Routine oil change ...

[charliemeyer007]

I hated my crappy oil pressure gauge. New senders did nothing. There were no part back then. So I installed a lighted direct read gauge on a bracket I made to hose clamp on the steering wheel shaft housing. I ran the nylon tubing inside fuel hose from the back of the gauge to the engine side of the firewall. That way if the line failed I would not get a face full of hot oil. This was like my first mod back in 83 a few months after I got my rig.

 

[Shark56]

I have three of these things. Each of the three show a different reading on the Oil Gauge, (as well as temp.) when idling and driving.
If you are sure you are good on the Oil amount, and you have only drove it a few times, then drive it some more and see if it stays the same. Chances are you are seeing your particular trucks baseline.

 

[Kschep]

Because I replaced many many things as I worked on the electrical .. fuel gauge, wiring to and from, oil pressure and oil heat gauge & wiring to and from sensor, replaced senders, basically all the gauges and wiring to and from. Not to mention all the wiring to and from the fuse block to respective pieces and parts. I've done a gigantic major overhaul to that wiring harness because when I first got the rig it was a complete rats nest of ugliness (you should see the pictures of what I started with) - the battery wouldn't stay charged over night if its life depended on it and chasing all the cracked wires, tracing the extra draw from the various parts and wiring to and from led me to do a huuuge overhaul. That plus the charging system while driving wasn't recharging and that got figured out too finally.
So lots of work in that area - leading me to think what's up with that? (Oil pressure gauge) - but I think I need to just watch it as the oil heats up to halfway, see if it comes down to normal - half. Where it used to sit.

 

[Shark56]

My post above, while not extact on the readings, meant to show the variances that are possible. From what I'm seeing is that you have not driven this truck to know what is a normal reading for your truck.

 

[Shark56]

You have made a bunch of changes, alot relating to electrical, so there may be some more learning on your new, improved, Electrical improvements.
Give it a ride or two.

 

[Kschep]

You have made a bunch of changes, alot relating to electrical, so there may be some more learning on your new, improved, Electrical improvements.
Give it a ride or two.

Yes well after all these changes - I've been able to drive it enough to know that all the fixes worked (meaning all components work now). Yes I should drive it a bit more after the oil change. So will see if that gets the oil pressure baseline to drop to half (which is what I think the healthy mark is??)
Will report back on this.
Thank you so much guys! Invaluable help and knowledge coming from you guys. Can't tell you how much I appreciate it.

 

[pb4ugo]

Oil temp gauge? Do you mean the coolant temp gauge or are you running an aftermarket oil temp gauge? Oil is thicker when it's cold which will increase oil pressure. Oil pressure goes up and down in relation to engine RPMs.

 

[Ditcherman]

And I would just add to the above, high oil pressure is a good thing, not a bad thing. Now if the gauge suddenly jumps, it could be an indicator of something going wrong. But just wanting to see the gauge in the middle zone is not really a thing. “Good” oil pressure is considered high.
I have also been confused with OP’s labeling of temp vs pressure gauges.

 

[Pighead]

see if it comes down to normal - half. Where it used to sit.

Stock gauges are notoriously inaccurate and slow to respond. Even after a refurbishment they are little more than idiot lights that move. I like a real gauge with numbers on it instead of trying to figure what side of the middle the needle is on.

 

[Kschep]

Oil temp gauge? Do you mean the coolant temp gauge or are you running an aftermarket oil temp gauge? Oil is thicker when it's cold which will increase oil pressure. Oil pressure goes up and down in relation to engine RPMs.

I'm speaking to the 2 different guages on the stock dash - oil temp and then oil pressure - I'm speaking to my oil pressure guage going up to the 3/4 mark upon car just barely warming - and since everyone has let me know that that should hopefully come down at my oil temp rises to the complete warm mark of halfway.

 

[pb4ugo]

It's a water temp guage in the cluster.

