OE oil pressure gauge with Banks turbo......worthless?

[whiteboyslo]

Just looking to put my mind at ease more than anything else.....

Ever since I've owned my truck (about a year now), the oil pressure seems to read real low, as in it almost never hits any letter in 'NORMAL'. I have a Banks setup, so the sending unit has been relocated to the turbo. I've always let it go, figuring the stock gauge is probably about as accurate as the water temp gauge, but lately I'm basically sitting on the white line to the left. Truck has plenty of oil, doesn't burn or lose any, sounds sweet, and runs just fine. The gauge cycles all the way back to red when the key is turned to the 'ON' position (engine not running). If I were to nitpick, it is a little extra chattery at start-up when cold, but usually quiets down (well, for a diesel) in just a few seconds.

I really don't want to have to install another gauge in the cab, but I am curious if other Banks owners have similar experiences, or if I should be overly concerned.

Mike

 

[Dave 001]

I really don't want to have to install another gauge in the cab,

Neither did I so I converted my factory gauge to a "gauge that at least goes up and down with oil pressure". In other words, convert it to an old style direct reading gauge and get rid of that worhtless, slap in the face, we don't care about our customers, liar gauge.
Google "Ford dummy oil gauge". There are tons of post on how to do it.

 

[Socal88]

I have the same thing with mine,the gauge reads just passed the "N" ever since I had the Banks kit installed by Banks over 8 years ago. I did put a gauge on to it just to see what that position was in psi and was hovering around 45-50 just idiling in the driveway.

 

[lindstromjd]

The factory oil gauge is a pressure switch that opens around 4-8 psi. Wherever it decides to sit after it opens is up to the gauge. It has no bearing on how much oil pressure you actually have.

 

[icanfixall]

Don't worry about what the factory gauge is telling you... Its really only job is to tell you the engine makes 7 lbs of pressure. When Banks installed my turbo many years ago the factory sender was located in the top port of the turbo head.. I installed a mechanical gauge there too. My oil pressure was always good. That location is flooded with more oil than the turbo can use so your seeing the actual main oil galery oil pressure.

 

[hesutton]

I've got both the factory sender and an Autometer oil pressure sender at the turbo (Banks) oil block. I "T'ed" the two together. Different ways of doing it, but they work fine.

I've never paid any attention to the factory gauge. It is useless. Get a real oil pressure and water temp gauge on there man. More information the better.

Heath

 

[whiteboyslo]

I've got both the factory sender and an Autometer oil pressure sender at the turbo (Banks) oil block. I "T'ed" the two together. Different ways of doing it, but they work fine.

I've never paid any attention to the factory gauge. It is useless. Get a real oil pressure and water temp gauge on there man. More information the better.

Heath

Already got the water temp gauge in. Love it. Knowing what's REALLY going on versus guessing based on the OE gauge is SO much nicer. Driving it like I stole it now because now I know she doesn't care!

I'm not against an oil gauge, I'm just out of room. I just installed a triple pillar gauge pod with EGT, Boost, and the water temp. Not looking to clutter the entire cab up with gauges.

Mike

 

[Silver Burner]

I ended up installing a remote sending unit off a grease gun hose line at the back of the lower block. Russ recommended I do this to help keep the engine from shaking the sending unit apart. Now I can see that I have 50 lbs of pressure cold and after running for an hour about 10 lbs at idle at 650 RPM's. It actually makes me nervous to give it hardly any throttle when it's cold because that gauge will creep up past 60 lbs when it's ice cold. When it's hot, it will run to 40 lbs and stay there, so I'm happy. My water temp gauge though I wish would read hotter. I have a factory Motorcraft T-stat that I put in, yet my truck STILL only reads about 180-188 going down the road. Seems too cold to me. I was thinking it would jump to a hair over 200 after I replaced the stat. Still can't figure that one out...

 

[whiteboyslo]

My water temp gauge though I wish would read hotter. I have a factory Motorcraft T-stat that I put in, yet my truck STILL only reads about 180-188 going down the road. Seems too cold to me. I was thinking it would jump to a hair over 200 after I replaced the stat. Still can't figure that one out...

Where did you install the sensor for the temp gauge? Mine's in the port where the sensor for the 'ENGINE TEMP' light would be. Mine hovers right at 205°±5°, with a few stints up to 215° or so when lugging it on long hills with a load in the back (mainly just to see what she would do). This is with an Autometer digital gauge, btw, which I just installed a few weeks ago.

Mike

 

[Silver Burner]

Where did you install the sensor for the temp gauge? Mine's in the port where the sensor for the 'ENGINE TEMP' light would be. Mine hovers right at 205°±5°, with a few stints up to 215° or so when lugging it on long hills with a load in the back (mainly just to see what she would do). This is with an Autometer digital gauge, btw, which I just installed a few weeks ago.

Mike

Mine is up top of the engine where the factory sending unit goes. The dummy gauge now reads cold all the time, but like I said, my new gauge rarely goes over 180. It's obviously electronic and it does seem to work properly, so I just don't know...she runs cool I guess. Heater blows nice and hot though, so that's good.