Oil Pressure light came on briefly...

TVST*R · Post by **TVST*R** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 7:03 pm

My oil light came on and off as I was driving through some very slow,inclined, twisty roads in the canyons...
How do I get an accurate test of my true oil pressure?
What should it be?
What is it actually showing? Pressure at the crank?
Thanks!

mdrburchette · Post by **mdrburchette** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 7:28 pm

I've heard of the oil light coming on while driving on twisty roads but I'd be wary of it. If it's normal, maybe someone will say. If the connections are good on the oil sender, you can install a mechanical gauge to see what your true readings are. Mine has a mechanical gauge still on it since my oil pressure gauge wasn't reading what it used to. I have it in the engine compartment as a temporary thing since all I wanted to see was whether it was where it should be. The reading should be 62 lbs @ idle and up to 85 lbs while driving. I just removed the sender and screwed the copper line in:

So Cal Mark · Post by **So Cal Mark** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 9:09 pm

the light should not come on when driving! The most common thing to cause it on winding roads or on hard accel or decel is oil level. If the level is okay, take a close look at the oil pan. If it's dented on the bottom, you may have a broken oil pump pickup. The pump will still work, but it draws oil from higher up rather than at the floor of the pan.

Each time that light flashes, the pump has sucked air and you will destroy the engine in a very short time!

spiderrey · Post by **spiderrey** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 10:13 pm

can the stock oil pressure gauge be replaced with a better after market more reliable gauge? if so which one.

So Cal Mark · Post by **So Cal Mark** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 10:41 pm

the hardest part is adapting the new sending unit to the proper thread, other than that any gauge could be used

bandit · Post by **bandit** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 5:34 pm

For the spiders that didn't come with a gauge you can replace the clock with
an oil Pressure Gauge , and what mark was talking about the threading
I had some issues in the past with that but found adpaters some place
and made it work .

Dan

pertyfly · Post by **pertyfly** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 5:48 pm

does anyone know what the thread is on the oil pressure light sensor? I want to put a guage on (which I have) but need to know what you call the metric thread and what size

spiderrey · Post by **spiderrey** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 6:03 pm

just for your info Bandit, all spiders came with oil pressure gauges. but not all came with clocks. my 70 didnt come with a clock.
i wouldnt think it would be a big deal to rethread that fitting,

bandit · Post by **bandit** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 9:12 pm

PertyFly
I was wondering if you could use your sender as a reference ?

Rey
In 79 they stopped coming with Oil pressure Gauges but i think started
again in 81 or 82 .

Dan

So Cal Mark · Post by **So Cal Mark** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 9:15 pm

there were Spiders that only came with a warning light instead of a gauge. I was thinking it was the 83-85 with the different dash

bandit · Post by **bandit** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 9:28 pm

Heres a couple photos of a 1979 Spider all stock Dash .

Dan

bandit · Post by **bandit** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 9:30 pm

I've never seen an early Spider not have A Gauge so maybe it was an option
at some point ?

Daniel

TVST*R · Post by **TVST*R** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 10:41 pm

Ok...Now my oil pressure light is going on and off when the needle
is between 10-20. Before, it would only come on when the needle
dropped dead on at zero.
Maybe a bad sending unit?

spiderrey · Post by **spiderrey** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 11:36 pm

had a 79 with auto trans, could have it had a gauge, oh well.

So Cal Mark · Post by **So Cal Mark** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 11:59 pm

to get back to the question, it could be a bad sending unit, or the wire to the sender may be grounding somewhere. That would make the light come on even when there is pressure. Having an accurate gauge is important