L03 engine, fyi.

I took the oil pan off today and had a peek inside. Everything looks fine to me, but I'm seriously lacking in experience here. Are you guys able to see anything from these pictures?

Btw, my oil pressure gauge has been reading low but the engine has been running the exact same.

I took the car in to the shop to do some brake work and had them take a look at the pressure problem. They said I had low oil and sludge. I knew they were full of it with the low oil and my top end showed no sign of sludge.

I figured it would be fun to take the oil pan off and have a look-see. "Maybe the pickup screen was clogged with some debris," I thought. After looking at it, it looks alright to me.

When I disconnected the electrical connector for the oil pressure sensor, it was full of oil. So I'm thinking the problem is just the sensor, which I will replace.

I just thought I'd show off my bottom and have some knowledgeable people take a look.

 

Looks fine to me. How'd the bottom of the pan look?

When those oil sender units go bad they will blow oil all the way through it. I had one go bad on my 3800 series and it managed to leak out 3 quarts in 15 miles. That was a mess. Change the sensor. I don't know about the ones for our cars but mine in the 3800 series daily driver I went with a mastercraft (generic cheap one) and it show'd 20-30 psi higher than the AC Delco that it replaced. Not a huge deal as I don't care with a daily driver, but thought I would mention it appears off brands of sensor could show different readings.

 

When they fail they sometimes blow the center out. Replace the sensor.

 

Sweet. Thanks guys.

The bottom of the pan is spotless. No gunk or debris.

And while I'm at it. I got a Fel-Pro pan gasket. There was a little insert on the box that said it's a Perma-Dry gasket and I shouldn't use any sealant. Should I forego sealant or should I put a little in the corners as the factory manual says to?

 

Those sensors are notorious for going bad and they all read differently. You could take 3 home and they would all give you different readings even with the same part number. Just consider it a glorified warning light that warns you when the sensor fails.

Those L03s dont really make enough power to hurt themselves. Keep it full of oil and keep it fresh and it will outlast the rest of the car probably.

 

Bottom end looks fine from that view, but the real test is pulling a main or rod cap or two and seeing how the bearings look. If it was mine I'd just bolt the pan back up and keep driving