Oil pressure drop

Normal range is 29 to 72 so I don’t see a problem.  Generally, oil pressure is inversely related to oil temperature.  Generally, as you climb higher the turbo is working harder creating more heat and the air is thinner rejecting less heat.  This tends to raise the oil temperature and lower the oil pressure.

Which oil are you using:  AeroShell or XPS?  Aeroshell is a 10W40 and XPs is 5W50 so might be a little thicker when hot.

What are your oil temps at each level?

I’m using AeroShell and I haven’t seen any increase in oil temperature.

this is abnormal behavior for this aircraft. Others with very similar configuration see above 45 well into 17000.

Shay Ohayon wrote:

I’m using AeroShell and I haven’t seen any increase in oil temperature.

this is abnormal behavior for this aircraft. Others with very similar configuration see above 45 well into 17000.

Has this engine always operated this way or did it carry more pressure in the past and then recently dropped to  lower oil pressure?  Each engine is different and has different tolerances due to normal manufacturing variation.  That is why the normal range of oil pressure is so wide.

If you happen to get an engine where the crank is ground on the small side of the spec, and the rods and bearings are on the large side, and the oil pump gears are on the small side and the oil pump housing is on the large side and the oil pressure spring is on the weak side of the spec, you can end up with oil pressure at the low end of the range.

Conversely, if you have an engine where the crank was ground on the large side of the spec, the bearings are on the small side, etc. then you can have oil pressure closer to the high side of the range.  As long are you are in the range, there isn’t much to worry about unless there was a recent and dramatic change or if the oil pressure fluctuates randomly (can indicate oil starvation and air being sucked into the pump) or something similar.  Gradually approaching the low end of the range when running high which takes you to the hot end of the oil temperature range, isn’t much to be concerned about unless you start getting excursions below 29.

This has always been the case (there are only 100h on the engine). It’s clear from the data logs. I am concerned, however, because looking at the logs when I was approaching 14000 it did dip briefly below 28. This is abnormal as far as I understand. 
I also got a recent oil analysis suggesting high levels of copper, which  could suggest extra wear of bushing and bearing. Not sure if the two are related, but I assume lower oil pressure can cause extra wear.