What is Considered Good Oil Pressure?

On a stock 302, what is considered good oil pressure? I am not sure if the engine has been rebuilt or not.


Jim

 

10 psi per every 1,000 RPM. As a rule of thumb.

 

When the engine is cold, and running under, let's say 1000-1500 rpm's, what would be a good reading? If an engine has excessive oil pressure, what would be the cause?

 

My 302 has a stock pump and stock internals, and has 30-35psi at idle, and 60-65psi at highway speeds, around 2200rpm in high gear. It is a fairly new rebuild, with about 10K miles on the engine.

 

Cold at idle, around 15 to 20 psi.

Often it will drop a little when it warms up and the oil thins out.

 

What weight oil you using? May have a high pressure pump, relief valve may be stuck.. What is pressure an at what temp?

 

Could PCV be a factor?

 

Bone stock 302/2v out of a '72 Comet LDO 4 dr that had been sitting for quite awhile. I put it in my Sprint 2 years ago and just been using it around the farm, hardly any time on it since the switch. I have no exhaust on it yet. Still has the stock 2v on it. I finally put a SunPro direct gauge with a copper line on it. Fired it up this morning and it shows almost 80 lbs of oil pressure, maybe dropping to 75 lbs cold. I have not warmed it up because it seemed high. Runs smooth, no miss. Am I just lucky, or is this too much oil pressure. My 351's usually run around 60 lbs on the road and drop down some on warmup at idle. This just seemed high. 10W30 oil in it. Oil looks good. Am I just lucky to have that much oil pressure?


Jim

 

Shouldn't be that high. Faulty gauge?

Seems like if it was that high at idle, it would be squirting out of the seals when you are running it. It would be up around 120 psi when driving.

 

I dont think lucky,,, check gauge, if gauge is good, watch WITH a good eye an let warm an see what you have. What is temp of air? I,ve blown filters apart with near same pressure. If this keeps up, I think you gonna have to replace oil pump due to sticky relief valve. Again how cold is air?

 

If it runs the same as it always has, and you only now noticed the high pressure because you just installed a gauge, then I am betting nothing is wrong except for faulty gauge reading.

Are you sure it is reading in psi, and not something else. If it was 8 psi, rather than 80, it would be closer to normal.

Just tossing ideas out there...

 

It is probably 50 degrees in the building right now 60 outside. It is warmer today than it has been. Going to be even warmer tomorrow. My XR7 htp runs 70-75 lbs of oil pressure at dead cold, then drops to solid 60 on the road. I have put many thousands of miles on that motor. But I wasn't sure on a 302. I have to go to work now. Will run it again tomorrow for awhile. Oil pressure always drops after warmup, not gets higher when running my cars. Gauge runs from 0-100 PSI.

Thanks for the comments. Anymore?

Jim

 

My 289 runs almost 80 lbs when cold and almost 70 when warm with 10W30.

 

Ok, I went back out and started it one more time before leaving. Solid 75 lbs of oil pressure. I don't think there is a problem. Looks like I have a good solid motor.


Jim

 

Are you running 70lbs warmed-up oil pressure at a idle??