Can i mount a mechanical oil pressure gauge in that plug and keep the original one in place?

 

Sure, although I assume you'd use tubing to bring the gauge up to where you can see it.

 

Would the copper tube be best? Is there a certain gauge/kit you prefer?

 

Most OP gauges come with small-diameter teflon tubing and fittings to connect to the port. Are you planning to leave it in place or just use it during initial start-up?

 

Leave it in place i think

 

I used a mechanical gauge. Thin flexible tubing into the cab. Been very happy with it. It eliminates any sender problems or doubts.

 

The cheap mechanical gauge kits with the clear tube are nice for first runs because you can see the oil coming up the tube while turning the engine. I do this for a bit before putting juice to the coil so that I know the pump is priming.

 

Here is what the oil pressure gauge and tubing looks like in my 55 F350. It been in there a long time. The PO said he and the original owner could not get the stock pressure gauge to work so this was installed.

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OK , question about a weird action my stock non-working oil pressure does. Sometimes while I'm driving the needle will move and stay in a static position for some time. It seems like it could be the wind but how could wind get there to move the needle? So it's not that.

I haven't stuck my head under the dash to see if the sending unit wire is still attached. And if it is wouldn't the mechanical gauge use the port where the stock sending unit goes?

 

Okay, mechanical oil pressure gauge installed. And another working 6volt starter installed....

I have no spark. Im using a volt meter to check everything. At the ignition switch im getting 5.8ish volts.

At the coil im getting .66ish volts touching (-) battery to both terminals on the coil, with ignition switch on

With ignition switch off....when i touch volt meter to both terminals of coil i get 1.02 for a milisecond, then it falls to around .19 immediately.

What should my voltage be reading where? I checked for bare wire, im not seeing any.

Thank you
John

 

1. Take off the distributor cap. If the points are open, OK. If not, put a thin piece of cardboard between them (matchbook cover).
2. Turn on the ignition.
3. With the (+) lead on your voltmeter grounded, you should have ~6v (battery voltage) at each terminal of the coil, and at the post on the points where the condenser lead connects (#2 below).
4. If you have noticeably less than 6v at the (+) terminal of the coil and at the points, it is likely the power lead (red wire below) under the points plate is shorting out. This is real common. If so, don't leave the ignition on for long or the coil will get real hot.
5. Disconnect the (+) wire at the coil. If you have 6v at the (-) terminal of the coil, and almost nothing at the (+) terminal, your coil is bad.

 

i pulled that wire out and inspected it and retaped it. I made a test circuit with volt meter, that wire, and battery...i showed 6.3 volts....so i installed back in distributor.

 

Im going to go do those tests now

 

With points open...im getting .85 volts at points and both coil terminals.


With coil to distributor wire undone...im getting .85 on both terminals.

 

It sounds like a bad connection between the coil and the ignition switch. Try disconnecting the wire from the negative coil terminal and then test to see if you now get 6 volts with the key on at the end of the wire. If not, check over the entire run of that wire back to your ignition switch or better yet just replace it. If you do have 6 volts at the wire but hardly any voltage when you reconnect the coil, sounds like a bad coil.