Oil pressure readings HELP!!!

[TheNoachSHO]

Well I got sick of seeing my factory gauge drop to zero and such so I went and put in my mechanical one. It's very, VERY low. It does not go above 20 psi and sometimes when I hit the gas it drops to less then 10. I know this is NOT normal but what is?

Another thing I noticed was that there was no oil making it up to the gauge. All the other ones i've owned in the past have had it go all the way to the gauge.

MY mechanical one is corrosponding well to the readings I was getting from the factory one.

HELP!!!!

 

[Stinger]

Sounds like your oil pump pickup screen is plugged with old crusty oil pan gasket material...

 

[TheNoachSHO]

What's the procedure for changing/cleaning it?

 

[ssjmaverick23]

my car does the same thing the gauge will drop to nuthing sometimes but the car runs fine i think my gauge is just messed up

 

[Stinger]

What's the procedure for changing/cleaning it?

Pull oil pan, pull the pickup, wash it out, install it, put pan back on....of course it's a lot harder than this but that's what needs to be done.

Stinger

 

[ka0tyk]

I currently have the stock gauge but I used a mechanical gauge to check and make sure really quick and with my oil pump I have around 60 psi at all times...

 

[TheNoachSHO]

It's the pulling the pan I have issue with. can it be done "in car". Keep in mind I have good abilities, i've done rod bearinging in my 90 SHO with the motor still in.

 

[CruzNlife1]

If you have good abilities than here you go....
Courtesy of 140CILX In the Tech Articles

To remove the oil pan "in-chassis", follow these steps:

1. Raise the car and place it on jack stands.

2. Drain the oil (seems obvious, but I've seen people forget and they're soooo embarrassed when they get soaked).

3. Remove the motor-mount nuts and raise the motor as high as you can - support it under the crank pulley with a stand and a block of wood (might wanna take the trigger wire off the solenoid so you don't accidentally bump the starter and drop the motor).

4. Disconnect the strg. shaft from the rack and pinion at the "rag" joint and tap it upward and out of the way (it's telescopic to prevent you from being impaled).

5. Take all 8 bolts out that attach the front crossmember to the "frame" (it won't fall - trust me). The bolts have a torx head, but you can use a standard 6-point socket.

6. Remove the four bolts holding the anti-sway bar brkts to the frame and let the bar hang.

7. Drive a wooden wedge between the rear of the crossmember and one side of the frame (this will not only lower it, as it compresses the susp springs which is what's holding it up, but it will usually slide forward as well.

8. Remove the starter.

9. Drop the pan down low enough to disconnect the oil pump from the block, allowing it to drop in the pan (you'll need an 8mm 12-pt socket for the pump body and a 14mm for the pickup support.

10. Slide the pan out the back (assuming it didn't already fall on yer head, lol).

FROM RAY OVER IN TURBOFORD.ORG