Good one, Jim. That's more like what my minivan looked like. Not as clean (not even close), but I was using it as a testing platform where gauges might be in there today and not tomorrow.
Yes, I've got a real OEM gauge. As much as people assert otherwise, mine is fairly accurate on both my wife's 99 and my 02. Accurate might not be the right word. The index can make it a guesstimate on what the true reading is since you've got 0-40-80 and divisions in between. On the 02, you can see the transition between full envelopment and where the relief closes as it eeeeeeases up to the peak pressure. On the wife's ..the HV oil pump slams the needle right up to the 58lb limit that the aftermarket company spec's for the pump.
That said, the lowest oil pressure I've seen would be at 215F coolant temp and a similar oil temp..at idle ..and it would be somewhere around 28psi. On my engine, the oil:coolant heat exchanger won't let the coolant go above the 195F thermostat setting until it gets to the point of low/limited/no exchange.
With a 40 grade, you're either at 50+/- ..or 40+ over all temp ranges.
I've reached over 10k on this sump. I'll be sending it in shortly to Bruce, Dyson, Blackstone ..and maybe Oil Analyzers.
I've experienced my first consumption with this oil. At about 7500 miles into it, I consumed approximately 16 oz. This was the same consumption seen with Delvac 1 5w-40 and Agip PC 5w-40 when driven at a rate of about 15k/year. This did not occur with back to back 13 month OCI's with RTS, but that was probably due to some mixology with fuel in the short(er) trip usage. Those OCI's were only around 9.5k over 13 months.
16oz. were also consumed with sampling at the 5k point. The sump was topped off with one quart of new oil @ the 7500 mile (+/-) mark.
