Oil Pressure gauge sending unit

[qcetc]

Does anyone know where the oil pressure gauge sending unit is for a 1976. I thought it was on the filter housing but it is not, the low light sending unit is there but thats all.

Thanks
Rick

[So Cal Mark]

both sending units mount to the oil filter adapter

[qcetc]

Well I guess the PO must have removed mine....

THanks
Rick

[kilrwail]

Your car may not have had one. From memory, it goes on the opposite side of the filter adapter from the warning light sender - there should be a plug filling the hole right now. If you're adding an after-market mechanical gauge, you'll need an adapter of M14 x 1.75 size.

[qcetc]

Well I have the stock gauge in the dash but it does nothing...
If I have the gauge shouldn't I have the sender somewhere..?

Thanks
Rick

[kilrwail]

The sender may have been removed for some reason. Are you sure it's not on the filter adapter, opposite the light sender? Sorry, I had to ask.

[qcetc]

Yea there is a plug there now. Maybe the po replaced the dash....? I thought all the cars had a gauge...

Rick

[mdrburchette]

Not all cars had a gauge, but I'm not sure when they got rid of it.

[manoa matt]

76's did have the gauge and sender. The alternator is on the passenger side. The oil filter mounting boss for a 76 should have the gauge sender mounted on top, and the low pressure warning sender on the rearward facing port. If removed there should be a brass plug. For $20 you can go to the local parts store and pick up a mechanical oil pressure gauge, fit it without any additional parts, and have a more accurate pressure reading.

[dtjk592]

I'm having an issue with my stock gauge as well. I was never getting the red low oil light but the needle on the gauge never moves very much beyond the first 1/4 of the gauge and stays there, engine runs smooth as silk but I wonder what could be causing the issue if not the sender. Is it possible the gauge itself has failed? Or perhaps a clogged or bad pickup (no dents at all in my oil pan).

[dtjk592]

This may be news to some or not, anyway I had replaced my oil pressure sender with a new unit from IAP which didn't fix my problem (gauge still read very low) so I assumed it was either the gauge or an electrical fault as a mechanical gauge read a healthy pressure. Finally i checked the gauge functionality by grounding it to the block and the gauge read fine, so I ordered another sender from IAP, the new sender arrived and had a significantly larger hole in the sender for oil to pass through than the one I was sent previously and this fixed the problem. So if anyone else had this issue that smaller orifice caused the pressure to read low for me and could be the problem for some of you as well.