when my car starts up it has about 36pisi of oil....then after warming up it drops to 20..any idea why...and my engine temp goes from 200 to 190 back and forth some times.....and clues? ps i have a 350 .030 over
At what RPM? I find it strange that you have 36 psi cold, and it only drops to 20 psi. The reason the pressure drops is warmer oil is thinner than cold oil. And the aluminum timing cover expands more than the steel pump gears, increasing clearances in the pump, dropping pressure. When I start my Stage1, it has 60+ psi at a 900 RPM idle. When it warms up, it has 20-22 psi at a 750 RPM idle in gear.
Anything from 20 to 30 psi at hot idle is very good. More than 30 could be a problem. Do you get good pressure at normal operating rpms? If you have a 195* thermostat your water temp normal. In fact most of us would consider that very good operating temps.
my oil pressure stays at 20 no mater what rpm im at..mite go up to like 22 but thats it...and when i drive it for a long time...it may drop to 19?
Sounds like you have a bad gage, bad sending unit, or bad oil pressure relief spring. Don't drive the car until you find the problem.
