Oil Pressure Issues......

[Agnem]

When I built the Moosestang, I put an ISSPro oil presure gauge on it. The idle presure was always really low, like around 5 or 6 psi. Not 2 years after installing it, it quit working all together. Put a new sender in it, and all of the sudden my idle presure is 10, and I see 40 regularly when cruising. Always swap out the sender if you have any doubts.

 

[hesutton]

Unfortunately the factory gauge is about as trustworthy as some dude everyone at the bar calls "Roofie Rodney" who just brought you a "free" drink that tastes really bitter and weird.

My "factory" sender is on top of my turbo, just like my Autometer sender. The factory gauge reads just above the low line (it never moves) at 50 psi. In my opinion it just fills a void in the instrument cluster and has no other purpose.

Heath

 

[Agnem]

Actually that's a good point! On a 94, the oil presure sender is a switch. The gauge has a 56 ohm resistor (IIRC) soldered to the cluster which is supposed to make the gauge read "Normal" as long as the switch is closed by the minimum presure need to close it. So in reality, a 94' factory gauge is not capable of movement. If it's moving, you've got a real wiring problem. I know this, because it was true on the 87, and I soldered a jumper across the resistor to make it back into a gauge, and replaced the switch with a sender.

 

[david85]

Now that I didn't know. My 86 with factory gauge will read realistically for me. High when cold, medium when warm, and it does respond to RPM changes, although more so when cold.

 

[Agnem]

Correct. The 80-86 trucks had "real" gauges in so much as Ford wanted them to be. Obviously the reality of some of them reading poorly must have led to Ford's decision to dumb them down.

 

[LCAM-01XA]

I know this, because it was true on the 87, and I soldered a jumper across the resistor to make it back into a gauge, and replaced the switch with a sender.

Aaaah, now you got my full attention - what sender did you use?

 

[Agnem]

A factory one from an 80-86.

 

[4x4TruckinGirl]

Well good deal... I can try and add a little teflon tape on it, it is fairly loose but doesn't fall off on it's own or anything, possibly the culprit.... either way..... I'm gunan get my gauges I've been needing and get it set up...... In other good news.... I ran my horse trailer to pick up a horse.... truck ran great pulled up some steep grades in 5th loaded.... probly 26 ft of trailer and on horse..... yup yup yup!

 

[typ4]

The sender for oil Gauge is about 1.5 inches around and 2.5 tall, they will work from 74 all the way to 86. I did the jumper trick when I had the 460 in my truck, worked really good.
Mel I have 12 psi hot and idling and 45 hot above 1500 . VDO mech gauge. When the water temp climbs the oil drops. Normal but still dont like it.

 

[LCAM-01XA]

A factory one from an 80-86.

Ah, great then now I just need to figure out how to dismantle my dash to get to that resistor... Would you happen to have a picture of its location, or it's pretty self-explanatory once I pull it all apart and see the printed circuit?

 

[typ4]

It is right behind the oil gauge.