Oil Pressure Gauge works...sometimes!

[The_Handier_Man1]

From: In2fire1  (Original Message)
Sent: 12/12/2003 11:53 AM

Hi, I have been having trouble with my oil pressure gauge working on and off. I have a 1973 Brave with the 440 and it has been running great. Could you explain where I would find the sending unit or How I would trouble shoot this problem.  This site has been great and I been having a good time working on the Winnebago.

Thanks Gil



From: denison
Sent: 12/12/2003 12:41 PM

I believe the oil pressure sender unit is on the upper rear of the block, usually on the drivers side. I had to replace that once. Also, I used the handy oil gallery pipe threaded plug on the other side of the block to connect my mechanical oil pressure gauge. It could also be a bad wiring connection I suppose, and there is a connector in this circuit somewhere below the dash. If your fuel and temp gauges are similarly actiing up, then its maybe a bad dashboard ground, or a bad voltage limiter, that feeds a regulated voltage to all three gauges. denison



From: mightybooboo
Sent: 12/12/2003 1:47 PM

"explain where I would find the sending unit "

On mine its top rear of block on the midline pretty much.To the right is the vacuum amplifier if you have that.

Denison,what kind of mechanical guage and tubing do you have?Are they still plastic?Must be a better,ie,more expensive few cents,way of doing it.I had the white plastic tubing until I got a leg full of hot oil,soured me on mech oil guagesGRRRR!Plastic tubing and hot pressurized oil seems like a bad "idear" to me!Reminds me of the Darwin awards or Engineering Disasters part III,etc.
BooBoo



From: In2fire1
Sent: 12/12/2003 8:11 PM

Thanks for all the help you save me alot of time. Sending unit was bad.
Thanks Gil



From: denison
Sent: 12/12/2003 8:47 PM

mightybooboo. I used small copper tubing, dia. about 3/16. I used compression fittings at both ends, but soldered them up once they were tightened down, then screwed the gauge onto the dashboard end, using RTV on the threads. If I have to dismantle this line I would replace it all. I had slid a 1/4 inch rubber hose over the copper line before I put the ends on; it was about 6 inches shorter than the copper line. I used a squeeze clamp on the hose right at the engine block fitting, also at the other end - about 6 inches from the gauge. I also secured the commposite line in several places with tie wraps as it ran up beside the engine and through the doghouse. The unprotected part of the copper line is where the oil would run down over the doghouse if it breaks - cause I really really want to know if that happens, before the oil all gets out. A better way to do it would be to use small diameter rubber pressure hose having a braided steel sheath, and get connections swaged onto both ends, like they do in aircraft. The guage was a 2 incher I had lying around. denison



From: mightybooboo
Sent: 12/13/2003 1:36 AM

WOW!
Boo