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Oil pressure is tripping out

Paxx

Paxx

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Ok when I bought my truck the oil pressure was always maxed out past 60. Up until about a month ago this was true, then it sat at 30 until the last couple of days now it sits at 0 and jumps sporadically up to 15 holds for a couple seconds drops back down up and down and up and down /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif you get the point.

It mostly stays down now. Is this my oil pump? or maybe the gauge? Or cause I'm a little behind on my oil change /forums/images/graemlins/ignore.gif

I was gonna do the oil today but I figured I might as well see if I have to tear into the oilpan before I waste cash on the new oil.

thnx
~Max
 
Well it could be dirt in the little hole in the sender, or a bad gauge. Mine has read 15 to 30 since I owned it , and has never ever had a problem. Tried two sending units too. I am not worrying about mine as it does go higher when cold and drop a bit when warm /forums/images/graemlins/k5.gif
 
I had the same problem. It would normally run in the 45 to 60 psi range. Then one day, I look down at my gauge and it's at zero and would raise to 15 when accelerating. It really freaked me out. Turned out that the sending unit near the dist. was bad. Changed that out and now its fine. Hope this helps.

Ray
 
Ground the wire to the sending unit with the key on. Whats the gauge do?

Sounds like you've got at least a sender issue (sounds sticky) and perhaps low oil pressure on top of that. WAG, but I had a worn out engine, and oil pressure fluctuated about 15PSI just from giving it gas and letting off. Had to be timing chain slop, as the pressure reading was very quick, and consistent.

If the pressure bounces and sticks, I doubt *that* is the oil pump...it doesn't stop moving, and for it to stop pumping oil long enough to show on the gauge (for a measurable length of time) seems quite unlikely...it would have to missing some serious metal in a pretty large portion of the rotors.
 
My sender went bad when I put my new engine in. The engine pressure is at 80lbs. and my gauge just reads max whenever the engine is running.
When the sender went bad the pressure dropped to Zero. Talk about a high rating on the pucker factor when you see that.
I would love to find a gauge that would fit into the stock location (and look stock) just to get a better idea of what is going on.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I would love to find a gauge that would fit into the stock location (and look stock) just to get a better idea of what is going on.

[/ QUOTE ]

You are in luck /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif Just grab am early 70's mechanical gauge from any 73-76 Blazer or Pickup, works exactly like aftermarket gauge . This would have a threaded fitting to accept a hardline, the sender port on the engine will also accept a threaded fitting for hard line. I have one that came with some E-bay stuff , but I never installed it ( AS EXAMPLE, NOT FOR SALE ). /forums/images/graemlins/k5.gif
 
Sounds like the sender to me. normally when a guage goes bad it will either sit at zero or max out and stay and not move. As far as oil pressure according to GM if you have 7lbs of oil pressure then you have enough. now take that as you may I am just throwing some info out there. oh autozone sells 70wt oil now that might help also on a worn out engine.
 
You should have around 10psi per 1,000 rpm ie., 30psi @ 3,000 rpm. I'd check the gauge and oil level first then get into the pan if necessary. I've seen cases where the oil pump pickup came off of the pump and caused the pressure to fluctuate, high on acceleration, low when braking and cornering etc. Good reason to weld or safety wire the pickup tube.
 
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