Low oil pressure and other issues...

I replaced my crank dampener with an Innovators West piece. Actually not that bad of an install. I did not know I would need to pull the front seal and replace it. But since the part I got was the HD version with a thicker hub, it would not fit into the old seal. So after all that I finished lining up the PS pulley and bam, belt 100% aligned and tracks great with no issues.

So after the car gets started and pulled out of the garage, I let it idle in the driveway for a few minutes and look in to check the gauges to see the low oil warning on. It was fine when I started it up. I turn the car off, check connections, check oil and all is good.

Drive out of the cul-de-sac and the oil pressure goes down again. Shut off and restart and all was fine after start up.

Then I go for brief drive, car has no power, boost comes in just fine, low oil again. Coast home looking for a mach and a can of fuel to torch it...

Car is now in the garage.

Engine is built iron block 30k miles, KB 2.6, unknown what oil pump is on the car.

Thoughts...Change oil to see whats going on there, it's due anyways.

Get oil pressure gauge and check pressure instead of relying on the idiot gauge.

Maybe a bad sensor and it's going into limp mode?

The cars also acts exactly like it did on it's last pass at the track. No power...

Marble said:

The cars also acts exactly like it did on it's last pass at the track. No power...

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Now start from the beginning

Is the motor making any extra noises? If not i would change the oil pressure sensor and maybe hook up a machanical gauge and restart it. If there still is low or no pressure, shut it down and dig deeper.

RocketcarX said:

Now start from the beginning

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Haha. I was thinking that this was a great post doing a great job outlining an issue until I got to the last line.

I'll wait for the Paul Harvey version.

RocketcarX said:

Now start from the beginning

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Ha Ha. So what's interesting about that is the battery was dying the last time i was at the track. So there is a new battery in the car. The car went 11.0 11.3 11.7 and then died on last pass leaving me stranded 300' out.

After that I discovered by harmonic balancer was separating so now it's fixed. Supposedly. But obviously something is wrong.

05stroker said:

Is the motor making any extra noises? If not i would change the oil pressure sensor and maybe hook up a machanical gauge and restart it. If there still is low or no pressure, shut it down and dig deeper.

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I will start it up again and try to record something to list to. My ears aren't great and the valve train is noisy and always has been.

My plans are to do exactly what you suggest, a sensor is only $22. But also maybe a compression test.


For those that have replaced the oil pump. It seems like a lot. The Haynes manual says remove pan, timing cover, chains and then pull and replace....Seems easier to pull the entire motor out and work on it in the garage..

No sense in pulling the motor to do an oil pump. Some guys do it without dropping the pan in the car

Sort of sounds like the alternator could be screwing with the electronics.

JUSTA3V said:

No sense in pulling the motor to do an oil pump. Some guys do it without dropping the pan in the car

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Ok. I'll cross that road when I get there.

RocketcarX said:

Sort of sounds like the alternator could be screwing with the electronics.

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I was thinking the same thing.

Check the battery with a a voltmeter with the car running. Should read 14.0 +/- .2vdc. If it does then check for AC ripple. Switch the meter to AC and measure the AC voltage. Should not be more than 500mVAC (.500VAC). If it has higher AC ripple than that you should likely replace the alternator as the rectification circuit is going south. AC voltage does not make for happy COPS, Fuel Injectors, PCM, and other DC electronics as stated.

redfirepearlgt said:

Check the battery with a a voltmeter with the car running. Should read 14.0 +/- .2vdc. If it does then check for AC ripple. Switch the meter to AC and measure the AC voltage. Should not be more than 500mVAC (.500VAC). If it has higher AC ripple than that you should likely replace the alternator as the rectification circuit is going south. AC voltage does not make for happy COPS, Fuel Injectors, PCM, and other DC electronics as stated.

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Ok..I'll try that. Thank you.


It'll be this weekend.

I know when my alternator blew diodes the car started doing some wacky things aswell. Ended up putting two in the car in a month before finding out the shaker 1000 amp was shorted and it was killing the alternators. the factory subs would randomly pulse with the key off and everything. My buddy ran up to me saying my car was possessed and it had a heart beat Good times... These cars really don't like A/C voltage or DC with excessive ripple, and the rectifier diodes go out quite easily. I'd give it a check just to be sure.

Amazedz said:

I know when my alternator blew diodes the car started doing some wacky things aswell. Ended up putting two in the car in a month before finding out the shaker 1000 amp was shorted and it was killing the alternators. the factory subs would randomly pulse with the key off and everything. My buddy ran up to me saying my car was possessed and it had a heart beat Good times... These cars really don't like A/C voltage or DC with excessive ripple, and the rectifier diodes go out quite easily. I'd give it a check just to be sure.

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EFI cars in general won't function properly with AC ripple or low DC voltage. And the more processor control is used to control functions on the car, the more sensitive the car's power/drive train will be to loss of voltage rectification.