Cascade Crew

[aaron_sK]

Changed the oil after work today. Mobile 1 5w30, which is what the previous owner told me he had been running in the car. After I refilled it and started the engine, I checked the oil and found that it was close to a quart high. Oil pressure (at cold idle) was around 50.

Let it run for about ten minutes. Oil pressure dropped to around 35,and the level dropped to about half a quart over. Ran it out to Lakewood and back (15 or so miles). Ran good, but the oil pressure seemed to be about 10 higher than it was before the change. It used to be around 25 at warm idle, now closer to 35. Used to be about 50 at WOT, now just under 60.

Is this normal, or am I going to blow a ring out? Also, is there any reason why Haynes says 5 qrts, and my engine takes around 4.5?

One other thing is bugging me. With any other car I've ever owned, oil level wasn't too important, since the cars would always eat a little bit. However the Camaro's oil level has been the same since the day I bought it. No leaks, burning, ect. Is it worth it to crawl back under there and pull the drain to let half a quart out, or should I let it run overfilled?

[chevymad]

5 qts is fine. You probably used the shorter filter is all. So it actually only takes like 4.8 or something like that. Next time get the full length filter like they use on pickups. There's no fitment issues and 5qts will fit perfectly. You should have no problem with being this much over anyway. What brand of oil was in it before? If it wasnt mobile 1 then thats why your oil pressure is higher. The synthetic takes the heat better then regular oil and will hold more pressure at the same weight. One of the reasons i like it in my vehicles. I've tried lots of different brand oils and mobil 1 has the highest pressure of any of them. Delo 400 and valvoline had the least when hot.

[aaron_sK]

The previous owner told me it was Mobile 1 5w30 in it. I used the same style of filter that I took off the car (Fram PH30).

[Al Hasse]

[aaron_sK]

That's about how mine used to run before the swap. Idling at light it's about 35. Starting to make me nervous.

At this point I think I'm just going to screw it all, pick up a Wix filter and another quart of Mobile 1, drop the filter, and add the oil slowly till it comes up to level. People seem to really hate Fram anyway:

http://www.thirdgen.org/techboard/aftermarket-product-review/1684-why-does-everyone-hate.html?highlight=fram

http://www.thirdgen.org/techboard/aftermarket-product-review/134240-my-oil-filter-review.html?highlight=fram

Speaking of random TGO information, is it true that you can't run a longer filter with a cooler?

http://www.thirdgen.org/techboard/aftermarket-product-review/133416-anyone-else-use-larger.html?highlight=larger%20oil%20filter

I think the Camaro has one, since it's an L98 IROC, however I didn't check while I was under there.

[Twilightoptics]

[iansane]

Which is why I don't understand why Schmuck's sell so many of them...

And ph30 is the shorter filter, ph5 is the tall one. I've been using bosch filters. #3510

[Xophertony]

i always bought frams cause they have that grippy bit on the end

<--- consumer whore.

now i know. i will buy napa gold. so is it not true that it is bad to run synthetic in older engines?

[aaron_sK]

I bought the Fram because it was what was on the car, and it was what they had on the shelf at Shucks. I've used Wix with a lot of success on various cars.

Who still sells Bosch filters? Autozone? I hardly ever see them anymore.

Tony - Napa Gold is made by Wix, it's just rebranded. The jury still seems to be out on the old engine with synthetic. Some people claim it works great, others have ruined their engine. All I know is, mine doesn't leak or burn, so it's one less thing I have to worry about.

[iansane]

Schmucks sells the bosch as well as some others, pennzoil, K&N, web...

[aaron_sK]

Hmm... I must not be looking hard enough. Every time I wander in to a Shucks store, I usually just see the wall of Orange.

[iansane]

The bosch are the black boxes below the wall of crappy orange. Just ask for the larger filter for a SBC. I'm pretty sure it's a 3510. I think the 3500 is the ford filter.

