oil pressure uh oh (1 Viewer)

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Apr 10, 2007
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Austin, Tx
For the past few days when I fire up the cruiser initially the oil pressure is fine. Then when I drive it, the pressure drops completely. I panic and shut it off, wait a little the fire it back up and I have pressure but it is low. I have a mechanical gauge in the engine compartment that shows the same as the electric in the dash. I'm waiting for it to cool off then I'll go investigate but I have no clue what to look at.

Everything runs great as of right now, there is no lack in power or anything.
 
Check your oil level. I have a mech guage in mine and when it gets really low sometimes it can starve the sump of oil and cause a momentary pressure loss. I learned this as a stupid teenager who doesnt always think to check the oil frequently in his big leaky streetable tractor motor. It has to be a couple quarts (!!!) low for this to happen.

Of course, that happened a couple of times and the truck is still fine, just dont make it a habit.
 
Check your oil level. I have a mech guage in mine and when it gets really low sometimes it can starve the sump of oil and cause a momentary pressure loss. I learned this as a stupid teenager who doesnt always think to check the oil frequently in his big leaky streetable tractor motor. It has to be a couple quarts (!!!) low for this to happen.

Of course, that happened a couple of times and the truck is still fine, just dont make it a habit.

I checked it yesterday and it was about a quart low and it was still doing it.
 
Were you going around any hard turns on anything when this happened, anything that might make the oil in the pan run out and uncover the sump? And how long is the lack of pressure, a couple seconds or more?
 
Check for worn wires,but depending on the miles I would be pulling the pan and replacing the oil pump. Mike
 
It could be the bypass spring in the oil pump has gotten weak or broken, but if that was the case i dont think you would ever get normal pressure.
 
Well I checked it and it was down two quarts!!:eek: I filled it up and just looked around in the engine compartment. All the lines look good, there isn't any coolant in the oil. After filling it up the pressure returned to normal. I thinking it may be my valve cover gasket because there was a bit of oil on it. but I don't see oil anywhere on the block.
 
You HAVE done the oil galley plug on the rear of the head, right?

Yeah plug is covered, there isn't any oil in the engine compartment. I checked the valve cover gasket and its good. I'm guessing I just didn't get a good reading yesterday and I've just been driving around low.
 
even being 2 quarts low, you'd still have oil pressure unless you are driving up a very steep incline. The oil pick up is down low in the pan, you still have alot of oil in there. When was the last time you changed the oil? is it very thin/watery?
 
even being 2 quarts low, you'd still have oil pressure unless you are driving up a very steep incline. The oil pick up is down low in the pan, you still have alot of oil in there. When was the last time you changed the oil? is it very thin/watery?

It has always happened on the same mild hill but I can drive up it at 25mph in 4th gear. I changed the oil before lonestar jamboree, so about a month ago. Its not watery/milky either.
 
Put on a Gauge

My truck was doing the same thing. The oil pressure gauges are famous for false readings. I replaced mine with a mechanical gauge and all if fine. I would try that fix first b/c $30 is a lot less than an oil pump install.
HTH
MJM
 
He has one under the hood
My truck was doing the same thing. The oil pressure gauges are famous for false readings. I replaced mine with a mechanical gauge and all if fine. I would try that fix first b/c $30 is a lot less than an oil pump install.
HTH
MJM
 

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