank, it goes up to about 75, but after a few minutes, it settles back down. Man, as many times as I've looked at that reference sheet, I'm suprised I didn't notice that before. I'm guessing that Seafoam must have unclogged something to let the oil pressure return to normal. Because before hand, it would never read over 40 psi.

[supervisor1886]

Also the oil pump has pressure regulator valve which can give this effect if it sticks a little. I would run your engine on some syntetic oil for awhile just to settle what you have achieved. Watch your lifters too.

[92zcamaroperson]

on my car 30psi is in the middle of the guage and 60 is the high mark. Dont know what the low is. The needle will go up if the rpms get high. and when i let off the gas it might drop a little below but then goes right back up. I have used seafoam on mine yet. The only place that sells it around here is Central Auto Parts and every store is out of it. Crazy.....

[Xbox2202]

I have the same engine as you and you're right, 40psi is where it usually sits. Mine stays at 40 almost all the time, and it jumps up whenever I really push the gas.

[blindeyed]

Originally Posted by Xbox2202

I have the same engine as you and you're right, 40psi is where it usually sits. Mine stays at 40 almost all the time, and it jumps up whenever I really push the gas.

Yeah see, that's what mine used to read. But apparently that's too low according to firebirdv6.com/camarov6.com