oil pressure

[surreyseagull]

hi all.made a fair bit of progress last couple of days on 260..bled the brakes.im useing toyota 4 pots,a bigger 280zx master cylinder,and stainless steel hoses.
i had a problem with the oil system showing no pressure at all.ive just put on a new oil pressure switch and yay the oil pressure gauge moves..but quite slowly..is this normal?

 

[Mr.F]

Oil pressure when warm should be between 50 and 60 psi at 3000 rpm.
Idle pressure is regularly low - maybe 12-15 psi at less than 1000 rpm.

Sender is usually the problem with low oil pressure readings, but if you have low readings after fitting a new sender, I would recommend getting the pressure checked with a direct reading mechanical gauge.

Causes of consistently low pressure could be:

1. Dirty or clogged oil pump pick-up screen (lint cloth or paper towels used to clean up during an engine build or circulating detached bits of silicone sealer will all end up clogging a pick-up)
2. Worn out oil pump - too much rotor clearance or weak/broken regulator spring
3. Worn bottom end bearings - clearances too large
4. Poor quality, old or incorrect oil