temperature related oil pressure drop?

[Coolbreezin]

I was caught in rush hour traffic. Bike ran fine but the last couple miles the oil pressure light would flicker. I immediately looked at my OP gauge and it was showing 12ish PSI at 50mph. I got to the bar and hung out for 2 hours. Before I left I checked the oil level and it was full. Fired up the scooter rode home. No issues at all. Could temperature affect oil pressure?

 

[Mr. Wright]

That's normal. The hotter the engine, the thinner the oil is going to be, and the lower the oil pressure will read. Mine runs about 10 to 15 psi at hwy speed.

 

[knothead]

Yep temperature does it...does it with any motor...hotter it is the thinner it gets which oil pressure gets lower...nothing to worry about...ride that sled

 

[Coolbreezin]

Makes sense. Thanks gentlemen. I am about due for an oil change. Just never had this happen in 14 years/74,000 miles.

 

[Sven]

Just never had this happen in 14 years/74,000 miles.

With that kind of mileage and how many oil changes, say the oil drains clean when hot. You want to suspend whatever material is going south so it can float out of the drain hole, and if it looks like silver; like spray paint someone sprayed over oil, I'd pass on cutting open the oil filter to check those paper pleats. It's already eating itself once you lost that pressure and the light came on.

Only the silver shadow riding into those paper pleats knows for sure.

 

[Coolbreezin]

Had a thought. Cant find any good info online. What is the lowest safe oil pressure for our 117's? Can I safely ride at 10-12lbs?

 

[Mr. Wright]

It's not pressure, it's flow you need to worry about. The oil pump is pumping oil back to the tank. The oil free flows to the motor.

 

[Sven]

10psi for every 1,000 rpm.