I just put a junkyard engine in my 88 4runner (3.0 V6) and it is showing very low oil pressure. The needle does not get over the first line until it hits 4k rpm and in general the pressure seems low. It is not knocking and runs great but I am afraid the low oil pressure may damage it. The motor sat for almost a year before I installed it so it may need to run for a while before I can say this is a problem. I don't know...
Also, the sender is the same one from the other 3.0, I am using bulk 10w/30 and a napa oil filter.

Should I
Put an oil pump in it?
Put an oil pump and bearings in it?
Get another motor?
Run it for a while and see if it improves?
Fill it with 90 weight and ignore it?


Thanks, DMG

I would put a manual oil pressure gauge in there and see what the OP really is. Then go from there. You only need (minimum) 10psi of OP per every 1k RPM.

I would fear the head gaskets before the OP :D

I will put a gage on it tomorrow after work but I think it does have low oil pressure because I am using the same sender and gage as the previous motor that had ~twice the pressure.
Thanks, DMG

about the hg, they seem ok and I have a nice pair of rebuilt heads ready to go on if needed.

try using 20-50 if the pressure is reaaallly low.

Well, I put a mechanical gage on it after the Steelers game :mad: and it had 8 psi at idle and about 35 at 5000 rpm. I put in 10w40 and some STP and it had 21 psi at idle and pegged the gage at 50 psi at 5000 rpm. I tested with the truck at normal operating temp according to the temp gage and a non-contact thermometer.
I hope the motor will be ok to run for a year or so but, after I buy my house and have some money I may get a lower mileage motor. Thanks to you guys who responded.
DMG