after driving for 30-45+ minutes, if I idle at a light or any time, the oil pressure is pretty low.

at cold my idle is about 1000rpms after the most recent adjustments, and 1200 at fully warmed up... but at 1200 and warm the oil pressure is sometimes dropping to 10ish, almost where the light would start getting a flicker...

if the rpms are above this, even a little, then I have a solid 25+, and 40psi at 3500 rpms.

should I worry about this? running 40w VR-1 oil... fwiw

Anything less than 10psi is bad....

I would check the oil temperature at full warm and make sure it is no more than 220 at the extreme. If higher that is your problem. We have had engines with warped cases run 250 and at that temp the fuel injection would not even operate properly, and the oil light would come on. When cold the car would do just fine.
Therefore if the temp is correct I would not worry because the only other thing to do is to tear down the engine and replace the bearings.

forgot to mention, oil temp at full warm is 185... this is with an external second oil cooler as well... if that matters.

also, 30mm type 1 Shadek pump.

I run about 20psi at full warm idle (800 - 1000 rpm).

IMO, the idiot light is enough. Watching that gauge will drive you nuts.

Try Brad Penn 20W-50 and see if that improves. Using this oil with my hydraulics makes less lifter noise and seems to run quiter. Better pressure., don't know for sure, but I only run Brad Penn now!
Tom

wes is wondering if we need to put in one for the oil pressure booster kits, the replacement spring and piston in the front... thoughts?

I will also try the Brad Penn oil. at least 1 case worth to see if I see improved temps and pressure.

FWIW, my Raby turn key shows 10 psig on the gauge at full warm idle. At 1200 rpm no idiot light, less than 1200 idiot light. Still showing 10 psig.

Oh, with Brad Penn 20-50.

ok. that was kinda what I was thinking. I've idled the engine down to compensate for the previous HIGH(2100) idle it was having... I might also need to idle it up a hair... because it's not even a full 1200 rpm idle warmed up.

I thought I saw somewhere jake had said the brad penn oil pressure wasn't high at temp, but is an effective oil and eventhough the pressure was low, the volume that was being moved was more than adequate...

dual weight oil you would expect much lower warm pressure, though, since it would thin out at temp.

With Brad Penn 20/50 and +- 200 *F oil temp I idle at 10 PSI . I have a Shadack pump and my lifters have the very small hole in the middle to lube the cam. Jake Raby 2056 kit that I built.

I am generally not concerned with idle oil pressure, I am more concerned with moving higher volumes of oil. Due to that we generally run LESS oil pressure than others purposely. It works very well.

Jake, What pump do you recommend for hi volume? What weight oil do you recommend? Are you still sold on Brad Penn? I agreed with air/oil cooled engines moving oil is good but film strength is equal.

ok, so is the piston booster kit snake oil? because to me, it sounds like $30 for a little better oil pressure... why not?

but if it doesn't work...