Oil Gauge Mod???

DTAYLOR · 03-03-07, 09:44 AM

Has anyone done an oil gauge mod (similar tothe temp gauge mod) to make it more accurate?

If not modded gauge, how about a replacement gauge and, or sending unit?
D

cpg · 03-03-07, 10:32 AM

Does the oil gauge need a mod?

DTAYLOR · 03-03-07, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cpg

Does the oil gauge need a mod?

It is not accurate. It has no pressure # associated with it.

cary · 03-03-07, 01:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DTAYLOR

It is not accurate. It has no pressure # associated with it.

Not having numbers doesn't mean the gauge in innacurate, it simply means that it does not have a scale that you are familiar with. The purpose of an oil pressure gauge is to alert you if there is a problem with your engine from low oil pressure or high pressure, the number are irrelevant for day to day. If the gauge goes significantly above the line at 2/3, you know that either the pressure relief spring for the pump is broken or the sender is bad. If it doesn't come off the line at the bottom you have no pressure. It communicates all the things an oil pressure gauge should, so there is no need to modify it.

Cruiserdrew · 03-03-07, 02:21 PM

I agree with Cary sort of. I would like a real gauge, with real numbers. I have no idea if my 1/4 gauge at idle is 5 psi or 35 psi. As others have noted, the gauge is not linear, and is basically a moving idiot light.

83bj60 · 03-03-07, 03:37 PM

What about a mod so that good oil pressure reads in the middle, low in the bottom, and high in the top third? The 80 series oil gauge often indicates low pressure all the time. Isn't that what dtalyor is looking after? Has anyone ever attempted to actually work on the OEM oil gauge circuitry?

Ins't THAT the real question, instead of numbers and external gauges, to have the OEM gauge work over all of its scale for a proper visual cue of the oil pressure?

Waggoner5 · 03-03-07, 04:05 PM

A moving idiot light is right. This would be a valuable mod just as the water temp gauge mod and possibly as simple. The fact that the stock gauge sits at the bottom does not mean that there is no oil pressure. As a matter of fact, my gauge reads just that when hot at idle. An aftermarket gauge and sender in the same mounting spot shows 25 psi, which is acceptable. Lets get the mod going if someone has time.

Jeremiaheaster · 03-03-07, 04:07 PM

I am curious about this too. While under load (up hill on the freeway) my gauge sometimes reads in between the two thirds line and the max line. The rest of the time it seems to hover right on the 2/3 line. It always makes me wonder if this is normal or not.
Can an 80 have too high an oil pressure?

RavenTai · 03-03-07, 04:34 PM

what would you do to it?

mine spends most of its time at 2/3 mark (relief pressure) and the rest at the 1/3 mark at hot idle, seams just fine to me.

If your 1FZ is showing something different than might be a fault not as by design

Waggoner5 · 03-03-07, 05:47 PM

That is possible. My truck and Dans both show really low oil pressure at idle. Mine I know for sure is 25-35 hot but shows 0 on the factory gauge. I was hoping to see something more accurate like the water temp mod.

RavenTai · 03-03-07, 06:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Waggoner5

That is possible. My truck and Dans both show really low oil pressure at idle. Mine I know for sure is 25-35 hot but shows 0 on the factory gauge. I was hoping to see something more accurate like the water temp mod.

the temp gauge mod dealt with a known intensional flat spot from Toyota "middle temperature stable" written on the back in Chinese

http://forum.ih8mud.com/chit-chat-section/57834-can-anyone-here-read-translate-kanji.html

The oil pressure gauge has no such fault as issued, your gauge or sender has an error.

cpg · 03-03-07, 07:39 PM

I like they way mine works . Before the temp guage mod you could tell if the motor was getting warmer on long grades. I can also tell the diff between 10 30 M1 and 15 30 mobil 1.

e9999 · 03-03-07, 07:42 PM

as long as it doesn't have a flat spot in the wrong spot, it's fine with me. Mine seems fine to me.

