swank

it all began the last time i changed my oil. the last three times, pressure stays up at about 2/3 for about a week, then drops down to just over one third. it also takes a while to get there. i remember someone writing about how a new sender had cured their same problem. so i put a new one in on sat. i get about HALF the reading now. . yesterday, a friend gave me an autometer oil pressure guage to see what kind of actual pressure i'm getting. i went to put it in tonight and realised that the sender is about ten times the size of stock. am i going to need some kind of brass snake to get this thing on or what? oh yeah, my brain might have been playing tricks on me, but i almost thought that i smelled a hint of fuel in the oil on the end of the sender, none from the dipstick though. while i'm at it, what is the best way to install a thermocouple? well, thanks for reading. any ideas?

swank

ANY ideas?

PumpDaddy

Let's see, stock sender about 1" in diameter, new one 10 times larger, that would make it 10" : NOPE it won't fit, are you talking about the THREAD size, or actual size of the sender, the stock sender should be either 1/8 or 1/4" NPT. Manual gauge kits come with all the fittings needed (GOOD ONES), but don't use the flimsey plastic tubing, splurge for the copper, it's a lot safer. Just my .02 worth

Holsteinman

If you go to a machanical gauge I would not use the nylon or copper tubing ( If you use the gauge longer than just to see what the pressure is). The nylon that comes with kits does not like heat, and I think the engine would vibrate too much for copper. I myself would use braided hose. Braided hose is what I used on my gauge. I know some people will think it is overkill, but it is what I would use.

Bob Beauchaine

There is a fitting on top of your oil filter mount - it will fit quite nicely on there. I have one there it fits and I didn't have to cut a hole in the hood. ;D ;D. The pressure comes up quite quickly so you know the turbo is getting oil in seconds.

Bob

swank

right on. the autometer is electrical, and the sender is actually only about the size of the gauge. but i didn't even try to deal with that. just to see, i got a mochanical one from napa. warm idle is about 28 psi, warm 55 in fifth is about 53psi. does that seem to correspond with what i was seeing on my stock guage (low pressure)? i like the braided line idea, where's a good place to get it? thanks for the tips guys.

Bob Beauchaine

That's what mine shows.

Bob

Holsteinman

First off I never belive what the stock guess-o-meter is telling me. Now is that 5 pounds or 60 pounds? At hot idle 28psi is fine. Cummins says 10psi at hot idle is ok. I myself would want more than 10psi at idle.

I would think a truck parts place can get you braided line. Aeroquip has the fancy stainless steel line, but I would use the industrial line. The industrial stuff will cost much less and work fine for what you want.