Oil pressure will not change due too oil level - until it is low enough to cause damage - IE the pickup is not in the oil all the time. 2l low might well be low enough to do that if you are driving hard.

normal il pressure limit is app 80 at rpm, often under 20 in heat at idle

 

With low oil, I was driving normal on street use. So I hope there isnt any significant damage. But I think it ran like that for about 1,000 miles.

Right now, on start-up the oil pressure is abut 100psi. It does drop to about 40psi while driving and 20psi idle.


edit: when my oil is 200F the driving oil pressure is about 80-90psi and then 30psi idle.

 

Bob the oil guy wrote you should be sure to have at least 10psi/Krpm don't know if that was design specific or a minimum. He was referring to Porsche, but the discussion sounded generic. What do I know?

 

I've always heard and aimed for this spec as well. 10psi per 1000 rpm when the oil is hot.

 

I am not too concerned about the minimum oil pressure. Hopefully I will never get that low or run the engine dry. I am wondering what is the optimal range oil pressure should be at during operation. Does it matter? as long as it is not too low or too full? What are the effects of having high oil pressure, like 100psi+ constantly?

 

As silly as this sounds.....I believe oil pressure readings will vary. What your oil pressure gauge will read will vary depending on the location of the sending unit/transducer/sensor, the sensor itself, how its reading, and even what kind of oil being used. Ive gathered this based on my own experiences.

Back when I ran a sandwitch plate adaptor on the oil filter/cooler my readings were what I considered "normal". I had the transducer with a braided oil line getting a reading from the sandwitch plate. Around 34psi idle operating temp, and then around 94ish at operating temp crusing at 3K rpms in 6th gear at 70mph. Then the reading changed when I removed the sandwitch plate and put the transducer to the gallery spot behind the intake manifold underneath the TMIC. Readings got lower and much different when using that location. The reading once again changed when I used a different oil pressure transducer, again lower this time too. Then it changed again and went even lower once I switched oils from Rotella T6 to Motul. Both oils being 5w40 btw. Now a days, my oil pressure reading at operating temp at idle is around 24ish and around 84ish or so when cruising at 70mph, 3K in 6th gear. Something to keep in mind, im using an old school tech lol. I have the Maddad oil pressure gauge along with a cheap ebay oil pressure transducer and prosport braded oil line. Nothing fancy about my set up lol.

Unless you are using a direct mechanical gauge to the block every time, the readings will vary.

 

Thanks for the info. I assumed that would be the case but I just wanted like a reference to what it should be. Some number to compare to my own so at least I know my gauges arent useless lol.

 

agree , oil pressure is between 13 to 14 psi in 90 degree at idle using 5w40 liqui-moly engine oil with Mishimoto oil cooler engine running around 85500km im daily driving this car with no issue

 

I'm seeing similiar numbers with motul 5w40 and stock sti oil cooler. I've had zero issues in 4 years with those oil pressures. Usually I'll see 14-15psi at hot idle. 90psi at cold start and around 60psi at 3k rpm highway cruising.

 

You're likely fine, as long as the oil level did not drop low enough to cause starvation.

Oil pressure will drop some once oil level gets really low (less oil doing the same work = more heat). There is a significant amount of oil in the pan constantly. You're not pushing it all through the lubrication system.

The line in the sand is 14psi at hot idle. Cold is going to vary, but your pressures are in-line with normal.

 

I don't think my oil pressure ever dropped below 20 psi at any point and I never noticed my engine overheating. Even though my oil was superbly low, around 1.5 quartz.