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Proper oil pressure

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Old 10-16-2007, 10:31 PM
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Proper oil pressure

I recently installed an oil pressure gauge in my '88 22R pickup. I was wonder what resonable oil pressure is at idle. Does anyone have an accurate gauge installed in their truck? If so, what are you getting at warm idle? I get 25 PSI at warm idle, but sometimes when I climb a long, steep hill it will drop to about 15 PSI if I stop at the top. If I drive easy about 1/4 mile then it will go back to 25 PSI at idle. Do you think this is acceptable? Oil pressure when cruising seems to be fine. Around 50 PSI at 2000 RPMs, and it peaks out at just over 60 PSI somewhere between 2000 and 2500 RPMs. The pressure release is suppose to open at 64 PSI, which is where is seems to peak.

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Old 10-17-2007, 05:06 AM
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This is from a 93 FSM for a 22re, it may be about the same for your 22r:
http://personal.utulsa.edu/~nathan-b...56oilpress.pdf
Old 10-17-2007, 12:23 PM
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Thanks for the link, but that is basically what my manual says. I am mainly wondering what people are getting for oil PSI at idle. 4.6 PSI just seems too low for a good engine.
Old 10-17-2007, 12:39 PM
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Originally Posted by the_supernerd
Thanks for the link, but that is basically what my manual says. I am mainly wondering what people are getting for oil PSI at idle. 4.6 PSI just seems too low for a good engine.
Don't get too concerned with pressure, its oil flow that's important. Oil pressure is a lot like blood pressure, too high can be a bad thing because it could mean there is a blockage or the oil is too thick to flow good. If the oil is hot and free flowing there won't be much back pressure building up.
Old 10-18-2007, 09:39 PM
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That is true, but low oil pressure can also indicate bad bearings or an oil pump going out or something. I was just wondering what average oil pressure is so I know when to be concerned.
Old 10-18-2007, 10:12 PM
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as far as i know, on the stock gauge, if its in the middle or near the middle, like, very near, then your fine. if it doesnt move from none, then yeah you got a problem, and if it goes right over to the other side, then you also got a problem. correct me if im wrong anyone.
Old 10-18-2007, 10:18 PM
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Mine drops pretty low on the gauge on idle, but I can't say what that correlates to as a hard number. It comes up just fine when I'm moving though, near the middle like ozzies said. As said earlier, it's more of the flow that's the concern, since the function of the oil is to continuously lubricate--therefore, you want flow.
Old 10-18-2007, 10:23 PM
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what weight oil are you using? please tell me you arent running something crazy like 80w90 or somethin hahaha
Old 10-19-2007, 07:59 AM
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That looks like a real Michelin Baby there Ozzy
Lots of strategically placed rolls
Old 10-19-2007, 08:23 AM
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haha, yeah. i thought so too. but as soon as i get some pics of my truck flexing, or hell even of my dog back in san diego, one of those pics are going up instead
Old 10-19-2007, 10:05 AM
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Originally Posted by ozziesironmanoffroad
what weight oil are you using? please tell me you arent running something crazy like 80w90 or somethin hahaha
I use 5w30 year round synthetic - flow baby flow
Old 10-20-2007, 03:54 AM
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When I bought my '94 pickup (22RE), I was concerned about what I thought was a low oil pressure gauge reading....just off the bottom @ idle and half way when driving.
I had a Toyota tech pull the sending unit and check the pressure with a gauge. Engine hot w/5w30 synthetic....I had 22psi @ idle and 62 @ 3,000 rpm's.
He said it doesn't get much better than that.
Old 10-20-2007, 04:28 AM
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Originally Posted by wanrep
When I bought my '94 pickup (22RE), I was concerned about what I thought was a low oil pressure gauge reading....just off the bottom @ idle and half way when driving.
I had a Toyota tech pull the sending unit and check the pressure with a gauge. Engine hot w/5w30 synthetic....I had 22psi @ idle and 62 @ 3,000 rpm's.
He said it doesn't get much better than that.
gauges CAN lie...
Old 10-20-2007, 04:54 AM
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Originally Posted by wanrep
When I bought my '94 pickup (22RE), I was concerned about what I thought was a low oil pressure gauge reading....just off the bottom @ idle and half way when driving.
I had a Toyota tech pull the sending unit and check the pressure with a gauge. Engine hot w/5w30 synthetic....I had 22psi @ idle and 62 @ 3,000 rpm's.
He said it doesn't get much better than that.
Thats good pressure , shame the factory gauges can't tell you that eh
Old 10-20-2007, 12:28 PM
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Originally Posted by wanrep
When I bought my '94 pickup (22RE), I was concerned about what I thought was a low oil pressure gauge reading....just off the bottom @ idle and half way when driving.
I had a Toyota tech pull the sending unit and check the pressure with a gauge. Engine hot w/5w30 synthetic....I had 22psi @ idle and 62 @ 3,000 rpm's.
He said it doesn't get much better than that.
Thanks, that is exactly what I wanted to know.
Old 11-28-2007, 03:29 PM
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Originally Posted by n4ynu1010
Thats good pressure , shame the factory gauges can't tell you that eh
Mmmmm, that's pretty damn high.
You want to shoot for 10psi at 1000 rpm and 10psi increase for every 1000 rpm increase.
As already mentioned pressure isn't what lubricates, flow is.

Depending on what the redline is on the 22R(E) you may be already at the popoff pressure at 2200 rpm and will get no increase in flow at higher rpms, which is NOT a good thing.






Fred
Old 11-28-2007, 03:47 PM
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you should only be concerned if the oil pressure drops below 10 or 11psi. you will hear it start to knock or tap...as long as its not knocking or tapping than your good. you could also install a low oil pressure switch that cuts out spark when the oil pressure is too low.
Old 11-28-2007, 03:48 PM
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Originally Posted by FredTJ
Mmmmm, that's pretty damn high.
You want to shoot for 10psi at 1000 rpm and 10psi increase for every 1000 rpm increase.
As already mentioned pressure isn't what lubricates, flow is.

Depending on what the redline is on the 22R(E) you may be already at the popoff pressure at 2200 rpm and will get no increase in flow at higher rpms, which is NOT a good thing.
That is interesting because I have been trying to diagnose a ticking noise that this truck is making. The noise seems to be coming from the valves at the #4 cylinder. Having a clog somewhere could explain it. Is there a way to test the oil passages without having to run it with the valve cover off? Do you think that one clogged valve passage would create that much excess pressure even when the oil can release at all of the others?
Old 11-28-2007, 04:37 PM
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Mine is kinda low also when I am at idle, like one notch..but driving at 2000 2500 it is almost half way, and I got now blow back, clean running engine rebuilt about 60,000 mile ago.
Old 11-28-2007, 06:52 PM
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Originally Posted by the_supernerd
That is interesting because I have been trying to diagnose a ticking noise that this truck is making. The noise seems to be coming from the valves at the #4 cylinder. Having a clog somewhere could explain it. Is there a way to test the oil passages without having to run it with the valve cover off? Do you think that one clogged valve passage would create that much excess pressure even when the oil can release at all of the others?
could you pop the cover and drill and tap a hole above the passage? then you've got an observational peep. can't remember if there's a baffle back there, may have to drill thru that too. if the covers too thin, you'd have to spot weld a nut on the inside.


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