Oil Pressure?
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Senior User
Joined: Sep 2001
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From: Western PA
Oil Pressure?
I have a 1988 F-250 XLT-Lariat super-cab 4x4 auto with the 7.3 diesel in it. I bought the truck in June and the volt, temp, and oil pressure guages were, and still are, 
shot . I decided to get the token chrome triple guage set. I got the temp guage hooked up just fine. Question #1: What oil pressure should the truck be running at during idle and during acceleration/driving? #2: In the guage set there is an amp meter instead of the factory volt meter. Which wires on the altertator do the wires on the amp meter get connected to? Wire color preffered because the destructions that came with the kit don't help at all.
Any help is appreciated. Thank you, Ted
shot . I decided to get the token chrome triple guage set. I got the temp guage hooked up just fine. Question #1: What oil pressure should the truck be running at during idle and during acceleration/driving? #2: In the guage set there is an amp meter instead of the factory volt meter. Which wires on the altertator do the wires on the amp meter get connected to? Wire color preffered because the destructions that came with the kit don't help at all. Any help is appreciated. Thank you, Ted
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Joined: Feb 2001
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From: Indianapolis
Oil Pressure?
These engines (and the Power Stroke as well) have piston cooling nozzles which are jets directed up at the underside of the pistons which feed a constant flow of oil to that area. The oil pressure at idle, hot, will be relatively low (10psi give or take 3 or 4 psi). The oil pressure relief valve in the oil cooler is set to dump at 80psi, which means at high idle (wide open throttle, no load) with a cold engine, it should max out at 80psi to keep from blowing the oil filter off. That is your range, depending on engine speed and oil temprature.
Ammeters are pretty much useless which is why they don't use them much any more (just my opinion). The only way they will work is if you run all the load through the ammeter like Chrysler used to (excluding the starter and in your case, glow plugs). If you've got a 110 amp alternator and a 60 amp ammeter, it won't work very long anyway until it fries itself. Furthermore, even if your ammeter is suffetiently heavy to cary the load, I wouldn't cut into a perfectly good wiring harness to hook up a gauge whose value is minimal at best anyway (just my opinion).
Ammeters are pretty much useless which is why they don't use them much any more (just my opinion). The only way they will work is if you run all the load through the ammeter like Chrysler used to (excluding the starter and in your case, glow plugs). If you've got a 110 amp alternator and a 60 amp ammeter, it won't work very long anyway until it fries itself. Furthermore, even if your ammeter is suffetiently heavy to cary the load, I wouldn't cut into a perfectly good wiring harness to hook up a gauge whose value is minimal at best anyway (just my opinion).
Thread Starter
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Senior User
Joined: Sep 2001
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From: Western PA
Oil Pressure?
The truck runs about 17 psi at hot idle, and after its warm rarely goes over 42-43. If I start driving it when its cold it sneaks up a little past 60 but doesn't take too long to warm up and get back down to 42-43. I kinda like the look of the ammeter just shiny and lit up reading nothing also. Thanks for the oil pressure info and your thoughts on the ammeter. ,Ted
