Chevrolet: oil pressure, 1997 chevy z71, chevy 350 vortec

Question
What is the oil pressure suppose to be at idle when eng. is hot??? Mine drops to almost nothing, its a 1997 Chevy Z71 4X4.....Thanks, Ray

Answer
Hi Ray,
The oil pressure on your '97 Z71(I'm assuming you're using the 5.7-liter Vortec) should run between 40-60 PSI. If it exceeds 85 PSI, or drops lower than 35 PSI, you should have your engine looked at by a mechanic.
Engine heat has little to do with the oil pressure; on a few high-torque engines, though, the oil pressure will start off low, around 15-20 PSI, and should rise to the right pressure within thirty seconds. Other high-performance engines may start with high pressure, around 80-90 PSI, but will rapidly come back down to the riht pressure within ten seconds.
If you do have low pressure, then you probably have too little oil, or(more seriously) a leak.
Low oil pressure is a common problem not only with '97 Z71's, but with a lot of Chevy 350 Vortec V8's from that year.
Hope this helps you!
-Ray A. Hawk