Oil pressure....

[Bernese]

My oil pressure gauge registered zero ýesterday but no ill effects and all seemed to be running well. Whilst the radiator was changed I also flushed the oil again and fitted another filter they were the only changes made... I then read the numerous posts and thought "here we go" but as always start with the basics. On investigation one of the connections had come adrift so all is well ... lucky really but found the previous posts really helpful

Oh whilst I'm at it, I was called out to repair a tractor I'd sold so a friend who was watching me fit the rad decided to have a go whilst I was away... dizzy sod nearly cost me a rad but that's another story

 

[Dave2000]

The actual senders can become erratic as well, if you have 20 minutes you can recalibrate them.

Regards

Dave

 

[Bernese]

The actual senders can become erratic as well, if you have 20 minutes you can recalibrate them.

I've read a few of you previous posts Dave, presume I'll find the info in one of them

 

[clivehorridge]

My oil pressure gauge registered zero ýesterday but no ill effects and all seemed to be running well. Whilst the radiator was changed I also flushed the oil again and fitted another filter they were the only changes made... I then read the numerous posts and thought "here we go" but as always start with the basics. On investigation one of the connections had come adrift so all is well ... lucky really but found the previous posts really helpful

Oh whilst I'm at it, I was called out to repair a tractor I'd sold so a friend who was watching me fit the rad decided to have a go whilst I was away... dizzy sod nearly cost me a rad but that's another story

It's scary when it goes to zero, it happened to me. My pressure's not the best anyway, but the book figures are low as well, so I just put it down to an old-school type engine.

I get 4.5 bar at cruising speed cold, which drops to 2.5 bar when hot. At idle, when hot, it's just 1 bar, but it sounds OK.

 

[Dave2000]

Yep you sure will, basically remove sender which is easy with IIRC a curved 14mm spanner.

Prise the canister lid off, take your time here, it is a weak crimp, this reveals a set of contacts, turn the plastic adjuster untill the contacts are just clear of each other. Put lid back on and just crimp over a couple of places, reconnect without fitting the sender to the engine. Switch ignition on and gauge needle should move to the bottom of the gauge. If the gauge is reading higher then open the gap and vise verse iv low.

Note.

Only do this when you have confirmed via a master gauge that your oil pressure is within spec.

Also, if you do the calibration when you have a battery charger connected it will be more accurate.

I know you do not need to be told not to crank the the engine with the sender out.

Regards

Dave

 

[Bernese]

Thanks Dave much obliged....

Last time I cranked the engine was with the oil gauge out of one of my Capri's back in the early 80's ... Never forgot it, it was everywhere

 

[clivehorridge]

We had an old Smiths oil gauge in our ‘62 mini, and it had a direct copper tube going to the sender port in the block.

We used to do small 12-car night-time club rallies, so you can imagine us at 3 in the morning on a white lane miles from anywhere, pitch dark and a split copper pipe just behind the gauge!
What a mess, we were soaked, along with the interior of the car... and it was scalding hot spraying everywhere...

 

[Bernese]

We used to do small 12-car night-time club rallies, so you can imagine us at 3 in the morning on a white lane miles from anywhere, pitch dark and a split copper pipe just behind the gauge!

We Capri boys never got up to anything naughty at any time ... Honestly officer

 

[Chris]

Pull the frickin wires off and ignore it. If it didn't have a gauge you wouldn't give it a second thought would you?
We can put the pressure tester on it when we do the BEBs if you like. Then when you see that it's making 75 psi as required, you can pull the wires off the sensor.

Does it have an oil temp gauge? No - crikey you'd better fit one immediately. See the point? Too much disinformation Des.

 

[Beau]

I get your point Chris, but having a oil gauge is pretty handy. And if it's working 100%, can save the engine from potential damage, no? Most of the time people spot low oil pressure problems too late and bearings are destroyed before the common rod knock comes through.

 

[clivehorridge]

I get your point Chris, but having a oil gauge is pretty handy. And if it's working 100%, can save the engine from potential damage, no? Most of the time people spot low oil pressure problems too late and bearings are destroyed before the common rod knock comes through.

I think you both have a point to make, but if you’ve heard an engine that’s about to let go of a con rod, or seize due to oil starvation, you wouldn’t drive it at all!
It sounds like a can of dried peas with someone building a shed in there

 

[Dave2000]

Does it have an oil temp gauge? No - crikey you'd better fit one immediately. See the point? Too much disinformation Des.

But there is no oil pressure light either Chris, a gauge is better than nothing at all.

Regards

Dave

 

[Bernese]

We can put the pressure tester on it when we do the BEBs if you like.......

Yes please, interesting to see what it's standing at...

 

[Chris]

My last car didn't even have an engine temp gauge. Did I worry about engine temp? Nope. There was a light to tell me if it was over temp. I'm sorry but I don't think it's helpful. How do you all know that yours IS reading correctly? Oh mine is always in the middle - great pressure. No, your needle is always in the middle. And what is that telling you? Nothing. My white 80's gauge never worked. Just couldn't find the fault. I bought a tester - it was bang on. Never gave it another thought.

I think you can easily become obsessed with apparent data that in truth has little value. Given that there's little evidence that 80's suffer from low oil pressure in the first place, I wouldn't bother with it. It's just my point of view chaps. I don't hve an EGT either. But I haven't modified my engine at all. I do know that some have fitted an EGT to a standard engine though. I have to ask why you'd do that.

 

[frank rabbets]

No point in a gauge in my opinion either. When the needle is low drivers don't do anything but start to question the gauge, especially on the 80. What causes low oil pressure? Well nothing really apart from an empty sump and there's a warning float in the sump for the 80. Back in the day when many cars had an OPG people used to stare at it and say "big ends are OK then". Well I've taken rattly engines apart which formerly had had normal oil pressure. The OPG rarely shows wear because as the wear progresses the oil pressure relief valve closes up and maintains the status quo. As Chris says best to check with a standard gauge and forget. In my opinion a simple old fashioned designed mechanical gauge is best.

 

[nick_the_fish]

my oil pressure gauge suddenly dropped to zero one day while I was a little way from anywhere. I know from experience that its a bit dodgy. I watched the engine temperature like a hawk, figuring that if there really was no oil pressure then the engine would start to get very hot very quickly, so if the engine temp had moved even slightly i'd have stopped. It didn't so i didn't. Not sure if that was a correct assessment or not.

I have to be honest I do obsess over the gauges when i'm away on a big trip. I'm getting better the more I do it but I still find myself watching them constantly. I might take a proper oil pressure gauge with me next time I go somewhere, so if it starts playing up and can check everythings hunky dory.

 

[Ben Stratford]

Agree with the likely calibration issues but still like to compare what the gauge normally reads to what it does today. Especially the volt meter as any 24volt starter driver will no doubt agree!

 

[frank rabbets]

Nick you'd be in serious trouble if you drove a car with actually no oil pressure. It would not have time to overheat. the bearings would start rattling almost immediately and that could well be the end of the engine especially if it was diesel.

 

[nick_the_fish]

ar ha. Thanks @frank rabbets . Duly noted. TBH considering where I was I didn't really have an option but to keep driving, but i'll know for next time. Better start looking for a decent oil pressure gauge then.....

 

[Chris]

I'd go with a tube fed gauge I guess, like Frank says, but the options for mounting things like that in the 80 are a bit limited. Fine in a Landy where you have acres of thin metal sheet to cut holes in. But the plastic inside of an 80 lends itself to more refined motoring. It'd be tricky to cut a hole in the binacle to put it in the dash