Low Oil Pressure - Stop Engine

[fishsticks]

As the obstacles I try get more and more difficult, I find I'm seeing this warning on my DIC more and more often.

Anyone thought of a way to counteract starving the oil pump on steep inclines? Aside from converting to rear sump of course.

Think it's safe to run a quart over to at least delay the occurrence? I'd be leery in a 5 quart higher revving motor. But in a 7 quart pan in a truck motor? I'd be willing to try it.

Thoughts?

[SteveTB03]

Do you fill the oil filter with oil then install and add 7 quarts?

You can try that and also a 1/2 quart or a whole quart on top of that. I couldn't see the little bit doing any harm.

[bartonmd]

Steve, the point is to have a total of 7 quarts in the engine, so regardless of whether somebody fills up the filter or not, they are still supposed to put in 7 quarts...

Donny, try and put another 1/2 or full quart in it, and drive it around for a bit (hot) and come home and check the oil while it's idling still... If it's foamy, you have too much oil in it, and the crank is sloshing in the oil, causing low oil pressure (air bubbles don't make very good hydrodynamic bearings)... Most engines can be 1/2 quart overfilled with no problems...

I also don't think it has as much to do with it being front sump or rear sump (it would just change it to shutting off going down hill instead of up) as it does with the I6 being a long engine... I've followed guys up hills and stuff that cause some of their oil pressure lights to flicker, but my actual gauge doesn't drop any... I also have a shorter engine, that happens to hold 6 quarts... but it's a shorter engine, without as much room on the non-sump side for oil to pool, at a given angle...

Mike

[bgwolfpack]

Aside from converting to rear sump of course.

I've not seen a rear sump pump for the I-6 engine nor would one work with the configuration of that pan.

I think you are best off to run the oil at the proper level and limit your incline attacks to as short of time as possible. If you're trying an incline the truck is not capable of getting up or over in a reasonable amount of time then you should rethink other configurations of the Fishmobile itself and not abuse the engine instead. 2cts

[Trail X]

How about adding an electric pump to siphon off oil from the rear of the pan, and toss it in the front. Could be a simple switch - only two holes need be drilled in the pan.

[bgwolfpack]

How about adding an electric pump to siphon off oil from the rear of the pan, and toss it in the front. Could be a simple switch - only two holes need be drilled in the pan.

Why two holes James? A converter on board for 110 would allow him to run one of those small suction positioned pumps out of a pet dish. Should be small enough to fit within this end of the pan without any trouble. Just one hole would suffice for the wiring.

[Trail X]

Did I detect sarcasm?

[fishsticks]

Aside from converting to rear sump of course.

I've not seen a rear sump pump for the I-6 engine nor would one work with the configuration of that pan.

I think you are best off to run the oil at the proper level and limit your incline attacks to as short of time as possible. If you're trying an incline the truck is not capable of getting up or over in a reasonable amount of time then you should rethink other configurations of the Fishmobile itself and not abuse the engine instead. 2cts

Of course it would require a new pan, there is a cast pan that efi-diy made on the OS that I believe requires sump relocation.

I tend towards the "slow and steady wins the race" brand of wheeling. So -my- reasonable amount of time may be longer than others.

This is rapidly going to become a limiting factor for me, and if I can't get past it then any future mods I would do are kind of moot.

Even this caused my DIC to scream:



It's frustrating that the truck will happily climb up anything the tires will bite into but oil starvation will keep me off of things anyway.

Think I will just try an extra quart and see if I get foam.

[chevycrew]

I havent had mine give any warnings, even steeper than that.

[fishsticks]

I havent had mine give any warnings, even steeper than that.

I wonder if I have a flakey pressure switch then. Oil level is fine and the motor just turned 100K.

[chevycrew]

Does your gauge ever drop?

[fishsticks]

Does your gauge ever drop?

No... but Trailblazers have oil pressure gauges that lie. Apparently the sensor in the front of the motor is just a low pressure switch set to 12psi. The PCM just spits a random value to the gauge that it thinks you would like to see.

No, I'm not joking.

[rgraboske]

I'd check to make sure you're actually running in the danger zone. My 02 started doing this at around 80K miles, and it freaked me out. I did some mechanical tests, and all was fine. I'm now at 160K miles, and it's still doing the same thing, and the engine still runs/sounds great.

I'm thinking if there was a real problem, something would be happening by now.

Also, oil type seems to have an impact. If I buy the high mileage synthetic blend, the issue will go away for a while.

(I did replace the oil sending unit a few months ago. It didn't make a difference)

[The Roadie]

...Trailblazers have oil pressure gauges that lie. ...

To be precise, just the I6.

[BSalty]

I don't have the info center on mine, but all my warning lights have gone nuts when doing steep inclines before. I would try the 1/2 quart first. Unless your spending a lot of time starving the engine it probably won't hurt the engine too much. Your main bearings should have enough on them to get past the incline for a bit unless your running high RPMs and spinning the oil out. Cam bearings should get enough oil just due to the fact that when you go uphill it will drain out of the cam valley and should have enough to keep it all oiled for a short time. Just don't live on the hills.

Just watch for leaks running more oil, I have a couple small leaks on the valve cover and the oil reserve tank in the front. I have 112k on mine though.

[Jon A]

http://www.accusump.com/accusump_units.html

[OregTrailBlazin]

http://www.accusump.com/accusump_units.html

Very cool, I haven't seen these before... Seems like a good option!

[Jon A]

Yeah, they're extremely popular in the roadracing world where many engines can suffer oil starvation in long corners. I had planned to have one on my Camaro by now but haven't gotten around to it yet.

[BSalty]

I hadn't even though of that. I had one on my Formula for SCCA.

[fishsticks]

I should've thought of Canton and their many oiling products.

I may look into that in the future, but moving expenses have me stretched pretty thin right now. So it will have to wait.