1994 Chevrolet k1500 ticking and oil press. Guage fluctuates

[Jayden Baker]

My 1994 Chevy k1500 with the 5.7 tbi has this thing where after the engine has been running for a while the engine starts ticking and loses get up and go and oil pressure guage drops down to zero then goes back up after a few seconds and it stops ticking but then it starts doing that again 

Edited September 16, 2020 by Jayden Baker

[Jsdirt]

Sounds like the end of the line for that engine. Normally I see those go well north of 300k miles - they're some of the best engines ever built by General Motors.

 

I would say there could be a valve issue too, but with the oil pressure dropping, even though these gauges are notoriously inaccurate, I'd say the engine is done. Still, best bet is to remove the oil pressure sender, and attach a gauge directly. If that also shows low or zero, then it's time to start shopping for a nice crate engine.

 

Keep that baby rolling! That's the best truck ever built by GM. While it doesn't have the fancy do-dads, power, and handling of the new ones, the thing will outlast these new ones 3:1 at a MINIMUM. Just keep it out of the road salt, and she'll go another 30 years with a new engine. 

Edited September 16, 2020 by Jsdirt

[riverbanks]

The loses get up and go,could be alternator not charging at low rpm,and at a lower rpm,oil pump is very low flow, just a thought,I would monitor alternator output at idle,holding 13.2v hopefully