Waggoner5 · 03-03-07, 09:13 PM

OK, I assumed that the gauge was similar in design as the water temp.

maverick_sr71 · 03-03-07, 09:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RavenTai

the temp gauge mod dealt with a known intensional flat spot from Toyota "middle temperature stable" written on the back in Chinese

http://forum.ih8mud.com/showthread.php?t=57834

The oil pressure gauge has no such fault as issued, your gauge or sender has an error.

I tend to agree with the fault being in the sender or the gauge. My 1HZ reads 1/3 at 3000rpm and bottom mark at idle when engines at operating temp.

With an after market gauge on the truck it reads 40psi at idle and 65psi at 3000rpm.

I've shorted the sense wire at the pressure sensor to earth and the gauge read 1/2. I'm told by many 80's owners in Oz that this is quite normal and the gauge in the truck is pathetic and not designed for accurate information.

If some one can come up with a mod I'd be very interested. I just want the gauge at 1/3 at idle and 2/3 at 3000rpm.

e9999 · 03-04-07, 08:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maverick_sr71

snip

If some one can come up with a mod I'd be very interested. I just want the gauge at 1/3 at idle and 2/3 at 3000rpm.

well, IIRC, that's what mine shows....

83bj60 · 03-04-07, 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maverick_sr71

I tend to agree with the fault being in the sender or the gauge. My 1HZ reads 1/3 at 3000rpm and bottom mark at idle when engines at operating temp.

Exactly like on my JDM...

Quote:

Originally Posted by maverick_sr71

I've shorted the sense wire at the pressure sensor to earth and the gauge read 1/2. I'm told by many 80's owners in Oz that this is quite normal and the gauge in the truck is pathetic and not designed for accurate information.

This is very interesting... I would assume that a healthy gauge would peg to the top with the sender wire grounded! The mod then would require modifiyng the gauge meter in such a way to increase deflection, possibly by reducin tghe value of a resistor inline with the movement itself...

Quote:

Originally Posted by maverick_sr71

f some one can come up with a mod I'd be very interested. I just want the gauge at 1/3 at idle and 2/3 at 3000rpm.

Exactly my point... Anyone with a spare dash gauge they are willing to offer for research?

RavenTai · 03-04-07, 05:26 PM

you guys are not listening, making something do what it did when it was new is not a "mod" it is called a "repair".

I have a spare oil pressure gauge but it already does this, there is nothing to mod.

Tools R Us · 03-04-07, 06:06 PM

I agree, don't see any dead spot in mine. It reads at the 1/3 idle and 2/3 at cruise. To test pull the wire connector off of the sender, turn the key on and the gauge should read at the bottom, not move. Ground the wire at the sender and the gauge should read at the top, if not repairs are needed.

landtank · 03-04-07, 07:15 PM

the only time I've had a low idle pressure reading is when the engine was running hot. I assumed it was from thinning out the oil some.

DTAYLOR · 03-04-07, 07:27 PM

What about going to some aftermarket gauge that can be modified to fit into the same space occupied by the factory "moving idiot light" needle gauge?

If anyone knows of a smallish gauge that reads in actual psi numbers, this would be an improvement, with no need for a second location.

I admit I don't have the skills or time to come up with this, but I bet someone on the forum does.

landtank · 03-04-07, 07:43 PM

I don't get this one at all guys.

Right now you have a gauge that fluctuates between lines on the gauge.

But what you would really like is a gauge that fluctuates between numbers on the gauge.

Numbers, lines, what does it matter? Once you know the operating range it's moot. You'll not be concerned until the needle is out of that range.

83bj60 · 03-04-07, 08:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RavenTai

you guys are not listening, making something do what it did when it was new is not a "mod" it is called a "repair".

I have a spare oil pressure gauge but it already does this, there is nothing to mod.

instead of putting us down telling us you have one for sale, why don't you participate in the discussion on how to fix the damn thing?

