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Adding a mech. oil pressure gauge.

dogdaysunrise

dogdaysunrise

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I am looking to add a mechanical oil pressure gauge to my 92 chevy this weekend. It is a 350 with one of those stupid elbow adapters for the oil filter (which is pissing oil right now, but thats another nightmare). I am curious, is there anyway I can add the sender in that adapter?

The reason for the change to the new gauge is that my gauge is bouncing slightly under and over 100 kpa at idle, and just bounces back and forth. It also jumps from 100 kpa to just slightly above 300kpa at WOT.

I would like to see what is really going on here.

Thanks.
 
I also have built an import car (Subaru, no Hondas thanks...) and I know they make a sandwich plate that goes between the motor and oil filter. As far as tapping the stock one, I don't really see a problem. Why don't you just use the factory hole in the block? It should be to the right of the distributor, about 2 inches over, as you look at the front of the motor. That way you don't have to run so much of that fragile nylon tube around so much of the hot engine. If it were me, I'd go with an electric gauge, cause I have seen that line burst on vehicles before, and it will srpray a butt load of hot oil all over the inside of your truck, and you if your not carefull. just my .02
 
i went with the mech. gauge because it was cheaper.

the reason I would like to run it seperate from the stock location is to get an idea with what my stock gauge is doing. Compare the 2.

i have to reconsider my choice anyways because I just ordered a remote oil filter kit for the truck. The stock location is a PITA. The driveshaft is in the way of everything.
 
Good damn call! It would have taken me months to think of that.

But as the pesimist in me chimes in.....Wouldn't that divide the pressure by half? Or being that oil is not exclusive to the laws of physics, wouldn't the pressure go to the path of least resistance? IE 1 gauge reads 75 psi the other 25 psi and the real pressurer is 100 psi? Just spit ballin.

For what it's worth, I think he should try it and let us know....
 
You have to take some extra measures if you want to remove the original pressure sensor. On TBI trucks, the fuel pump power feed is fed through the sensor, and cuts power to the pump if pressure falls too low (Try trouble shooting a bad sender one day). As far as the needle bouncing all over the place, its REALLY common on TBI vehicles (I don't know why, but its what I've found). Must be a cheap spot in the harnesses or something, it bounces around as it hits ground. I had a truck that consistently showed 1/4 of real pressure, a truck that showed nothing or everything, and now a truck that shows real pressure some of the time, slowly drops to nothing some of the time, and slowly rises to max some of the time. It has a mechanical gauge run off a T now too
 
Well its good to know that I'm not the only one getting wierd readings on my oil pressure gauge. I've been really worried about my newly rebuilt 350 cause lately I've been getting some strange readings.

Regarding the running both gauges, I'd like to do this on the weekend and would really appriciate it if someone knows what parts i need to do this. I guess all i really need is a T fitting of the correct size.( or do I need a bunch of adapters) Does anyone know the size off hand? Its 30 miles to a place where I can work on my truck in some warmth and here in the city it's easyer to find parts so getting them ahead of time would really help out.

Thanks Guys,

Brent
 
really easy, it's all 1/8" NPT (pipe thread). Use all brass fittings, every home improvement store carries the stuff.
 
I might just bomb down to home depot today and pick up the hardware.

All is well with the T connection? no weird readings?
 
thedrip said:
You have to take some extra measures if you want to remove the original pressure sensor. On TBI trucks, the fuel pump power feed is fed through the sensor, and cuts power to the pump if pressure falls too low (Try trouble shooting a bad sender one day).
Click to expand...

I don't agree that the oil sensor is connected to the fuel pump. I totally lost oil pressure driving down the road and it didn't turn the engine off. The check gauges light just came on. But a T would be the thing to use.
 
thats standard.... should have a port next to the dizzy and one above the filter in the recessed block area...
 
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