Oil Pressure Dropped Off Issue

[67 GTX]

In my 67 GTX with a 440/4 speed, I was driving yesterday in fourth gear. I had to slow down quickly (not overly hard) while going about 40 mph to about 15-20 mph. Upon doing so, my oil light in my dash cluster came on, and stayed on for a few seconds while I started accelerating again.

When I parked, I checked my oil level, and found it was only .5qt below fill.

My oil light typically goes off after cranking for a bit when the car doesn't fire up. So while I don't know it's cutoff pressure, I imagine it's low as I don't think you generate a lot of pressure while cranking.

I believe my oil pump is stock and unmodified. While driving, it stays between 40-60 psi no matter what (drops a bit once the oil warms up). When looking in the manual, I believe this is the stock characteristics.

Any idea what is causing this? I have the stock oil pan (I put in a total of 5 qts) and windage tray. My initial thought is the pickup ran dry for a second or two?

 

[Fran Blacker]

Do you know if your oil pan has front baffles to prevent oil going to front of engine?

 

[khryslerkid]

What was your pressure on your oil guage reading? Mechanical oil pressure guage or electric?

I'm assuming you have a guage and a light reading your post.

 

[GTX MATT]

Do you have a high volume oil pump? Stock oil pickup?

 

[91r/t]

My 318 in my Duster needed a sending unit when the light would come on at idle but had plenty of pressure. So your mechanical gauge (if you have one?) stayed good or dropped as well? I would just do a sending unit if your mechanical gauge shows good but the light came on only. Common when the sending unit takes a dump.

 

[Cranky]

I always kept mine a 1/2 quart over and the problem didn't happen nearly as much....and that was without having baffles or a tray. That said, if I drove hard enough, even my engines with pan that had baffles and a tray would also do that and more so when they were a tad low on oil. Rather be a 1/2 qt over than 1/2 low.

 

[67 GTX]

I have the dummy light in the cluster, and an electric gauge. They are tee-d off of the same point on the back of the block.
I don't believe my pan has any baffles in it. I believe it is a 402 pan.

I didn't look at my electric gauge when this happened, but odds are it would've read pressure as it seems to lag behind the dummy light (as in when I start the car, the light goes off, and the electric gauge reads 0 for about 10 seconds, then jumps to 20, then 60). It's done it since new, and I've changed out its sensor.

I have the stock oil pickup and stock oil pump.

 

[khryslerkid]

When your oil pressure drops to nothing you normally will hear all of your rockers rattling like a sewing machine. Getting a mechanical guage hooked up you'll see exactly what it's doing.

If you have a high milage engine you could be loosing oil pressure.

You can have a worn out oil pump.

The pressure relief valve in the oil pump could be stuck open a little (dirt or varnish keeping it open)

The oil pump pickup could be clogged up, restricted with debris like broken up pieces of valve seals.

You could just have gunk clogging up the port where your light and guage are hooked up.

Just a few things that can cause oil pressure loss.

 

[BSB67]

402 pan has baffles

If you were .5 qt below "fill", you were probably a total of 1.5 quarts low.

I doubt anything is wrong that needs fixing.

Low oil, low rpm (4th gear and 15 mph) and sloshing likely conspired to create the condition. It might have even stalled momentarily.

I always hit the clutch when hard braking. Consider this.

 

[mopar 3 B]

There are two plugs on BB and RB blocks. Idiot light or factory gauge on one side and mechanical pressure gauge on the other side. There is absolutely no reason to stack units.
I would not worry to much about what you experienced if it never happens again. If it becomes a common problem start looking.

 

[69Bee]

You merely uncovered the pickup momentarily, there is no need to second guess this. Since you say there is a windage tray, add an additional quart of oil to the pan and you will be ok. The next time you are into the motor, get a baffled pan. There are good kits out there that include the pickup tube. This will ensure that the pan and pickup match.

 

[HEMI-ITIS]

Double check with mechanical gauge.

 

[dvw]

Simple, all the oil sloshed forward and uncovered the pickup. Add a little. If that doesnt fix it the pan isnt balled well enough.
Doug

 

[dvw]

Pick up came uncovered. Why? Low level, pan baffle insufficient, cracked oil pump pickup. Has nothing to do with the pump or gauge.
Doug

 

[HEMI-ITIS]

Double check with mechanical gauge.

 

[HOG RANCH]

In my 67 GTX with a 440/4 speed, I was driving yesterday in fourth gear. I had to slow down quickly (not overly hard) while going about 40 mph to about 15-20 mph. Upon doing so, my oil light in my dash cluster came on, and stayed on for a few seconds while I started accelerating again.

When I parked, I checked my oil level, and found it was only .5qt below fill.

My oil light typically goes off after cranking for a bit when the car doesn't fire up. So while I don't know it's cutoff pressure, I imagine it's low as I don't think you generate a lot of pressure while cranking.

I believe my oil pump is stock and unmodified. While driving, it stays between 40-60 psi no matter what (drops a bit once the oil warms up). When looking in the manual, I believe this is the stock characteristics.

Any idea what is causing this? I have the stock oil pan (I put in a total of 5 qts) and windage tray. My initial thought is the pickup ran dry for a second or two?

 

[HOG RANCH]

At anyrate the oil is getting away from the pickup, remove the pan an have a look see if sumtin went wrong, did it always do this? It will cost a pan gasket or two. your pick up tube could be loose in the block, im just saying i certainly dont know, but its a shot in the dark. But after you check it out, you should know. Does going down a steep hill cause the same thing? Hey just a thought.

 

[Fran Blacker]

I'd pull the pan it's winter. Check all ideas above and here is another wrong oil pickup for pan. Pickup could be an inch from the bottom of pan. I like 3/8" from bottom of pan.

 

[5.7 hemi]

If using a factory pick up, I like them no more than 1/8 off the pan. The reason for that is the pick up is indented upwards about an 1/8, so that gives a total of 1/4. Always has worked great for me.

 

[mopar 3 B]

If using a factory pick up, I like them no more than 1/8 off the pan. The reason for that is the pick up is indented upwards about an 1/8, so that gives a total of 1/4. Always has worked great for me.

I just bend them to set level.