283 low oil pressure at low rpm

paris63 · Addicted!

283 low oil pressure at low rpm

beaucarlo · Guru

i would put a mechanical guage on it first to see actual pressure. it could be the sending unit......i put a "T" fitting on my car and
run both a light and a guage

paris63 · Addicted!

Thanks, beaucarlo. That gives me an excuse to mount up a vintage sun mechanical gauge I picked up along the way. I'd love to keep the idiot lights functioning as well. Is that T part hard to find?

beaucarlo · Guru

Hi....any hardware store should have the parts you need...i would use a 1/8 T with all female ports...the port to the engine block is 1/8 pipe...use a 2x1/8 inch brass coupler to raise the T high enough so everything can be tighten down...your sensor will fit in one of the ports...the adapter for the mechanical guage will fit in the other port...use pipe sealer on all the pipe connections

beaumontguru · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

10 PSI per 1000 rpm is acceptable. If all else is ok, you could run a thicker oil.

Mike Ward MB · Addicted!

Ditto on the mechanical gauge.

I had a similar problem years ago, light came on at idle and would go out with rpm increase. It persisted and even though it seemed to run ok we tore it down to have a look - spun bearing.

Hope yours is an easy fix.

DonSSDD · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

Are the plugs clean?

Get a copper line and fittings for the oil pressure gauge, not the plastic line.

I got the T parts at a good Home Hardware.

long stroke · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

beaucarlo wrote:
i would put a mechanical guage on it first to see actual pressure. it could be the sending unit......i put a "T" fitting on my car and
run both a light and a guage

X 2 !!! I did the T fitting to run both the gauge and the idiot light on my 74 Chev. Twice the warning is better than just one warning.

long stroke · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

DonSSDD wrote:
Are the plugs clean?

Get a copper line and fittings for the oil pressure gauge, not the plastic line.

I got the T parts at a good Home Hardware.

X 2 !!! The plastic tubing is the dumbest thing going.

paris63 · Addicted!

Snake oil for the win! Added half a can of seafoam in the crankcase, and drove it for the week. Drained it out, was really dark, but no chunks or crud. New filter (k&n) and new oil (20w50) topped off with half a bottle of marvels mystery oil. Drove real nice until I parked for a spell and got some heat soak! Could see the fuel bubbling in my clear filter. Good thing summer is done, will get a phenolic spacer for next year. Thanks all for the replies and advice. Until next time!

DonSSDD · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

Add some Seafoam to the gas tank too.

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

Have you had good luck with the Seafoam? Our neighbour at the lake took his ailing outboard engine in for service and they told him they told him the carbs were gummed up, too much Seafoam.

427carl · A Poncho Legend!

Carl Stevenson wrote:
Have you had good luck with the Seafoam? Our neighbour at the lake took his ailing outboard engine in for service and they told him they told him the carbs were gummed up, too much Seafoam.

x2 . We used it in a nice quiet 4.8LS and now it sounds like a knocker / ticker . :(

DonSSDD · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

I've never used Seafoam in the oil, just in the tank.

I've had nothing but good luck with Seafoam in the gas. I use it in outboards, 15 years and never had to touch a carb for any reason. Used in my 283 and 409, 15 years, no problems.

I had an 87 Dakota, 2 barrel Holley, every year or so it would start coughing and spitting, rough idle, one Seafoam treatment and it would clear up for another year or so.

Outboards and everything else can have problems due to ethanol. I use only ethanol free in anything with a carb, lawn mowers, you name it. If an outboard mechanic told me the carbs gummed up due to Seafoam, you didn't use enough or you need a new mechanic, IMHO.

Veteran Member

only ethanol free in anything with a carb,

Yep,. totally agree! Corn fuel is a carb killer. Not to mention it eats up standard (old school) fuel line. I run a fuel conditioner on every fill up continually and only gas up at pumps that list "premium fuel contains 0% ethanol" on all my carb vehicles. Seafoam or Lucas. So far we're lucky that we can still get 100% non ethanol gas. Some places in the States require you to get a "lawn mower fuel" permit to buy fuel without ethanol. I guess on day we might all have to get permits for our "283 powered lawn mowers"

-- Edited by 64283 on Monday 1st of January 2018 11:13:01 PM

Bill shuba · Guru

My 283 was pumping black out the tail pipes..I ran seafoam through the vaccum line and smoked for awhile but has cleared things up great..I used seafoam on my last car in the oil and the darn front seal started leaking like crazy..so not in the oil for me

73SC · A Poncho Legend!

Two comments from me.

1. I ruined my chainsaw by using regular fuel with 15% ethanol. Carb float is toast so it just leaks fuel right out. Gave me an excuse to upgrade to a Pro 18" but was forewarned by dealer to run only 91 octane or higher to avoid carb destruction.

2. My Big Block was running rough this spring on initial start up so I did a basic tune up and while I was at my parts store I grabbed two bottles of Seafoam. I chugged one into the carb and one into the crankcase, half into each valve cover. Well it was quite the smoke show and a lot of chugging but once it cleared up the 454 never ran quieter or better

Bill shuba · Guru

Hi guys rebuilding my 327 took the rivets out of the pan under intake to clean and wow I sure wouldnt want seafoam to loosen that stuff up and go through the engine before it gos in the pan...scary when I think of it

DonSSDD · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

Seafoam only travels in the same places as gasoline when you put it in the gas tank, wouldnt affect what under that pan imho.

Bill shuba · Guru

Yes that I believe but some do put seafoam in the oil,,I have once and front seal leaked like a siv makes sence now

68 Grande · Guru

Ethanol is a metal killer. I imported a bike from the US and the tank had a little fuel in it and the tank was so rusty as the fuel had ethanol, which attracts water, just made a heck of a mess. So, that was a pain cleaning that up.

I run seafoam in my Grande's gas tank and in my inbaord 3.0 litre engine. Premium gas only. After I change the oil and put fresh oil in the inboard for storage (I always store an engine with fresh oil), I fog the engine and essentially stall it out with seafoam. Seafoam in the gas, seafoam down the carb, ready for winter. It smokes like crazy but whatever.

I have never had an issue with it. My friend that runs a gas 366 engine in his 3 ton grain truck says every year after the truck has sat over winter, the engine runs like crap until he dumps a can of seafoam in it. Then, it remarkably begins to run normal. So, he swears by it.

-- Edited by 68 Grande on Saturday 20th of October 2018 08:17:11 AM

norontcan · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

Getting back to the original low oil pressure question let's remember there are 2 reasons for low oil pressure.
1) oil pump not up to standards
2) some clearances have become worn and are no longer creating back pressure as oil now easily flows through where it is supposed to lubricate.

If #2 is the problem then adding a higher weight oil may just exasperate the problem as areas still with the original clearances will now receive less oil and hastens their wear.
Oh your oil pressure guage may have come up but you may be doing more harm.

dualquadpete · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

I have had the "oil light" sender go for a "dump" on a few cars in past. Check out the actual pressure!!! As for Seafoam, I'm a believer, used it in my garden tractor last winter with blower attachment, was running rough & hard to start,[water in fuel] added a good shot of Sea Foam to gas tsank, after a couple of minutes of trying to blow snow, engine backfired a few times then smoothed right out, power came back up!!!!! It's also a "GREAT" stabilizer for winter storage in EVERYTHING gas powered!!!!!