oil gauge
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oil gauge
My oil gauge(is it temp or pressure?) has been real high lately. in the h zone. I checked the oil and the level is fine, a recent oil change has been done. The truck doesnt get driven real often. its a wood hauler. What would cause this?
Posting Guru
Joined: May 2004
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From: Billings Montana
The factory gauges are notorious for being inaccurate. It reads low when it's high and vise versa. My 86 250's oil gauge read right in the middle the night my oil blew out the rear main and left me with a blown engine after driving it 25 miles with zero oil. I was more than a little angry. 
I learned my lesson and I now have a set of aftermarket gauges to monitor the rebuilt engine. Do yourself a favor and get some aftermarket gauges and be SURE that the engine is ok. They hook-up easily and they are worth it. I only paid $28 for the oil pressure, water temp and amp gauges.
I learned my lesson and I now have a set of aftermarket gauges to monitor the rebuilt engine. Do yourself a favor and get some aftermarket gauges and be SURE that the engine is ok. They hook-up easily and they are worth it. I only paid $28 for the oil pressure, water temp and amp gauges.
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From: Niceville, FL.
Go to Radio Shack or an electronics parts supply and buy a 10 Ohm, 10 Watt resistor and a couple of alligator style clip leads. Disconnect the wire from your oil pressure sending unit and fasten it to one end of the resistor. Fasten the other end of the resistor to a good engine ground. With ignition switch in "Run" (engine off) the gauge should read at the high end of its range. If it does, then most likely the sending unit is bad. If not, then you have a problem with the gauge, the instrument cluster voltage regulator or the wiring. You can check the temperature and fuel gage circuits the same way. If all three are reading wrong then most likely the cluster regulator or the 8 to 9 Ohm resistance wire internal to the wiring harness is bad.
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I dont mind it reading high. i always check th eoil before i drive it. but, is there anything bad that could happen by driving like this?
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From: Niceville, FL.
60-65 psi is about mid-scale on the factory gauge (in good condition). If yours is all the way to the high end you probably have a bad sending unit or a shorted gauge wire or some Severely Stopped-up Engine Oil Passages. I'd check with a good mechanical gauge.
Fleet Owner
Joined: Sep 2005
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From: Lake Tahoe, Nevada
Originally Posted by 86302
My oil gauge(is it temp or pressure?) has been real high lately. in the h zone. I checked the oil and the level is fine, a recent oil change has been done. The truck doesnt get driven real often. its a wood hauler. What would cause this?
Lead Driver
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 5,491
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From: Kuna ID
After I replaced my sending unit, the needle always goes to just before the H on the gauge. I installd a mechanical gauge to see what was happening. When the needle is near the H, the mech. gauge reads 75psi. , when it's warm and idling, the needle drops just a bit, and the mech. gauge reads 50psi. the lowest the mech gauge has ever gone is 45psi.
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From: Niceville, FL.
Sycostang67,
I thought the the stock oil pump pressure relief valves were all set to limit maximum pressure to 60-65 psi. Stuck closed? Or, do you have some sort of high performance pump with a higher pressure relief?
I thought the the stock oil pump pressure relief valves were all set to limit maximum pressure to 60-65 psi. Stuck closed? Or, do you have some sort of high performance pump with a higher pressure relief?
Lead Driver
Joined: Dec 2002
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From: Kuna ID
Originally Posted by Piffery1
Sycostang67,
I thought the the stock oil pump pressure relief valves were all set to limit maximum pressure to 60-65 psi. Stuck closed? Or, do you have some sort of high performance pump with a higher pressure relief?
I thought the the stock oil pump pressure relief valves were all set to limit maximum pressure to 60-65 psi. Stuck closed? Or, do you have some sort of high performance pump with a higher pressure relief?
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