Engine oil pressure

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Apr 4, 2000 | 11:45 AM

paulbrianstenhouse

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Engine oil pressure

On my 93 F-150 flareside, 302 V8 fuel inj. pickup, the oil pressure gauge fluctuates between o and m on the "normal" indication on the gauge. This started when I switched brands of oil from Penzoil to Castrol GTX, both were the same 10W-30 weight. The problem leads me to believe it is the oil sending unit, or some other problem. I do know it isn't the oil pump or the volume of oil since it is full, and the problem happened overnight. Does anyone have any idea why this happened? Also, were is the oil pressure sending unit? Is it somewhere on the block near the oil filter? Please offer me any feedback.

Thanks

Paul

Apr 4, 2000 | 01:50 PM

Motorcraftsman

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Engine oil pressure

i belive the oil presure sending unit, is on the drivers side of the engine block, i know it is on the 300 six, the best wya to find out is to crawl under the truck and look, up a the sides of the motor it should be at the bottom on the block.
you problem could also be an electrica problem in the guage

Apr 4, 2000 | 07:15 PM

cbwarrior

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Engine oil pressure

I have an 88 302 and when changing my oil tonight I just happened to notice that what looks like is the sending unit is right beside the filter towards the front of the engine. I have basically the same problem, where my gauge reads between the bottom edge of the "normal" area and the 'r' of "normal", which is why I was looking for it because I am planiing on replacing my sending unit with a real gauge, an aftermarket one. I guess the factory gauge is actually an idiot light in disguise. Hope this helps!

Apr 4, 2000 | 09:27 PM

Superdave

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Engine oil pressure

CB & Paul, that is the location of the oil pressure sending unit on the 302 that CB found. Change the sending unit and see if it lines it out, if not then check the oil pressure with a manual gauge. Let us know what happens.

Superdave

94 Ford Aerostar XL 3.0L
82 Ford F250 4x4 XLT,400 CID,C-6 A/T,8700lb GVWR. Black & Silver

Apr 5, 2000 | 06:56 PM

Mattco26

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Engine oil pressure

Te oil pressure gauge is a real guage, I dont know how all this got started, I have an 89 f150 with a 302, and i lost pressure, when I wanted to replace the sender, there were two available, one if for a gauge and one if for an idiot light. My guage would move when the engine revved up or down, an idiot light just comes on at a specified pressure.
weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Apr 5, 2000 | 10:48 PM

Superdave

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Engine oil pressure

Mattco, The reason for using a mechanical gauge is to rule out any problems with an electronic gauge. (dash gauge,wiring, so on.) You are right an electronic gauge does respond to reving the motor, but a mechanical gauge has oil flowing into the head of the gauge to register actual oil pressure, and a electronic gauge dosen't. It works by resistance only.

Superdave

94 Ford Aerostar XL 3.0L
82 Ford F250 4x4 XLT,400 CID,C-6 A/T,8700lb GVWR. Black & Silver

Apr 5, 2000 | 11:47 PM

Mattco26

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Engine oil pressure

I know, I have a mechanical guage hooked up from when the same thing happened to me, I had screwed bearings, so I bought a used motor. I was talking about people thinking the electrical guage isnt a real guage. I have both hooked up, I used a t to reconnect the factory one, because every time I would glance at my dash, i would see a pegged needle and I would have to look again just to make sure it was the oil pressure. I mounted the mechanical one out of the way next to the steering wheel, so its kind of a pain to see while driving.

Matt Costa
89 F-150 302 4x4
weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!