RavenTai · 03-04-07, 10:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 83bj60

instead of putting us down telling us you have one for sale, why don't you participate in the discussion on how to fix the damn thing?

you completely missed my intent,

The gauge is not for sale, some one asked if anyone had a spare stock gauge to start working on a "mod" I am the one that spear headed the temp gauge mod. so hypetheticly I would be a good canidfate to figure out this "mod" only problem is this gauge already does exactly as below from the factoy so there is nothing to "mod" and nothing I can do to it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by maverick_sr71

If some one can come up with a mod I'd be very interested. I just want the gauge at 1/3 at idle and 2/3 at 3000rpm.

cpg · 03-04-07, 10:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 83bj60

instead of putting us down telling us you have one for sale, why don't you participate in the discussion on how to fix the damn thing?

He is not putting anyone down. Just stating that there is nothing wrong with the "damn thing"

maverick_sr71 · 03-05-07, 02:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RavenTai

you guys are not listening, making something do what it did when it was new is not a "mod" it is called a "repair".

I have a spare oil pressure gauge but it already does this, there is nothing to mod.

Your assumption is that it functioned as desired when new. I understand that the 1HZ oil pressure gauge never functioned as it should from new. The gauges were "set-up" to work for the 1FZ, 1HD and the 1HZ. Unfortunately this mass production techniques requires some "sacrifices" and the oil pressure gauge was one of those compromise areas.

I've not heard of any 1FZ's in Oz having issues with the gauge but many 1HZ's do have issues with the gauge.

83bj60 · 03-05-07, 07:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RavenTai

you completely missed my intent,

The gauge is not for sale, some one asked if anyone had a spare stock gauge to start working on a "mod" I am the one that spear headed the temp gauge mod. so hypetheticly I would be a good canidfate to figure out this "mod" only problem is this gauge already does exactly as below from the factoy so there is nothing to "mod" and nothing I can do to it.

Sorry about my impatience, Raventai. I've adjusted the fuel and and temp gauges on my 60 working with spares before I attempted it on the ones in the dash so I thought that someone had found a way to adjust the problematic oil gauge on the 80.

As for the gauge needing a 'mod' instead of a repair, so many of these seem to be inaccurate in the same way, a 'mod' seemed to be the proper description of what was needed. Maybe that was inaccurate.

I wish I had a spare to fiddle around with (maybe I will if Eric V will sell me his spare dash cluster), maybe you could describe the oil gauge circuitry a bit?

RavenTai · 03-05-07, 02:48 PM

sure, there is not much to the oil pressure gauge as compared to the water temp gauge.

there is a "U" shaped piece is sheet metal, the closed end hangs in free air, one part of the open end is hard mounted the other is hooked to needle via a linkage, a wire winds many turns around one of the arms of the "U"

one side of the wire is switched + from the ignition switch. the other is grounded through a variable resistor in the sender,

I assume this forms an electromagnet and the two arms of the "U" either attract or repel each other in proportion to the current going through the wire and this moves the needle.

sorry for the poor pictures, it was dim and shutter times were long.

extremetoy1 · 03-05-07, 03:42 PM

okay, this one is easy.... why would one need a mod to the gauge? there isnt too many automotive engines made that wont survive with only 5lbs of pressure....

So if one had this mod what would you expect it to do? it goes up when the RPMs do and goes down when the RPMs do as well.
If it were to fluctuate would you even notice? there wouldnt be any problem if it did (it is normal to go up and down a bit) the temp mod helps make a more sensitive temp reading so when it does begin to move you can shut it down before you do damage to the engine.

The oil pressure will not cause detrimental damage if fluctuating... that is common.

Waggoner5 · 03-05-07, 04:43 PM

Back to my original post. My factory gauge reads 0 when there is 25-35 psi oil pressure. Others do the same thing. The question was simple, and has been answered. My gauge or sender has an issue along with DTaylors. We will fix it. I was hoping that the gauge could be modded as easily as the water temp to use the full range of the gauge more accurately, but it can't so we can stop worring about it.