 

[Kschep]

And I would just add to the above, high oil pressure is a good thing, not a bad thing. Now if the gauge suddenly jumps, it could be an indicator of something going wrong. But just wanting to see the gauge in the middle zone is not really a thing. “Good” oil pressure is considered high.
I have also been confused with OP’s labeling of temp vs pressure gauges.

Okay! Awesome thought! Thank you for that - I was under the impression it being so high above the middle mark was something that meant there was an issue I needed to address - especially bec I had always noticed it at the halfway mark in the past (before some changes but none to the oil so my thought it was or should have remained at middle and sometimes a little over not immediately jumping to 3/4 mark.

But thank you for that! I didn't know that - so maybe it's a good thing or rather a normal thing for my rig. I will pay much more attention to it now.

I havnt noticed it jumping up or down with the rpm's either - but I'll again look more carefully at that.

 

[charliemeyer007]

In like 50 years and how many PO's hard to say what's there now

 

[Kschep]

It's a water temp guage in the cluster.

Excuse me I think I had been meaning to type that the entire time but for some reason my mind just was on the oil - lol - oil change / oil pressure ... etc.
So yes these are the guages I'm referring to
Furthest left "oil" and middle right "Temp"
Is that not oil temp, it's water temp?

I think I knew that I just kept saying oil temp. I knew it was the main temp guage to watch as I drive to make sure nothing is gunna overheat.

And no that's not condensation- it's glare

 

[bhsdriller]

Yes that is water/coolant temp

 

[Kschep]

Yes that is water/coolant temp

Yes, right water/coolant temp .. that was my understanding as well. I just for some reason had my mind on oil things at the time of typing a lot of these messages. My mistake.
So ya keep and eye on that and see as it middles out (as the car is driven for more extending drive times) instead of short 5-7minuters to then check if my oil pressure wants to move down a bit in turn?

That's where we ended with some of the last messages on the thread so just wanted to do a final confirm on that?
Plus know oil pressure being high isn't always a bad thing per previous members messages. So I won't stress anymore seeing that. Just pay attention to it.

Ok awesome, thx for clarifying ...
I'll send some more pictures of my interior (proud upgrades took place) & some other shots my 40 with the new soft top as I address minor rust and things with the hardtop. Doors will be going back on once I can find a damn re-upholstery person to actually be willing to sew the original door panel pattern into the new matching vinyl I'm getting from Corbaeu which matches my new front seats/back bench seat (will add pics),

 

[Kschep]

Here's some pics of interior, after returning/painting all the silver parts ... added a new sleek tach (that I'm in the middle of figuring out too). But then the major interior upgrade - new front seats with a matching back bench seat. Trying to find a reupholster person to use the yard of matching vinyl Corbaeu sent me to match the door panels and pad above center console which I have out repainting black.

One issue I'm still working on is my steering column and figuring out which wires are my blinker wires (although I may have figured that out, but the blinker switch in the aftermarket steering column that I think/know after lots of trial and error, its the problem.
I'll restart my original thread on this one when I have some extra time to address it but I want my blinkers and horn to work and I think both switches are the issue. I'm sure everyone will help me on that one. FYI - my hazards work perfectly meaning I know they work (blinkers) and I wired correctly, just comes back to the steering column. (An '84 I believe off a 4Runner? Based on wiring color research for those years & what I have).

 

[Kschep]

I've torn out all flooring cover (mats, carpeting, etc. From PO) - to address any beginnings of rust or drilled holes PO did that are beginning to rust. All preparing for a paint job and a line-x job on the interior floors. Plan to recover with some good Mat's or carpeting once it's all prepared for that.
First getting the car my main thought was to first get it running well - check!!
Then getting all knobs and parts working on the dash panel / dash gauges.
Now, I'm onto the aesthetics .. repainting minor parts / things. Preparing for the big one which is a new paint job on the entire rig. That'll be my absolute last order of business bec I do love the old minor rust, but rusty classic look I have. But I'm just not a huge fan of the mustard/piss color. I'll be going with a Blue color (either matte metallic frost or a blue like this one):