Need to replace oil pump... i think.
 

I have a 1983 280zx and i see the oil pressure is low and i'm probably going to replace the oil pump or get a "kit" on autozone. what would you guys recommend? the kits doesn't look like it included the pump but it had everything else in it. so what's the best thing you think i should do to keep the pressure at optimum pressure.

Welcome to ZDriver! :006:

Are you thinking you have low oil pressure because of the oil pressure gauge readings, or you ACTUALLY have low oil pressure? The 280zx oil pressure sensor is notorious for faulty readings...

ditto the oil pump is pretty bulletproof. if it went south then probably the whole engine is gone from lack of oil. put a mechanical pressure gage on it

I will bet that your oil sending unit is going bad. And that is an easy fix. Yeah don't go by your gauge. If it starts acting faulty, and your Z is running fine. Then you know the oil pump is good. Another thing you can check, actually a couple. Is after you run the engine for a bit. Take the oil cap off, and look inside with a light, and see if oil is getting up there. Which more than likely it is. Or you would have a bad engine, from lack of oil. Like rogerz pointed out.

I had an oil pump with over 200k on it. And it still is going strong. Yeah check your sending unit man. I bet it is acting up. Good luck.

thanks for the advice
 

thanks for the help. that guage always seemed a little qwirky like it worked sometimes and other times it didn't. but i will take the cap off and check to see if it's getting to the top(the cheapest method) and go from there.

oil pressure drops as engine speed increases
 

barn find, 1982 non-turbo, sitting since 1996. got it running (jellied fuel rail, etc). then stupidly decided to run some engine cleaner through it. i expect i now have a clogged sump intake. hoping not to have to lift the engine up to find out -- the oil pan is right on a frame rail in this car.

symptom is, oil pressure drops when i come off idle, and goes all the way to zero if i drive it. engine temp rises. idling on the side of the road brings things back to normal, enough to get it back home.

i am really hoping that someone has a theory involving the oil pump, which is easier to get at without engine removal.

Uh do some maintainance first then figure out if you have a problem. Jellied fuel rail? That's some serious neglect issues - a full refresh of all the fluids and the pathways involved is definately where you should be starting from....

thanks for those ideas. "barn find" means it had been sitting from 1996 until i bought it in 2011. i've been all through the fluids and pathways... except the oil pickup in the sump which i can't get to without pulling the engine.

at this stage i'm looking for alternate theories which do not involve removing the oil pan. why would my oil pressure be fine at idle but then go to zero as the engine speed passes 2500 rpm or so?