Low oil pressure?
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New User
Joined: Aug 2003
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From: Eugene, OR
Low oil pressure?
Hey guys, I recently purchased an '87 E-250 van w/162K. Around town the oil pressure seems to be fine and stays in the "normal" area. But on the freeway @ 65 after half an hour or so, the needle will suddenly drop to the low side of the gauge. Each time this happens I pull over for a few minutes, and after I get back on the road it will climb back to normal territory for awhile again. The engine seems to be running good and cool, and the oil level hasn't really changed. What can I look for to remedy this? Could there be a problem with the gauge, or oil pump, or...? Any help or ideas is much appreciated.
Thanks,
Ron Bullard
bullard_ron(No Email Addresses In Posts!)
Thanks,
Ron Bullard
bullard_ron(No Email Addresses In Posts!)
New User
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 9
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From: n.e. wisconsin
Low oil pressure?
Search this forum for "oil pressure". There have been several excellent replies to this question in the recent past.
A good place to start is a mechanical oil pressure gauge installed in place of the original sending unit. "afer the oil change and new filter".
A good place to start is a mechanical oil pressure gauge installed in place of the original sending unit. "afer the oil change and new filter".
Thread Starter
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New User
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
From: Eugene, OR
Low oil pressure?
Thanks, I'll do a search for that. Changed the oil and filter, did the 100 mile drive home back down I-5. After a few miles of the needle staying in the center of "normal", it dropped down to the lower end of it for the remainder of the drive. Hovered between the left edge of the normal area and the letter "N". I'll look into a mechanical sender/gauge first I guess... any other ideas?
Thanks,
Ron
Thanks,
Ron
Elder User
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 539
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Low oil pressure?
Your oil pump screen is plugged! as the pump runs faster more oil is drawn from the pan an less of the screen is available to suck oil, that part is plugged. Drop the pan and replace or clean the screen. This should take care of the problem. While the pan is off replace the oil pump too ( cheap insurance against doing the job a second time or worse).
Post Fiend
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 5,860
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From: Metro Detroit (Redford)
Low oil pressure?
I've had similar problems. At 100,000 miles ('95 F150 300 I6) I have installed my third sender. Even it will flop up and down for no apparent reason and not even varying with RPM but will do this at highway speed. I had my pickup screen cleaned when i got the truck. Maybe a bit of debris is in the sender and blocking it off and on--I don't know. It that is true the same could happen to a mechanical gauge. We'll see. Just bought a mechanical gauge and plan to install it soon. May totally abandon the idiot gauge because I can't find the right adaptor for it on the T- fitting. BTW, I understand that electronic gauges are just as accurate as mechanical, but that mechanical are more responsive (quicker). I got a mechaincal because it was at a garage sale in a mounting bracket along with a water temp for $5--AutoGauge, but Autometer too. Mechanical is easier to hookup if you don't like doing a lot of wiring.
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