floatss

Hi Guys,

My 270,000 km( 180,000 mile) 911SC has a low oil pressure indication and was hoping to get some advise from the forum.
Is possible to adjust the oil pressure on a 1983 911SC?

Regards
Chris
Cape Town

Spyerx

yes. but likely requires an engine rebuild :-)

How much oil does your car consume currently? L / KM or something of the sort!

First order of business would be:
ensure you have fresh proper weight oil in the car
have a shop put an oil pressure gauge on the engine and verify there is indeed lower pressure (and not a sensor failure)
If the sensor is the issue, that is an easy fix (could be sensor or the dash gauge)
If the manual gauge matches to dash pressures, its likely you're due for a rebuild or more significant work

floatss

Thanks Spyerx,
Much appreciated.
I have had the car about 10 years and the engine runs fine and does not smoke, except on startup, which could be a little rich mixture during the start. I will make an effort to check the oil consumption and also to check the oil pressure with a manual gauge, as you suggest. Thanks, I was hoping for a quick fix by adjusting the pressure sensor at the engine. Just a pipe dream, I suppose.
I also have low oil pressure on my E Type and I does not use or burn oil either.
Regards
Chris

Mark Salvetti

When do you see the low oil pressure warning? If at idle, that's not unusual. But I'm assuming since you've owned the car a long time you're seeing something new?

You should have about 1 bar/1,000 rpm up to about 4,000 rpm.

Mark

floatss

Hi Mark,
No, this is not something new, and yes I am getting about a bar/1000 rpm, maybe a tad lower at idle when at operating temperature.
It is possibly Civid related, with having too much spare time.
With both my 911 and E Type having ‘old’ engines, with low idle oil pressures, I was thinking that, just maybe, the oil pressure sensor could/might be adjustable.
Neither of them are obviously burning oil, except for maybe a little smoke at start up, which could be a little rich mixture as well as a little oil. I have not really paid as much attention to monitoring oil consumption, as I should have.
Thanks for your reply.
Regards
Chris

Dave Fulton

Most of the 911's smoke on start up. That is normal especially if they have been sitting for awhile. Due to design oil seeps by the rings into the cylinders and puffs some smoke on start up. As others said put a mechanical gauge on it and check. What weight oil are you using as well? Thinking summer hot weather means maybe lower oil pressure?

Spyerx

As said, 1bar/1k rpm is a good measure, know at idle my 71 may be below 1 when hot. But once warmed up with fresh oil you should see that range. Older oil gets diluted with fuel especially if you are running overly rich.
if you don’t notice black or fouled plugs or excessive smoke or burning oil, and your pressures are in that range you are likely ok.