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Driving home today, I notice at idle the oil pressure sits just above the red. Normal driving it wont go above the 2nd or 3rd mark. Now it's normally been on the low side of normal, but nothing to worry about.
I get it home, check the oil level, spot on. Oil is brown as it should be, so we'll rule out an oil gallery to water jacket head gasket leak.
I then proceed to rev the bejezuses out of her. 4000 RPM and the needle is just over half way, 6000 RPM she jumps right off the scale. I must of unblocked something I guess. Drops back down to idle...stil right above the red, wtf? Rev to 2000 RPM and the needle jumps off the scale.
What the hell is going on? It can't be the oil system itself, this is too weird. I'm guessing it has to be the sender or the gauge itself? How much is a new sender from Ford?
And if what I'm dreading is the reason, is the oil pump an engine out job? How much is a new oil pump?
weird. Oil pump isnt a complete engine outjob. Its just got to be lifted enough to beable to get the sump off. If you were really dodgy (I mean willing to compromise the structural intergity of your car) you could cut out the cross bar, do the work required, weld bar back in
weird. Oil pump isnt a complete engine outjob. Its just got to be lifted enough to beable to get the sump off. If you were really dodgy (I mean willing to compromise the structural intergity of your car) you could cut out the cross bar, do the work required, weld bar back in
You can imagine my amazment when the mechanic I got to look at my car hinted at that In my case the oil pump wasn't tight on the block. All 12 lifters were tapping like mad but I still droe the car 40km home. There was marginal oil pressure so I think you'd know pretty quick if it was dangerously low. Having said that my experience with ryco filters isnt great. Ive been told that the drain back valve in them have a habit of plainly not working. This was shown when i changed the oil and filter on my windsor and now it takes a second to build up pressure where with the purolator filter and same grade oil oil pressure was built up in the time it took to crank the car.
On the way home, it flickered for a while, then jumped right off the scale and stayed there. I pulled into the nearest Ford Spares, $87.50.....yeah go sex yourself mate.
Anyway, get home, let the car cool down (hot heater hoses and arms don't mix, learnt that when I changed the leads hot), and check the pressure sender. The wire has fallen off. Must of been loose to cause the flicking, then it's fallen off and gone off the chart.
So I have my gauge back, but I'm still worried about the pressure. Oil level is spot on, yet at idle when warm, it sit just in the normal range. Under driving load it gets to about the second mark, red lining it from the lights it doesn't even go over half.
See if you can find someone with a proper oil gauge- vdo, autometer,etc- and see what the true readings are, before you buy/do anything. A lot of factory gauges are not very accurate. Not using a new oil by any chance? Some are crap, and start to lose their original properties after a while, causing lower than normal pressure at idle and under load.
It can be a sign that your engines mains are warn..Suspect sender unit, battery conections especially earth's and change to a thick-sh oil if not already...
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Supremo Grandpa Car Owner 
In my case the oil pump wasn't tight on the block. All 12 lifters were tapping like mad but I still droe the car 40km home. There was marginal oil pressure so I think you'd know pretty quick if it was dangerously low. Having said that my experience with ryco filters isnt great. Ive been told that the drain back valve in them have a habit of plainly not working. This was shown when i changed the oil and filter on my windsor and now it takes a second to build up pressure where with the purolator filter and same grade oil oil pressure was built up in the time it took to crank the car.
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