231 Buick "Oil Pressure Problems"

[RustRocket]

Hello all, I have a question for the seasoned 231 owners. The PO of my car told me that it has "oil pressure problems".
It essentially went like so:
"You know those things have oil pressure problems, right?"
"uhh, no, I'd never heard that"
"yeah they do, I've always had pressure problems with that car"
SO now my question is, does the 231 V6 have any common pressure problems? are they easily fixed? Is this a common problem, or is mine just crap? I couldn't tell you how my oil pressure is since the gauge doesn't work (of course it doesn't, rally gauge pack), so I'm kind of lost. I don't hear any knocks or ticks or anything that sounds particularly malevolent, I know the oil pan leaks and the part where the oil filter attaches (oil pump?) leaks horribly.
Any information and help is greatly appreciated, thanks in advance.

 

[pencero]

Get a working gauge to start. If your pressure fluctuates a lot, the oil pan and oil pump have to go. This is the point where most people opt for a swap. Might as well beat the v6 to death. Enjoy it while it's there. Lucas oil or STP additive can promote temporary laziness while you assemble parts for a swap to the side, but if you start taking everything off to do the oil pump replacement surgery, know it's not difficult but it is going to look like it will take 2-3 hour and end up taking all day if you've never done it before. Anyone can take apart all that, it takes at least twice as long to put it all back together. The pump itself goes on very easily. Either do both repairs or do neither, if you do one but not the other, the leak will just get worse at the 2nd source and vice versa. Sort of like if I fix a bearing on one side but not the other, the opposite side will fail from wear soon after. obviously. Same idea. You would do better to just enjoy the car as it is until it fails and swap. If this oil pressure thing went on for a long time, you could fix it just to throw a rod or hear valves clicking asking for a valve job right after that. It's just not worth spending hundreds of $ on the v6.

 

[RustRocket]

Thanks. I would trash the 231 if I could, but I don't have the space or the time to do a full motor swap. I'd like to nurse this thing along for as long as possible(17, first car, on a tight budget). I'll definitely put it on the shelf once I get another car, but I'd like to keep this one running for as long as possible.

 

[pencero]

Man. If you understood the logistics of the oil pump repair you'd understand what I'm trying to say. It's just really inconvenient to perform this repair, having to get up and under the car, then get back up again and come in from the other side. It's a lot easier to do with an engine stand and pull everything up so you can come in from 1 side - but that's where most ppl end up throwing the v6 out. Once you take those motor mounts off it's like... why even bother putting this thing that's annoying me back? Rusty motor mounts are the last encounter a lot of people have w/ their v6 on the stand. If you do find yourself standing in the garage w/ rusty motor mounts, don't get mad, get money and buy something else. Putting the v6 back at that point would be like putting a wisdom tooth you just extracted back in w/ a filling. It wouldn't make sense anymore at that point. Just baby it all summer and you should be fine! A LITTLE barr's leak and lucas oil can help you baby it along, but too much will ruin everything and have you feeling like mickey mouse in the soceror's apprentice ... choking on a cloud of smoke. It's like alchemy: you know it's probably not going to work much longer but there's just nothing else for you yet.

 

[RustRocket]

It is what it is. I'm not planning on ever swapping this motor out, it already has too much work into it. I just want to keep it for as long as possible, and keep everything that I can. This car is more of a learning tool for me, I just tinker with it. I've owned it for 9 months and It hasn't left the driveway. I've got plenty of boredom to replace the oil pump, or whatever I have to.

 

[Blake442]

The problems usually start with a worn aluminum timing cover...
If your filter adapter is leaking, those gaskets are pretty easy to replace.
Just run some heavier weight oil in it and drive it.

 

[RustRocket]

The problems usually start with a worn aluminum timing cover...
If your filter adapter is leaking, those gaskets are pretty easy to replace.
Just run some heavier weight oil in it and drive it.

I was thinking I might do that, I have a set of new gaskets for it already (came with the car). Thanks

 

[pencero]

^^^ what he said. but if you're not going to drive it, than it's time to get your hands dirty! I wrote my 1st 2 posts assuming you were driving this car to work daily or something. If it's just a project to you, go to town then... pics too. Wouldn't recommend any1 on here using a v6 as a daily bother doing these repairs though. Esp first timer. If the car is just sitting, and you work only PT or don't work than of course you should dig in and just do it right the first time. Don't be surprised if you hit a few stumbling blocks and it's not finished in the time period you were originally expecting though. We already told you what to expect!

 

[lilbowtie]

You need to determine if you have a problem - if so it's an external pump, not that bad to work on. You can also install a booster pump kit (O reillys) you can see the plate in my pic.

 

[rustyroger]

The 231 is a tough engine, even when it's worn it can still slog along. They don't have any particular weaknesses, until the fwd later engines had an issue with lower intake manifold gaskets. It was a mainstay of GM vehicles for many years, a sound basic design with many years of development from its beginnings in the early '60s. Parts available everywhere, and nothing a competent mechanic can't tackle. The downside is it's a bit underpowered for pulling a G body around. However I owned a '79 Buick Century wagon with a 231 and found it made satisfactory progress and returned decent fuel economy.

Roger.