i can't find anything on what the oil pressure should be around. What should it be when in park, in drive and driving? For a long time now.Ours will stay at 60 until it goes into park and it will drop to about 40. Now that it's cold it goes up to about 80 and stays that way while driving and just sitting in drive. In park it will be about 65. We had the engine redone last year and it drives great. everything was new on it. We have changed the oil about three or four times since then rebuild with about 3,500 miles on the rebuild with synthetic 10w30. Is this normal?

10 psi per 1000 RPM is more than enough pressure.

80 psi, idling, while in drive? With the engine hot? That's enough pressure to the point that it is wasting horsepower.

Check it with a manual gauge, that seems real high. Does it go down after the car warms up?

I would guess that when it was rebuilt a high pressure oil pump was used, and the numbers they are getting are accurate.

Sometimes it seems fine when it's warmer outside. It will be 60 while driving and then goes down to about 40 or a little less when at idle. Now that it's around 20-30 degrees outside, it will be around 80 almost the entire time even when the car is warm. sometimes it will go back to 60 and a little lower. I'm assuming the guy that built the engine for us put the standard pump on. It may even be the original pump. I don't remember him saying he bought a new one. The engine does have a small cam upgrade. Don't remember what it was called but I just remember it was like the next step up from stock.

I went and let the car just idle for about 10- 15 minutes today. It is another cold day with lots of snow. The car has been inside and hasn't driven in a week. it was around 75 for a long time, even after it warmed up and then finally dropped to 45-50 and seemed o.k. then. it seems like it's doing this now that it's cold and has sat for a while. Not sure if it matters but I do have the 305 H.O. engine and stock 80 oil pressure gauge in the car. I just don't know what my oil pressure is suppose to be. I've never really paid attention to it until now since it hadn't been driven in the cold before.


O.k. I found a 82 owners manual we had from our 82 we use to own and it says 20 to 60 for the pressure and I know it only had a 60 gauge in it so maybe I'm fine. I also read that it said it will have higher readings when it is cold outside.

High oil pressure is good, nothing to be worried about.
I think only v6 cars were supposed to have 80 psi oil press. gauges, so if you have an oil pressure gauge for a v6 car, you might need a oil press. sending unit for a v6 car, for a correct reading.
If you have a v8, and an oil press. gauge for a v6 car, then you probably have a tach for a v6 car (the tach and oil pressure gauge are difficult to separate), which would mean your tach readings are way high.

Can anyone tell me what the correct oil pressure should be for an 88 camaro base with a 305 TBI? At a cold start It goes a little past half way up the gauge then when It gets warm it hangs just above the red...

Oil pressure will range depending on several things;

Oil weight
Engine cold or Hot
Oil pump

If you have a heavier weight oil like straight 30w then the pressure will be higher. Once the engine warms the pressure will be reduced.

If your engine is cold oil pressure will be higher. Once the engine warms up pressure will reduce.

If you have installed a high pressure oil pump the pressure will be higher.

The manufacturer will recommend oil pressures within a range. this is because the engine operating tempuratures.

The biggest concern is very low pressure but very high pressure and cause problems as well.

Bottom line average V8 engine should be between 20-80.

My 89 Formula 350 runs 60 when cold and falls to 40 when warm.