[Quasi-Traction]

[alloy]

Well, the best rated filter is the Amsoil, followed closely by the Mobil 1. I'm running the 2 quart Amsoil filter on my car. Mobil 1 does not make the 2 quart version, so I buy the Amsoil in cases of 12 for around $10 each. I use them on the 468 in my pickup and my car. My oil stays much cleaner and my oil changes with Amsoil filter can easily go 5000 miles.

With the longer filer, there is way more filtering area, and under high flow the bypass doesn't activate near as much and allow un-filtered oil to circulate through the engine.

The K&N filters mentioned are great for racing with 50 weight oil, they have thick canisters that won't blow when the engine is cold, but there filtering ability is moderate. They are really not made for street use, they are made for racing with more open media to flow heavy racing oil. From what I've read, you would be better off with the Amsoil, Mobil 1, Wix, or Purolator Pure 1 filters. I won't even talk about how bad the "orange cans of death" are with the glued cardboard end caps.

[Quasi-Traction]

[Twilightoptics]

My engine uses a little oil at 6000rpm so I run dino oil. Texaco Havoline 10W30 cause it's cheap and works great. Both my machinists say it's good for my engine.

[aaron_sK]

Well, I swung by Baxters and picked up the taller Wix filter. Dropped the Fram and let it drain (didn't pull the plug, just the filter). I'd guess a little less than a quart drained out. Added about 1/4 of a bottle of Mobile 1 to the filter and installed it. I did NOT add any oil through the valve cover, just the oil I put in the filter.

Fired the car up, and not a damn thing changed. Oil pressure still was as high as ever, and the dipstick read about 3/4 of a quart high.

Ran it around town for a few miles. Oil pressure dropped a tiny bit. Still idles at around 35, but it doesn't peg to the top of the gauge at WOT anymore. Drove home and parked it. Let it cool a minute, and the dipstick read a little less than half a quart over.

I think I did a bit of good, but I'm still ticked that my gauge is all of a sudden reading so high. It now NEVER goes below 35 at any time. I know that Chevy gauges are notoriously inaccurate, however I kinda doubt that mine broke at the precise moment that I changed my oil.

I am however now sure of what caused it to overfill with five quarts. While I was crawling around under there, I decided to check and see if I had an oil cooler, since I hadn't noticed one on there before. Dirrectly above the oil filter, there are two fittings about 1/2" across, completely open.

At some point, some brilliant person removed the f***ing oil cooler from my car. As near as I can tell they removed all the tubes. I didn't think to check the rad to see if it still had the open fittings though.

[Xophertony]

Paul and i were talking about the "oil cooler" on our cars. they don't do a whole lot, they lower the oil temp by about 10*. you can always put in a good aftermarket oil cooler if you are worried about it.

if Mike can roll w/o an oil cooler on a juiced EFI 383 i think our L98s can handle it. of course he has a higher capacity oil pan...

brings up an intereting question, who would remove the oil cooler if your radiator has ever been replaced i would guess it was done by the mechanic who did that.

[Twilightoptics]

The best reason to remove the factory oil cooler.... which mind you all it does is put coolant around your oil filter.... is because the lines and crap get in the way.

I have a stock 70's pan on my 350 and have never looked back from removing the ol oil cooler that the 305 had. It's pointless. REAL oil coolers move oil from the block, to a cooler like a trans cooler, and then back. To use one you need a better oil pump typically.

Using a wix was not going to make your oil pressure change. It's going to filter better.

I've never heard someone worried about higher oil pressure. Brandon "Chevymad" just explained why Synthetic gives you higher pressure.

Keep in mind the factory gauge is not 100% accurate.

I still put 5qts of oil in my block... empty filter, drop 5 qts in... reads perfectly full.

Running without an oil cooler will not raise your oil level. It's COOOLANT in there not OIL.

HIGH OIL PRESSURE = GOOD!

LOW OIL PRESSURE = BAD

[Twilightoptics]

And you'd remove the cooler if you spun a bearing. Cleaning out the cooler that has the little oil passage up from the filter.... yeah just not a good idea to run on a new engine.