Thanks for the reply's, I appreciate it. I think ive got no other choice than to pull the pan clean the sludge out. I was looking underneath and it didnt look to hard from what I could see. Looks like I might be able to get away with pulling the pan without lifting the motor right? Has anyone been able to do that? I will def replace the oil pump for sure as well as the screen. I was looking at autozone.com and the screen was only 16.99 so instead of trying to clean the inside of the tube out ill just get a new one. I'm wondering while im at it, if I should go ahead and get some valve cover gaskets and check the rockers just in case. Maybe clean them and the push rods up.

 

i took my pan off without lifting the motor up. i would change the oil pump and screen and see if that fixes ur problem first before u do anything else

 

sounds like a lifter, but the oil pressure drop might be associated with cam bearings, crank bearings, and oil pump.

 

Ok.. so this weekend I dove off into the oil pan. I bought a new Melling Standard pump and Melling screen. When I pulled the pan, I was expecting sludge everywhere, but the screen and pan were surprisingly spotless. hmm There were a few specs of stuff here and there but nothing blocking the screen from what I could tell. So I replaced the pump and screen and cleaned the pan spotless and put it all back in. After filling it up with oil I took it for a drive for about 10-15 min. Before when you would drive it for about 10 min or so the oil pressure gauge would drop to zero at a stop light or idle then go back up when you give it gas. I noticed the gauge never dropping or anything. I then drove it another 45 miles of highway and stop and go and the gauge never dropped. So im thinking it fixed the gauge problem however i could still hear that tapping i described earlier. Ok.. now here is the weird thing.. After test driving it around with no problems with the gauge dropping at idle.. i was driving it around yesterday.. (Sunday) and about 30 min into the drive i pull up to a light and the gauge dropped again. UGH!!!!! and now every time I sit at idle it drops. The motor sounds fine and the RPM's stay the same. Can someone tell me what the problem is now? Sending unit? PCV?

 

Pick up a cheap mechanical gauge. I got one from Advance for under 20 bucks. Put that in place of the electronic sending unit (yeah, I know, do you have your arm with it's third elbow handy?) and place the gauge somewhere you can see it. (doesn't have to be permanently mounted.....) Go for a drive. See what the Oil pressure is REALLY doing. If it does NOT exhibit the same behavior, replace the sending unit. If it DOES..... well, start saving your pennies for a rebuild.

 

This weekend Im going to put a mechanical gauge on it to see what its doing. In the meantime, i have a question about the PCV.. When I first bought it, I bought the typical tuneup stuff.. Oil, plugs, and PCV. I'm wondering if that new PCV is causing some of this? Allowing the oil to get in the intake possibly? I did notice that this new PCV makes a gawd awful sound like a severe buzzing and its physically vibrating. Is that normal? Im just wondering if that new PCV is causing some of the problems maybe. Bad thing is I think i threw away the factory one, so I guess I need to run to the dealership to get one. The one I got was at O'Rielly's. Also the PCV has oil on the end of it when you take it out. Im wondering if thats getting sucked into the intake.