I changed my oil and I'm having a problem with loss of oil pressure when the engine gets up to temp and at a idle. I usually run 10w 40 during the summer napa brand but napa only had 10w 30 so I went with it. I changed the oil filter again thinking that may be the problem but nothing changed. My oil pressure is fine when the motor is idling when I first start it. It will run Around 40 psi. But once it gets up to temp and I stop at a stop light it drops to 0psI. So I have to bump the rpms up to 700rpm then it climbs back to 40psi. Any ideas out there?

 

Replace the pressure sending unit.

 

Sending unit. Or go get a couple quarts 20w-50 to thicken it a bit. Do not use Lucas.

 

Sending unit, and if that doesn't help, get a mechanical oil pressure gauge so you know what your oil pressure really is. Dodge oil pressure gauges don't work worth a darn.
If it's still low, time to drop the pan and find out why.

 

Looks like i'm dropping my pan. My oil gauge has been getting worse and I started to here valves starving for oil. I'm going to drop the pan and clean crap up. stick the pan back in and check my oil pressure with a gauge. I'm also going to take my vlave covers off to see the amount of oil flowing . I think at 206,000 my pump might of kicked the bucket.
Also what kind of crap am I going to run into by dropping the pan on a 2wd? Also seeing that the top end was starving for oil what should I be looking for????? Strange colors on springs???? The motor doesn't tick at idle or all the time when i'm getting on it. The vlaves taped a little when I got on it tonight. but I backed right off So I don't I did any damage.
Thanks
Adam

 

What kinda gauge do I use to check the oil pressure? I doubt I would use a vacuum/presure gauge. Where do I plump into the system??? Part numbers would be great

 

They sell mech oil test gauges but I would look for a mech oil psi gauge that can be installed permanently in the truck. $30 and up for a new one. You have to remove the oil psi sender and install the mech gauge plumbing from there to the cab. Get an new oil pump and pickup tube and install them as well.

 

Well I tore the valve covers off started the motor no oil coming up at all. So I dropped the pan and tore the pump out. cleaned the pan up low sludge. But the dumb mechanic that I had replace my plenum gasket didn't flush the motor when he was done so I had all kinds of intake gasket crap sucked up in the screen. I looked the whole motor over and didn't seen any funky colors or scratches/ wear. The cam, pistons, rods, etc all had a good amount of oil on them. (kind of strange because I thought the cam was lubed by oil pouring from the valve train back to the pan.) I am going to install a high volume pump seeing that the motor has 206,000 on it. Wha'ts the difference between napa's sealed power pumps http://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/Ca...66V_0191858192
and Melling High-Volume Oil Pump? http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/web...hTerm=oil+pump other then price.

 

There have been some problems with those mellings high volume pumps. Just out a stock replacement on. Magnum bottom ends are typically pretty stout.

 

what kind of problems?