Help - oil pressure gauge (mech) ?

[dbsmith]

Hi All,
Having a few problems with my oil pressure gauge/sender/dashboard electrics on the RV8, wondering if anyone in the local area to me has a mechanical oil pressure gauge or a known good ETB gauge (not attached to the car !) that they could lend me briefly to figure out exactly what my real oil pressure is. Once I've done that, I can figure out where my problem is occurring....

Thanks

Dave

[Nobby]

Dave, you can borrow mine if you like - it's still nailed into the car but only 5 mins to take it out?
Nick

[Sidecarbod]

Originally Posted by Nobby

Dave, you can borrow mine if you like - it's still nailed into the car but only 5 mins to take it out?
Nick

Nick, Dave would be very lucky if the sender end was the right size thread, it would be quite a fluke.

Dave, you are welcome to bung your bits onto my car as a test. I know that you are worried that you have an actual issue with the pressure, to be honest mate, if you did have an issue with the pressure you'd know about it by now. (Basically you would have no bearing left in the engine!)

Its just the gauge, the sender or the wiring that has screwed up. (Or a combination of all of them!)

Pete

[dbsmith]

Originally Posted by Sidecarbod

Nick, Dave would be very lucky if the sender end was the right size thread, it would be quite a fluke.
Dave, you are welcome to bung your bits onto my car as a test. I know that you are worried that you have an actual issue with the pressure, to be honest mate, if you did have an issue with the pressure you'd know about it by now. (Basically you would have no bearing left in the engine!)
Its just the gauge, the sender or the wiring that has screwed up. (Or a combination of all of them!)
Pete

Hi Pete,

Yep, I know it's definitely sender, gauge or dodgy Pilgrim wiring on the dashboard (or looking likely to be all 3 at the moment !) so I'm going to get a new sender anyway.
But I want to know the real oil pressure since it takes out one of the variables of the equation: it's definitely not an OP problem since having re-jiggled all the wires behind the dashboard and messed about with the sender wiring/resistance, the gauge has miraculously started working again reading 30PSI (which it did before, even before replacing the pressure relief valve spring for a softer one) and is reasonably constant even when accelerating.

So, assumption is the OP is OK (but I'd like to know what it is for calibration purposes). Will replace the sender 'cos I can't get a consistent resistance reading out of it. Once I've done that I've got to prove the OP gauge, 'cos I've no idea where it's taking the reading from (based on the real OP & new sender) & track down the dodgy wiring/earth behind the dashboard (which i'll probably do by running a new sender wire from the new sender). Ideally I don't want to take out the OP gauge since it's a real pig to get to, i'll only do this as a last resort.

Phew.

Last time I go out to Andover in the freezing cold of winter, next time i'll take the Mini.....

[Noel]

Dave, just take your steering wheel off and then just undo the 4 nuts or so that hold your dash on, it is very easy to get off and will make life so much easier for you in the long run, the hardest part is getting the steering wheel off Have you checked the end of the pipe that connects into the engine for any debris that might be stuck in there, this can also give you a duff reading??

[dbsmith]

Originally Posted by Noel

Dave, just take your steering wheel off and then just undo the 4 nuts or so that hold your dash on, it is very easy to get off and will make life so much easier for you in the long run, the hardest part is getting the steering wheel off Have you checked the end of the pipe that connects into the engine for any debris that might be stuck in there, this can also give you a duff reading??

Hi Noel,

Hope the new motor's running ok?

Yes, i'll get the dash off at some point probably but trying to avoid it at the moment, probably will tackle this over Easter ! The wiring needs to be redone since too many of the instruments are dodgy - I think there's a bad earth behind there as well as a few bad connections like the fuel gauge. I also want to replace a few of the lights, so if I'm going to get it off then I only want to do it once.

With the Oil pressure, I know it's not an OP problem since (1) the sender is knackered wrt resistance readings and (2) when I disconnect the sender wire I still get the same readings on the gauge.
So I'll replace the sender, & the sender wire. Also the ETB gauge that I have has a different wiring pattern from the present ones, ETB have just sent me this through & i'm pretty sure it's wired up wrong hence the readings.

BTW - which pipe are you talking about ?

Cheers

Dave

[Sidecarbod]

Originally Posted by dbsmith

BTW - which pipe are you talking about ?

Cheers

Dave

He's talking about the end of the sender, the thing is I believe that your readings of the sender are all over the shop even when the engine is not running so I doubt that it's crap in the hole!

[wilf]

Originally Posted by dbsmith

Hi Noel,


BTW - which pipe are you talking about ?

Cheers

Dave

I have a horrid suspicion he may be thinking that you have a mechanical gauge on the car. Easy done.

[Nobby]

Originally Posted by wilf

I have a horrid suspicion he may be thinking that you have a mechanical gauge on the car. Easy done.

Yes especially as Dave's first post says 'mechanical oil pressure gauge' Silly mistake to make

[b951mwv]

Originally Posted by dbsmith

Hi All,
Having a few problems with my oil pressure gauge/sender/dashboard electrics on the RV8, wondering if anyone in the local area to me has a mechanical oil pressure gauge or a known good ETB gauge (not attached to the car !) that they could lend me briefly to figure out exactly what my real oil pressure is. Once I've done that, I can figure out where my problem is occurring....

Thanks

Dave

One thing to check which is real quick and easy,drop the oil pump pressure release valve nut off and make sure the valve aint stuck in the open possition,cos it cost me dear,I wish I had checked this before I f---ked my motor up,regards Bob