Oil pressure bars (Atari) vs gage pressure

[todds87ss]

As my Atari reads 2 bars regularly after hard runs, I recently fitted a pressure gage in to determine if 2 bars is a problem. Here is what I found:
5 bars= 55-45 psi (my motor - at startup)
4 bars= 45-35 psi (my motor, warmed before normal runs)
3 bars= 35-28psi (when I usually put it in "park" after normal trips around town)
2 bars= 28-21psi (after hard runs)
1 bar= <21 psi (after really hard, high RPM runs with 5W30 oil only)

Before anyone asks how I got pressure this low, I ran 5W30 oil - hard. And yes, I saw 1 bar (momentarily). My engine is very loose, and I'll be ditching the 5W30 for something thicker to support maintaining a higher oil pressure. I'm thinking M1 10w40 (since I cannot find M1 0w40).

hope this helps others.

[hartigan85]

Its the DOD hardware. Before DOD delete I would regularly see below 20 psi oil pressure and it scared the shit out of me but afterwards I hardly ever see below 35-40 psi. And i'm still using 5W30.

[todds87ss]

I cannot WAIT to get rid of that crap! I just wanted to post up bars vs. real pressure for those interested. Thanks for the info, though. It may speed up the departure of my DoD.

[-Ray-]

I get 55 psi with my crammed G8 at idle.


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[skinsfangreg]

I get 55 psi with my crammed G8 at idle.


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How about when it's not crammed? Lol

[todds87ss]

If you knew Ray, you'd know that it's ALWAYS crammed!!!:cheers:

[-Ray-]

LOL
Stupid auto correct.

[MR_JIZZ_G8]

the factory specs for our engines is 6 psi minimum hot, which is scary and I doubt it ever gets that low but if you got at least 20 psi hot I'm sure you'll be ok

[OrngG8]

I get 55 psi with my crammed G8 at idle.


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What do you get at WOT? Mine has about 45psi at idle but it never seems to get over 55psi at all.

[todds87ss]

The oil pan relief will keep it from going over 55psig.

[-Ray-]

What do you get at WOT? Mine has about 45psi at idle but it never seems to get over 55psi at all.

I've seen it as high as 57/58.

[OrngG8]

The oil pan relief will keep it from going over 55psig.


I've seen it as high as 57/58.

Thanks for the answers. I was hoping it was the oil pan relief valve but just wanted to see if that was normal pressure or not. I get paranoid about stuff sometimes.

[-Ray-]

Thanks for the answers. I was hoping it was the oil pan relief valve but just wanted to see if that was normal pressure or not. I get paranoid about stuff sometimes.

Your cam is too small. ;-)

[BloKKem]

With my new VMS 1.5 cam/head package installed I am seeing 3 bars cruising, 4ish @ WOT, and anywhere from 0-2 at idle. I don't remember ever really paying attention to it before the install so I'm not sure if it's normal or not.

[OrngG8]

Your cam is too small. ;-)

Yeah, yeah. I have heard that before. :bird: :)

[todds87ss]

Its the DOD hardware. Before DOD delete I would regularly see below 20 psi oil pressure and it scared the shit out of me but afterwards I hardly ever see below 35-40 psi. And i'm still using 5W30.

As an update, it's not the DOD hardware per se... it's the cam. After changing cams to a non-DOD one, still leaving all of the DOD stuff in, pressure has not dropped below 4 bars, even after hard runs. The stock DOD cam has a split bearing that would supply oil to the AFM stuff, if it had it. I believe that this bearing causes the lower pressure we are seeing. I'm back to 5W30, and very good pressure - with all dod stuff but the original cam.

[Crazy Paul]

AFM cam on the right.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y20/PerthPurplePenguin/car%20parts/L76/32-1.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y20/PerthPurplePenguin/car%20parts/L76/31.jpg

[todds87ss]

yup...that's it.