[cwat320]

hi guys, new to the board but I've got a quick question. Just got a 1980 firebird and I'm planning on swapping the non-turbo 301 that's in it for a 400 but I want to drive it now until I can get the 400 ready to go. The problem is it has very low oil pressure. When I got the car I did an oil change and put 5W-30 in. Oil pressure was reading around 40 when I first started it up and would slowly go down to about 10 once the car warmed up, all at idle. Well, I just changed the oil again to 10W-50 thinking it would help raise the pressure. Now when I start it, it starts at about 10 and goes to zero from there. Also I thought I could hear a rocker knocking when I first got it but the sound has disappeared since the oil change. I would like to think it could be a sending unit (fingers crossed) but would really like a second opinion. The other day I started it and the needle on the guage went all the way to the left, way pasted zero, so could it be the guage? I had never seen that happen before.

Thanks in advance for any advise.

 

[FBN Firebird Nation]

How much is the sending unit for your car? I would start there. How long have you left it running with 0 pressure?

 

[cwat320]

Thanks for the reply bob. The unit is only about $20 so its not to big a deal. I only drove it about a mile and it did show SOME pressure while moving, but it never really got out of the red. Only time it bottomed out was at a stop light.