Oil pressure shenanigans?? Should I be sweating?

[ls3 Grenadier]

Alright laddies and gents

Background info:

I had my engine professionally rebuilt at a reputable machinist in the Dallas area. All new bearings, gaskets, rings, etc. put in BR-30 5w30 break in oil and cranked her up. She ran just fine granted oil pressure was a little high I figured due to fresh rebuild. I ran her almost 500 miles at varied loads (typical break-in) I recently got her dyno tuned (on the break in oil as some recommend) and then changed it to synthetic afterwards. I also have an oil cooler controlled by a thermostatically controlled unit. Oil pump is a high flow melling.

The concern:

It does thing thing periodically where the oil pressure will decrease a bit but still in the acceptable range, and then when put under load and acceleration the oil drops or remains at 30 and then slowly goes to around 35 when it would typically would be around 50 or higher. This doesn’t happen normally, but this is the second or third time noticing it happen when I’m in traffic jams for too long and lil temps get on the warm side. not sure if it’s related but the engine seems fine, no noises, no knocks, no stutters, no lack of power. I noticed this happening a few weeks ago and again today.

It’s not the pickup tube O-ring.. I remember that being installed and made sure it was in perfectly.

Could it be oil sending unit not functioning correctly? Oil pump? m..m..main bearings??? :0

lol any input is appreciated.

[gtstorey]

Look through some of the recent post, there is one covering oil pressure fluctuations after major work.

[Car Nation Videos]

If your car runs good, I wouldn’t worry about it bro.

[rednecks70]

Make sure the oil level isn't too high. The crankshaft could be aerating the oil.

[ls3 Grenadier]

Originally Posted by gtstorey

Look through some of the recent post, there is one covering oil pressure fluctuations after major work.

Thanks gt, but I skimmed through the first two pages but didn’t find anything. Do you remember what the title might have been?

[ls3 Grenadier]

Originally Posted by Car Nation Videos

If your car runs good, I wouldn’t worry about it bro.

So far the oil pressures haven’t been anything scary, however, this is happening during street diving. I’m planning to eventually track this car which would be a lot harder on it. That’s what worries me. doing WOT pulls and oil levels staying around 40 isn’t something I’m comfortable with

[ls3 Grenadier]

Originally Posted by rednecks70

Make sure the oil level isn't too high. The crankshaft could be aerating the oil.

That’s a possibility, I figured because I’m running the oil cooler plus oil lines that I’d add an extra quart to make it 9. maybe that’s still too much even with the cooler? What do you think, should I drain some out and run it?

[PaulsSS]

It has a well made windage tray, unless you are crazy way over I doubt it. I always run 1qt over for 100's of thous miles in all my cars without ever having a aerating issue ever. Easy way to check for aerated oil is run the engine to full temp turn off and pull the oil stick. If its full of foam bubbles on the stick it aerating. A few bubbles is normal. I believe if it was aerating the oil the oil pressure gauge would surge back and forth.

[Aqua Blue RS/SS]

Originally Posted by ls3 Grenadier

That’s a possibility, I figured because I’m running the oil cooler plus oil lines that I’d add an extra quart to make it 9. maybe that’s still too much even with the cooler? What do you think, should I drain some out and run it?

What does your dipstick say? How hot is the oil getting in traffic or when this happens? Something to remember is that the hotter the oil gets the thinner it is=Slightly lower psi, could be related but maybe not.

I assume your engine is modded ie cam, etc. because you say you are wanting to track it. Is this the case?

[ls3 Grenadier]

Originally Posted by PaulsSS

It has a well made windage tray, unless you are crazy way over I doubt it. I always run 1qt over for 100's of thous miles in all my cars without ever having a aerating issue ever. Easy way to check for aerated oil is run the engine to full temp turn off and pull the oil stick. If its full of foam bubbles on the stick it aerating. A few bubbles is normal. I believe if it was aerating the oil the oil pressure gauge would surge back and forth.

I filmed a vid to show you guys.. I just uploaded it so
The quality might be quite bad until it processes the higher quality but none the less here’s the link:

https://youtube.com/shorts/TMyrCsddwtc?feature=share

As soon as the video starts I start to slowly accelerate and you can see that it sort of stagnates and even goes down a little bit. It then starts to increase HOWEVER when I actually let off.. you see it spike to 50+ ? And as I start to accelerate again it goes back down. So I’m not sure if it’s just very delayed and inaccurate or what’s going on. The reason I’m confused is because it never used to do that.

[ls3 Grenadier]

Originally Posted by Aqua Blue RS/SS

What does your dipstick say? How hot is the oil getting in traffic or when this happens? Something to remember is that the hotter the oil gets the thinner it is=Slightly lower psi, could be related but maybe not.

I assume your engine is modded ie cam, etc. because you say you are wanting to track it. Is this the case?

Here’s the link to a short clip I took, as I was telling PaulSS; I was accelerating in the beginning and you can see it stagnate and dip and as I let off it spikes to 50+ I’m not sure if it’s delayed but like I said… usually not like this.

https://youtube.com/shorts/TMyrCsddwtc?feature=share

So here’s the dipstick.. I know it’s a bit hard to see but it ends at the number 4 or 5 on that number sequence. For you guys who run an extra quart, is that about right?

Also yes the car is cammed.

[morepowerjoe]

I think that you have a seal problem. When you rebuilt the block did you remove and replace the barbell oil galley plug at the back of the block? Is your oil pan bolts tight enough? If your pan bolts aren't tight enough then you will lose the seal between the oil galley and oil filter housing on the pan to block spot.

[acutron42]

L99 or LS3?

[ls3 Grenadier]

Originally Posted by morepowerjoe

I think that you have a seal problem. When you rebuilt the block did you remove and replace the barbell oil galley plug at the back of the block? Is your oil pan bolts tight enough? If your pan bolts aren't tight enough then you will lose the seal between the oil galley and oil filter housing on the pan to block spot.

Yea there’s a new barbell plug in there andI highly doubt it’s a pan issue. I was actually so afraid of a pan issue that I also added gasket maker along with the Gm seal. I know I know many of you are probably cringing at the thought of that lol but I’ve done it before and I know a corvette builder who does the same and it’s fine. But there is just one little thing that does sit in the back of my mind. What if when I was tightening the pan down and the gasket maker expanded outwards a bit and protruded into those two little holes.

I’m probably picking at nothing here but, could that possibly have anything to do with it?

Also remember it’s not an issue that’s been constant, which if it were any seal
Problems I would assume my issue would be persistent..