Should I be worried?

[daves87rs]

I'm wondering if I should be worried about the oil pressure on my 3.1.....

Granted it had a valve cover replaced about 25k ago....

It runs top line (all the way to 80-which is as high as you can go), and at idle, it drops to the half way point.

it has well over 100k (140k) on it.....

It seems to be driving ok (expect for the lack of pick-up Need the MAF sensor)............

I'm just worried about the high end thing.....

[Intrepidation]

That is high (to me)...none of the cars besides the Shadow have an oil pressure gauge...it usually runs around the middle of the gauge.

It has oil pressure problems when being parked facing up a hill...it'll loose pressure. But it's old and we don't park it that way so whatever.

[loki]

if a 95 4.3L is any similar indication.... it's fine.

this in your 87 rs?

[daves87rs]

if a 95 4.3L is any similar indication.... it's fine.

this in your 87 rs?

Nope, the 87 rs was my first car.

This Car is a 93 Cav wagon with the 3.1, though it too is in RS trim. Quite interesting, now that I'm thinking about it...

It's been running high for a while..though it is hard to tell.

I'll have to check my mom's 4.3 to check that...

Though when I had my s-10, the oil pressure was high in the 4.3...

[daves87rs]

If you've recently switched to a higher viscosity oil, that would be a reason for high oil pressure. Another would be the oil relief valve in the block has become obstructed. There's no way to tell really unless someone who knows what they're doing looks at it.

Nope on the first one...same Quaker State oil it always had...

About the second one-would it show any other signs?

[daves87rs]

The only sign it would show is having really high oil pressure at high RPMs. Like having the needle pegged kind of high oil pressure. It wouldn't cost that much to diagnose; just the cost of the oil pan gasket and and the labor to remove it. Even if the valve was bad, the part only costs about $20.

Usually it goes high between 40-60mph...though sometimes it will stay high while just at 25mph...

As far as RPMs..they don't have to be high for the pressure to be high...

[76ChevyTrucker]

Sounds like the relief valve is plugged up, I wouldn't worry that much, as long as you're not blowing oil out of the engine, you're normally fine.

[daves87rs]

Sounds like the relief valve is plugged up, I wouldn't worry that much, as long as you're not blowing oil out of the engine, you're normally fine.

So I shouldn't rush out to fix it yet?

Nope, No blowing oil out.....just burns a bit of it.....

Whew....

[76ChevyTrucker]

Well, with the mileage, its going to burn some oil, that's problem is going to be related to the Valve Stem Seals, and as far as the oil pressure, no, I wouldn't rush out to fix it.

[daves87rs]

Well, with the mileage, its going to burn some oil, that's problem is going to be related to the Valve Stem Seals, and as far as the oil pressure, no, I wouldn't rush out to fix it.

Cool, that means i get to work on the MAF sensor then...

[CMG]

High pressures could be thicker viscosity oil, tight tolerances, or blocked passages among other things.

Could be the sending unit or the gauge. Is there any way to toss a mechanical gauge on it to verify the pressure?