Rb20Det Low Oil Pressure Help×

[040122]

K my 32's oil pressure gauge is showing low pressure. It should be on bout 3kg/cm2 at normal driving with out reviving too hard but its dropped to 2kg/cm2 according to the gauge. The motor has a lite ticking sound too now and this morning when i started it , it sounded like a wrx so i guess it was missing but that corrected itself during the drive.

Has anyone got ideas? I have a few of my own but other opinions would be good cheers

[Plattsy]

get a 20 dollar oil presure guage and 50 dollar sandwich plate and install it........

the standard gauge is a piece of shit and over 20 years old. my 33 had the exact same issue... made me think everything was going wrong...

put in cheap set of gauges and bobs your uncle. car is actually fine.

[Roy]

But also ask the obvious questions too like:

- When was it last serviced?

- What oil and filter do you use?

I only use Castrol Edge 10W60 and I was unable to kill a 20 bottom end. Also, only use Nissan filters. There is a big difference in the pressure drop and performance of many cheap aftermarket-repalcemetn filters. I always got better pressure with the Nissan filters.

I am pretty sure the std oil pressure gauge is just a Bosch unit so are cheap to replace. I put a tee into the block and run the std oil pressure gauge to the dash and the second tapping is for my aftermarket oil pressure sensor that is hooked up to my data logger.

[040122]

Mmm gauges r a good start but the motor has developed a noise too n it wasn't firing all pistons this morning. Hopefully all coincidence. Its not blowing smoke or burning oil. And important not sure how u install an oil pressure gauge,

[Roy]

How long have you had the car for? Did you actually check oil level ? When as the car last serviced? Could be related, may not be. The tapping noise is a bigger worry then what the oil pressure gauge is telling you

[040122]

But also ask the obvious questions too like:

- When was it last serviced?

- What oil and filter do you use?

I only use Castrol Edge 10W60 and I was unable to kill a 20 bottom end. Also, only use Nissan filters. There is a big difference in the pressure drop and performance of many cheap aftermarket-repalcemetn filters. I always got better pressure with the Nissan filters.

I am pretty sure the std oil pressure gauge is just a Bosch unit so are cheap to replace. I put a tee into the block and run the std oil pressure gauge to the dash and the second tapping is for my aftermarket oil pressure sensor that is hooked up to my data logger.

its due for next oil change next month. Last oil i used was 10w40 penrite full synthetic with ryco filter. Used to run 5w30 Castrol but the mechanic said i should use 10w. Car definitely felt more responsive with 5w30 though

[Roy]

Bin Ryco oil filter and only use genuine Nissan. Put 10W-60 Castrol Edge in it and I am pretty sure that your problems will go away. Wouldnt hurt to put some diesel oil in it for 500kms then dump it and put good oil in.

Basically diesel oil has a high level of detergeants in it so can help clean gunk and build up out of the oil. Noisey lifter coul dbe just a sign of things getting abit glunked up in there. I used to put a high detergeant flush through my oil system every 12-18 months. Never seemed to hurt and helped keep the engine clean. Probably overkill but since I did track work and got the oil pretty damn hot...i used to just do it as housekeeping

[TTT]

I ran 500ml auto trans fluid in mine for 10 minutes before dumping the oil last time..

Now THAT cleans it good.

and agreed.. Catrol 10w60 is what I use.

Can you tell where abouts in the engine the ticking is coming from?

mine has a lifter noise at first cold start..

goes away soon after though.

[040122]

The ticking seems to be under the rocker cover on the plenum side. It not as loud now but yesterday it was loud and the motor seemed to vibrate but wasn't engine mounts

[TTT]

Coil pack?

[Plattsy]

yea or harness.

[Roy]

Take the car to someone that knows the tricks of the old girls. Otherwise some mechanics may try to tell you the sky is falling for something rather simple. As others have said there is nothing obvious that would suggest a miss and tapping noise is a problem.

Thyere is a 30-50% chance its just a tired coil pack and the engine is a high km engine that hasnt always had good servicing and oil put through it. How long have you had it and what is the history of the car.

The gooid news is that they eat up high kms, take a hell of a lot of abuse and you dont harm the average engine.

[boostn0199]

Bin Ryco oil filter and only use genuine Nissan. Put 10W-60 Castrol Edge in it and I am pretty sure that your problems will go away. Wouldnt hurt to put some diesel oil in it for 500kms then dump it and put good oil in.

Theres nothing wrong with the ryco filters and there alot of people that use them with no problems.

[GTSBoy]

I concur with all of the above. The failure of the factory gauge is a well known common one. Mine has only just started playing up in the same way. Apparently there is a solder joint in them that needs a rework and they come back, but I haven't had mine out to have a look and prove that.

I would argue that Ryco filters are fine. Have always used them on every car I've ever had and never had cause to doubt them. Nissan ones may in fact be better, but there's nothing wrong with Ryco.

[TTT]

Going to nissan to get OEM filter???

[Roy]

If you are not having problems with them then I guess there is no reason to change. I use std Nissan as after about 3,000kms there is always a reduction in oil pressure in my engine when using the Ryco and the other Autobarn etc filters. With the std Nissan the oil pressure barely changes to the point that I only really change them every 10,000kms. I have tried the K&N and other exotic $20 jobbies and cant tell the difference between Nissan OE.

The NIssan filters are also cheaper...thats important to me

[Plattsy]

what you pay for em roy? and where from?

[040122]

Coils are splitfire with ngk plugs. In any case the car might just be a tepremental female because i made this thread this morning and beside the gauge, everything felt good when i drove it at lunch this arvo. The test will be how it acts tomorrow morning.

[040122]

What oils are people running here

[TTT]

there is an oil thread.