I have a 91.5 CTD and it has no oil pressure on startup for 3-4 seconds. After that it has great pressure all the time. 3-4 seconds is a long time when you are looking at the guages hoping it will move.

Is this something I need to worry about?

Does anyone make an accumulator kit to preoil before startup?

I have only had the truck for a couple of months and use it twice a month to tow a light 21ft gooseneck.

Thanks
ROB

 

That's entirely normal, I would not worry about it. Part of it is the lousy factory gauge, the other part is that the oil pump is in the front of the engine about 8 inches above the pickup, which is in the back half of the oil pan. It takes a little time for the pump to prime.

 

Thanks Wanna , I was gonna ask the same ?

 

Thanks, I was a little worried because I got what seams like a great deal on a truck that runs & tows very well. I was hoping there wasn't some sort of a catch.

ROB

 

(yo Dave!) I sure *HOPE* that delay is normal...had the same on 3 CTD's now, never any oil psi-related problems in probably 200,000 combined miles. It's more when there is zero pressure I'd freak....

 

well something to give you an idea of how bad the factory gauge is , i hooked up a regular old air pressure gauge to the plug on top of the filter and i went from showing from the first line, to none, to showing about 60 at idle as soon as i started it.

 

Not only that, but the gauge is not very fast at responding to changes in oil pressure. The needle will only move at a snail's pace...maybe slower

 

...as well it should. What I mean is you connected right at the oil filter, where the pressure would rise almost instantly...remember wannadiesel mentioned the pump is pretty remote from the pan, so some delay is absolutely normal(at the gauge). Means if the gauge/light don't show pressure for a second or two, that doesn't say you aren't GETTING pressure already. This would be due to the oil sender location being on the opposite side of the motor, and pressure-fed oil must travel thru the oil galleys to activate the gauge. Add to that the factory gauge is 'dampened'(meaning as mentioned above it is a little 'slow' to react), and voila! A delay of 3-4sec to show oil pressure at startup! Completely normal operation w/all 3 of my Cummins. I suppose, if you're really **** about some things(and by **** I don't mean anything dirty, I mean **** as in very very precise and picky), you actually could re-locate your sender unit from it's original location to the top of the filter also - with a bunch of adapters maybe? You'd see faster pressure rise at startup, but I'd actually feel more comfortable knowing my gauge is reading the further location, hence I can see what pressure is at the far end, not right at the filter, right? Man, I'm beginning to cornfuse myself, hope you all can follow better than I did writing it!!