Ok I think I may have a problem with my oil pressure. At idle it's about 25psi and when crusing it goes to 50psi. I think that's ok since that's what my stock motor did. BUT it will not go over 60psi no matter how high I rev or how much load. 60psi is the max. I also have low vacuum at idle and can find no reason for it. I don't know if the two can be related. I've replaced all the gaskets and checked all the vac lines and nothing. It also doesn't down rev slow like it usually does with a vac leak. The car runs really well but idles like crap. Any ideas?

proper level of oil? if its low it cant get to full pressure

maybe check for leaks around the trottle body some people leak pressure through the butterfly shaft

It's got plenty of oil. I check it everyday before I start it in the morning. Another thing with the vacuum. Everything is EXACTLY the same as it used to be except for the new motor. My vacuum was always perfect until I swapped engines. It's the same IC piping, intake manifold, TB, everything but the actual engine.

For the vacuum problem, check, oddly enough, cam timing. If you wind up with more overlap then stock, then vac will be low. This does not really do anything to explain the oil pressure (which doesn't sound terrible, by the way), but it would explain the crappy idle and low vac. Did you put in a short block or a long block? Is it possible that the cams are out of spec? I think that the problem is in the valvetrain, though.
-=B-=

Bill- I put in a pre assembled LONG block. I checked the timing once and it was on, on what I think was the compression stroke. It was off the first time at TDC but I rotated again and it was on at the next TDC. So you think it's definately timing and not like a physical leak or something in the valvetrain?

Yeah timing only lines up ever 2 crank revs. Some thoughts of what to check:

Cylinder compression
Spark plugs and wires
ALL vacum lines and connectons(dont forget your boost gauge)
Timing of course
Fuel pressure at idle
Maybe a dirty/clogged injector?

Just sounds like you got a vac leak, or you are misfiring a cylinder at idle, causing your rpms to be too low, and hence, a low oil pressure. Another thought, pull your valvecover, and check ALL rocker arms to be sure none are loose or broken.

>>>Cylinder compression<<<

182 or 192 on every cylinder. (can't remember but all exactly the same)

>>>Spark plugs and wires<<<

Plugs been replaced multiple times and wires once.

>>>ALL vacum lines and connectons(dont forget your boost gauge)<<<

I've had evry vac line off of the manifold at the same time and plugged all holes. Still same thing.

>>>Timing of course<<<

I will check that again when I get a chance.

>>>Fuel pressure at idle<<<

It's idling stock injectors at stock pressure. This is the third set of injectors and different fuel setups. Same prob every time.


>>>Maybe a dirty/clogged injector?<<<

JUST put in clean stock injectors. Like I said it's the third set. 30# then 42# now 24# injectors.

>>>Another thought, pull your valvecover, and check ALL rocker arms to be sure none are loose or broken.<<<

I've done that and even went as far as to crank it and watch with the VC off. It all looked and felt fine.


I thought about the idling being too low but it's within spec w/ the service manual according to the datalogger. It does kinda sound like a misfire though. But it's weird because it's only at idle. Car runs absolutely perfect at any other speed/throttle position.

Coil pack, maybe? Other then that, maybe try checking the cam/crank angle sensors.
It could be timing still, though.
-=B-=

im with bill coilpack, crank and cam sensors, for idle what about the iac or tps?

You might want to check to see if the crank timing in in tune with the cam timing. My car had a real shitty idle, it would almost surge and sputter. However when I revved it up it ran fine. It also had low vaccume pressure. (kinda the same situation your in) It turned out that the cams were in time fine, but the crank was just 1 tooth out. Once every thing was fixed it ran fine.
Hope this helps ya
Late
Paul