My beloved '93 SC 5-speed Bird has 167,000 miles on the original short block and I am aware I am living on borrowed time. I drive this car everyday for work, sometimes as much as 250 miles round-trip and wouldn't trade it for the world, even though my wife points out regularly the "car is well past used up."
For the past four years, the oil pressure gauge has always shown pressure at the top of the normal range. But in the last couple of weeks it seems the oil pressure stays at that level until the car gets fully warmed up and then drops off to the "N" level of "Norm" on the gauge. I am planning to check this tomorrow with a test gauge borrowed from a mechanic buddy and will know more in the next couple of days.
The question is, if this turns out to be an oil pressure problem and not a sender problem, do I pull the engine and go through it or drop the pan and install a new oil pump and see how long she holds together. Anyone ever been in this predicament with an SC? What did you do, and how did it work out? How difficult is it to get the pan off with the engine still in the mounts?
For the past four years, the oil pressure gauge has always shown pressure at the top of the normal range. But in the last couple of weeks it seems the oil pressure stays at that level until the car gets fully warmed up and then drops off to the "N" level of "Norm" on the gauge. I am planning to check this tomorrow with a test gauge borrowed from a mechanic buddy and will know more in the next couple of days.
The question is, if this turns out to be an oil pressure problem and not a sender problem, do I pull the engine and go through it or drop the pan and install a new oil pump and see how long she holds together. Anyone ever been in this predicament with an SC? What did you do, and how did it work out? How difficult is it to get the pan off with the engine still in the mounts?