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  • March 28, 2024, 10:52:41 AM

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Author Topic: Oil pressure readings  (Read 6016 times)

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Offline Amc1320

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Oil pressure readings
« on: December 24, 2013, 06:35:46 PM »
Does anyone have the factory guage and an aftermarket one as well to compare readings?

I'm not sure how accurate the actors one is and I might add an additional one

My engine has about 6k miles since a rebuild

Cold, like winter cold it reads almost 20, warm and going fast it reads 15, warm and slow its right at edge of the red part, maybe 10 or 12

My old engine read about the same before  the rebuild

I did replace the sender with a new one

I'm just curiouse as to how accurate this thing is, and whether I should worry about something or not!

Thanks in advance for any input,
Rob c
84 Eagle Limited Wagon (driven everyday)
81 Eagle Kammback
81 Spirit (undergoing surgery)
83 Spirit (parts car giving it all to keep the rest going)
Manchester, TN

Offline vangremlin

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Re: Oil pressure readings
« Reply #1 on: December 24, 2013, 06:43:32 PM »
I ran the original gauge and a mechanical gauge for a long time, and found the original one wasn't accurate at all.  Sometimes it would track fairly well with the mechanical gauge, othertimes it wasn't even close.  I don't know if there was a poor connection that made it so inaccurate at times or what.  But it was never dead on.  I wanted to get rid of my mechanical gauge because of where it was mounted, and because I didn't trust the original one, I mounted the electrical AutoMeter gauge on top of my dash.  It seems to work really well.  When the engine is cold or reving high, I get pressures in the 50-60 range.  Warm and idling its down in the 15 range.
1981 Kammback 258 - "Pepe"
1980 Coupe 258 - "Ginger
1972 Gremlin X 304
1978 Gremlin 4 cyl 121 - sold
1964 TBird 390 - sold

Offline eaglefreek

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Re: Oil pressure readings
« Reply #2 on: December 24, 2013, 07:45:07 PM »
I have an aftermarket gauge and it reads 50 ish when driving, but drops to below 20 when idling. With all the cars you guys have, you should probably invest in an oil pressure tester that you can get at Harbor Freight or the auto parts store. http://www.autozone.com/autozone/accessories/Tools-Garage-and-Equipment/Oil-Pressure-Tester/_/N-25ml
1986 AMC Eagle Wagon 4.2L/4.0L head, AW4,NP242, Chrysler 8.25" rear.
1981 AMC Eagle Wagon As Seen On TV  Lost In Transmission


 

"I know he'd be a poorer man, if he never saw an eagle fly,
Rocky mountain high"  John Denver
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Offline Amc1320

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Re: Oil pressure readings
« Reply #3 on: September 22, 2015, 07:38:10 PM »

So this has been bugging me for awhile, I get paranoid about this kinda thing and don't trust the idiot lights. My factory oil pressure Gauge reads really low, right on the red line or just above is the best I can get, used to read higher but it's been getting lower and lower over the past year or so.

My engine only has about 20k miles on it and I want this one to last 30 years like the last one did

The other night I was driving on a longish trip and it just kept worrying me, so today I picked up a mechanical Guage and now I can see I have really good oil pressure,

18 bucks is pretty cheap for some peace of mind



At idle, warm



At speed

Rob c
84 Eagle Limited Wagon (driven everyday)
81 Eagle Kammback
81 Spirit (undergoing surgery)
83 Spirit (parts car giving it all to keep the rest going)
Manchester, TN

Offline Amc1320

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Re: Oil pressure readings
« Reply #4 on: September 22, 2015, 07:40:11 PM »
Ps, ironically my clock keeps perfect time , I only have to reset it twice a year for daylight savings time
Rob c
84 Eagle Limited Wagon (driven everyday)
81 Eagle Kammback
81 Spirit (undergoing surgery)
83 Spirit (parts car giving it all to keep the rest going)
Manchester, TN

Offline eaglefreek

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Re: Oil pressure readings
« Reply #5 on: September 22, 2015, 07:53:23 PM »
Good to see your oil pressure is better than you thought it was. I'm leery of mechanical gauges in the passenger compartment. My dad had a Pinto years ago and the oil line to the aftermarket oil pressure sprung a leak.
1986 AMC Eagle Wagon 4.2L/4.0L head, AW4,NP242, Chrysler 8.25" rear.
1981 AMC Eagle Wagon As Seen On TV  Lost In Transmission


 

"I know he'd be a poorer man, if he never saw an eagle fly,
Rocky mountain high"  John Denver
Click for Fayetteville,TN Forecast" border="0" height="100" width="150

Offline Amc1320

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Re: Oil pressure readings
« Reply #6 on: September 22, 2015, 08:53:03 PM »
Good to see your oil pressure is better than you thought it was. I'm leery of mechanical gauges in the passenger compartment. My dad had a Pinto years ago and the oil line to the aftermarket oil pressure sprung a leak.

I agree, I'm not so sure about pumping oil into my car, but I know a lot of people that have them and they seem ok.

Of course this will just give me something else to worry about!
Rob c
84 Eagle Limited Wagon (driven everyday)
81 Eagle Kammback
81 Spirit (undergoing surgery)
83 Spirit (parts car giving it all to keep the rest going)
Manchester, TN

Offline mudkicker715

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Re: Oil pressure readings
« Reply #7 on: September 22, 2015, 09:40:48 PM »
just use a copper line not that plastic one thatcomes in the kit.



Manitowoc WI

Offline carnuck

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Re: Oil pressure readings
« Reply #8 on: October 04, 2015, 03:12:34 AM »
I prefer electronic. Even the copper ones have been known to split (I had a lovely burn on my leg from one in an old Chev truck I borrowed)

If the filter is orange, that could be the low oil pressure problem.
AMC/Jeep gauges are for amusement only. Any correlation between them and reality is purely coincidental!

Offline AMC1

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Re: Oil pressure readings
« Reply #9 on: October 04, 2015, 09:34:16 AM »
From the pic that your showing I'd also look at that amp gauge.
1976 gremlin
pair of 1983 SX4's sports
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Offline macdude443

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Re: Oil pressure readings
« Reply #10 on: October 05, 2015, 03:30:14 PM »
For what it's worth, I have the gauge package in my SX/4 with a rebuilt motor and a brand new sender and I get about the same readings. Mines a hair higher. That's a voltage gauge. Looks about normal. 13-14 volts.  None of those gauges are accurate IMO.
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1986 Eagle Wagon

Offline Amc1320

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Re: Oil pressure readings
« Reply #11 on: October 05, 2015, 04:03:32 PM »
I agree, Im not sure any of the factory gauges work very well, of course they are over 30 years old now. Only the clock seems to be accurate all the time.

I don't use orange filters btw
Rob c
84 Eagle Limited Wagon (driven everyday)
81 Eagle Kammback
81 Spirit (undergoing surgery)
83 Spirit (parts car giving it all to keep the rest going)
Manchester, TN

Offline AMC1

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Re: Oil pressure readings
« Reply #12 on: October 07, 2015, 12:11:02 PM »
The gages in both my eagles are accurate. The worst they'll show is a neutral charge with the engine running & accessories on.
1976 gremlin
pair of 1983 SX4's sports
1946 Cushman step-thru

Offline carnuck

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Re: Oil pressure readings
« Reply #13 on: November 01, 2015, 12:01:32 PM »
My tag line on most Jeep boards is "Jeep instrument gauges are for amusement only. Any correlation between them and reality is purely coincidental!"
AMC/Jeep gauges are for amusement only. Any correlation between them and reality is purely coincidental!

 

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