Hey guys just had a b18b bottom with b16 head rebuilt (golden eagle lsv kit). I installed the engine into my EJ2 and everything seems to be running fine (just ironing out all those little engine swap kinks). Ive got about 250 miles on it so far, and no problems with the first oil change around 50 miles.

The only concern I have is my oil pressure. I am using an autometer electric oil psi guage. I am reading (at operating temp) 18 psi idle and 60 psi max, running 10w30. I have a bunch of guys telling me that's way too low and I should be up at 80-90 psi max. I have one guy telling me 60psi max is healthy and I've got nothing to worry about.

I know the manual for a GSR says something like 10psi min at idle and 50psi at 3000rpm. I am definitely within that range, but I am worried because of these guys telling me otherwise.

I hope that someone with some professional/technical experience or maybe a resource that could prove to me what I should be reading for oil psi.

(also, my vtec is not engaging but I do not know if thats related or not since I havent done any troubleshooting yet)

Any help would be immensely appreciated.

 

As long as your within factory specs you're fine. A standard LSvtec, although it isn't stock, is a mild build and very "stock-ish. I doesn't require any special changes to factory oil pressure but yes, many people prefer an increase for different reasons. Have faith in the manual, the stock specs are fine. The Honda engineers (dozens if not hundreds of them) who designed these motors and wrote the manual are a hell of a lot more credible than a bunch of 'guys'.

You are correct about the oil pressures for a GSR.
10 psi minimum at idle
50 psi minmum at 3000 rpm
60 psi minimum for vtec engagement

In regards to your vtec not kicking in, here's the troubleshooting flowchart for you:

 

what are your main and rod bearing tolerances?

once up to operating temp, its not uncommon or an issue to see around 60 psi just cruising around 3000 rpm. if you rev it up it should go toward 75-85 near redline. if your oil is getting really hot, it will get thinner thus reducing your oil pressure.

finally, those autometer electrical oil pressure gauges are the biggest pieces of **** ever. the sending units are garbage and go bad frequently. you are much better off with a mechanical gauge, even if its a cheap one.

 

Thanks for the vtec troubleshooting chart, I had already found a forum on it, but as a visual person the flowchart is very appealing. Thanks for your help and for reassuring me on the numbers!

 

Let me check...

I am definitely not getting past 60psi. If what you are saying is true, something must be wrong.

I am pretty confident that I am reading the correct amount of pressure. I had two mechanical autozone gauges in the car first, and they both read relatively the same and both leaked oil after 50 miles of use. So, I'm not really impressed with mechanical gauges right now.

 

Another thing is that on a cold start the engine can fire and run for about 3 seconds before I get any oil pressure, then it goes right up to 70psi. Is there any reason in particular for this delay?